JANUARY 13, 2022

TO RESPOND WITH A COMMENT OF YOUR OWN, PLEASE WRITE TO OR CLICK ON WHSALUM63@AOL.COM. 

 Hi Weequahic Faithful,  

E-mailing amendments:

Gilbert Stradford, Dorothy (71)-- dstradfo1@verizon.net (new)

Grande Lake, Sue (1/60) -- ssel@comcast.net (new)

Weiner Rosenberg, Toni (6/63) -- rosenbergtoni549@gmail.com (change)

Peter Macara and Marcia Baron Goldstein (6/61) share sad news:

Sorry to say, my BFF Barbara Lou Brodsky Rushmore, graduate of Weequahic High School, died on November 18, 2022. She was 98 years old. I am taking the liberty of forwarding an obituary I wrote by which to remember her ( Rushmore Brodsky Obituary). Peter

It is with a very heavy heart that I have to share the passing of my husband Herb Goldstein 1/60) on January 1, 2023. He loved his family and was loved by many. He was thought of as a kind man and was always willing to help those he loved. He will truly be missed by his friends and family. He leaves me, his wife of 57 years; 2 daughters, Mindy and her husband Tom and Loren and her partner Alex; and 2 granddaughters, Alessia and Emily. Marcia

Enid Hinkes (60) provides a third report highlighting honored Veterans of WHS:

Two Weequahic alumni, Leonard Klein (6/42?) and Sol Bauer (1/38) received the second and third highest awards conferred by the military, the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star. I have not been listing the Purple Heart in my biographies. All of the men who were wounded or died as a result of enemy action would automatically receive it.  The only exceptions would be those who died in a non-combat accident, or from disease or other non-combat related causes. The bodies of both these men would have been buried in an U.S. Department of Defense cemetery closest to the area in which they were killed. After the war the government allowed the families to make arrangements to have the bodies disinterred and reburied in the United States in a family plot.

The photo, below, is of Sol Bauer. I could not find a picture for Leonard Klein. For the report on both WHS Veterans, click on (LINK TO PDF). Enid

Jack Rudowsky (1/49), a Korean War veteran, tells of a recent military service-related honor:

As a Korean War veteran, I was invited to go on the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. on October 18th of this year. I had never given the thought of going before but I was approached by one of the Honor Flight executives and he insisted that I attend the next event, which I did. We assembled at St. Pete airport in Florida at 4:30 in the morning, were given breakfast and then flown to the Capitol. The 70 veterans on the flight were put on three buses, driven all around Washington and viewed all the major museums. It was an unbelievable day.

We were flown back to Florida and arrived at 8:30 pm that same day. As we were leaving the airport to head home, there were all kinds of folks lining the corridors welcoming us home and thanking us for our service. It brought a tear from each of us. What a day! Jack

Bergen “bytes:”

Maureen Morris Edwards (1/64)

Reading all the stories of Bergen Street would not be complete without mentioning my father "Bernie the Cop." Daddy (pictured, below) was the beat cop on Bergen Street during the fifties and early sixties. He had many great friends on the street including Sidney from the Bergen Bake Shop, Charlie Fox from Fox Hardware and our wonderful friends and neighbors, the Weinstock family, Tillie, Ben, Shirley, Alan and Ronnie, as well as many other shop owners along the street. Maureen

Paula Fincke Garrett (68)

I lived at 1173 Bergen Street, corner of Chancellor Avenue; 5 Fincke siblings. Can anyone remember my porch on Friday night? Paula

Jacqueline Kaufer Klein (66)

Someone had mentioned Henry's Sweet Shop and a while back, for myself, I wrote a memory of that very special candy shop, since I loved it so much. Henry Rosen and his wife and a lovely man named Lee worked so hard in that shop. It was more than a soda fountain, or luncheonette, or a candy store like Hatoff's or Halem's or Fishman's. Henry's was such an elegant jewel box of a place with the most elegant chocolates, Unlike Barton's and Barricini's downtown, Henry's was "our own" special place for exquisite truffles and chocolates on doilies in glass bins.

The almond butter crunch was so divine, I can still taste the rectangles of toffee covered in chocolate and rolled in crushed nuts. One of the best candies ever! The shop sold pink, green and violet plastic boxes filled with chocolate cigarettes in delicate white and gold foil wrappers and licorice pipes. The chocolate ice cream in a sugar cone was the best chocolate ice cream ever. For Valentine's Day, they sold gorgeous, romantic, red or pink valentine heart boxes lined with satin and velvet and filled with chocolates.

And there was seating where each booth had a little jukebox on the table. I would endless play "Look in My Eyes," by the Shirelles, the most romantic song of all time! The back

And there was seating where each booth had a little juke box on the table. I would endlessly play "Look in My Eyes," by the Shirelles, the most romantic song of all time! The back room had the largest juke box with bright, colorful lights. It glowed in the dark backroom, which was a mysterious room with amazing frescoes on the wall that looked like a WPA public art project. Bergen Street was the Street of Dreams. Jacqueline

A few more yards on Weequahic football:

Mike Siegel (59)

To Margie Bauman (6/60) who mentioned the troubled winning record of Weequahic High’s football team, I played with Warren Bratter (6/60) on the 19558 team. If I remember correctly, Linden was the first game we won in four years. We went on and also beat Central High, West Side and tied arch rival Hillside. We came close in a couple of other games. All in all, we had a fairly good team. Mike

Lew Kampel (60)

To Margie Bauman, I was not at the Linden game so I cannot comment on whether or not stones were thrown at the buses. What I do remember is a raucous and spontaneous parade up Chancellor Avenue when the team and supporters came back from the game. It was as if we had won the state championship. I am not sure that was the only game won while my class was at WHS. But I clearly do remember stones being thrown at the 6 Crosstown bus carrying us back to Weequahic and anti-Semitic epithets when we played West Side or Barringer at Schools Stadium.  Lew

Jack Lippman (50)

Although the football season is almost over, I enjoyed occasionally watching Bowling Green State University's football team in the Mid-America Conference. Some of whose games were usually on TV midweek. Why? Well, this Ohio school's colors are orange and brown and watching them play brought back memories of WHS, even more so than the NFL’s Cleveland Browns who also share Weequahic's colors. Jack

Sara Friedman Fishkin (6/60)

To Jac Toporek (6/63), I just loved seeing photos of today's players and spectators at Untermann Field. Seeing them brought back memories of so many freezing, cold Saturdays in which I sat through too many interminable losses from the likes of West Side, Barringer, South Side and East Side. On one memorable day, tall and handsome Joe Russo (known to everyone as "Junior") took the time to explain the game of football. It wasn't quite the parting of the Red Sea, but suddenly I understood the significance of downs, yardage and the momentum of the game. Since that day, both family and friends know I'm a legitimate “fan" (meaning, "fanatic"). Sara

Commentquahics:

Alan Schnirman (1/63)

Contrary, to a comment in the “WHS Note” from Jane Manheim Jurick (6/56) about ordering a “naked hot dog” at the Hot Dog Haven and getting a hot dog roll with no hot dog but with the trimmings, with all due respect, my recollection is that ordering a naked, meant you were served a hot dog bun with a hot dog in it, without any trimmings. Ordering an MK, which was my favorite, resulted in a hot dog in a hot dog bun covered with mustard and sauerkraut. Two other hot dog options that I recall were MO, mustard only, and HW, hot works. As for the cost of same, I remember .25 cents for the dog and .15 cents for their delicious French fries. Ah, the “good old days”. Alan

Helene Kohn Reiss (Union 64)

In reply to Neil Rothstein (6/59), I remember some of the swim team members from Fabyan Swim Club; Howie Hudson and Ken Rothchild. Helene

Ann Lew Kirschner (50)

I don’t remember much, but I lived on 83 Wainright Street diagonally across from Bragaw Avenue School. Jimmie’s Candy Store was across the street. It was a long walk to Weequahic. Ann 

Robin Botnick (66)

To Neil Rothstein (6/59), I was on the team and so were my WHS 1966 classmates. Ira Grindlinger and Steven Care. We were all on the Fabyan Club Swim Team. Robin

Ira Migdal (Union 64)

As to Rich Kaplan’s (1/61) note, I also attended “Junior Frolics” with Uncle Fred Sayles. If I recall correctly, when I attended a sponsor was Junket Rennet Custard. Ira