MARCH 7, 2025

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Hi Weequahic Lore-ologists, 

Tammy Berkowitz advises of her mom’s passing:

We sadly announce the passing of my mother, Lucie Prinz (Class of 49), in Cambridge, MA on January 23, 2025. Mom’s father, my grandfather, was Rabbi Joachim Prinz. She is survived by me and my brother, Barak Berkowitz. The full obituary can be found at Obituary for Lucie Prinz.  Tammy

Norman “Nibby” Barr (6/564) and Jac Toporek (6/63) write in response to the letter posted in a previous “WHS Note” by Dr B. Jumu'ah, Ed.D, (72/WHS Alumni Association Board Trustee):

It was/is with warm feelings and much pride that I read the letter from Dr B. Jumu’ah. The Weequahic “Family” she refers to now extends for more than ninety years. 

I fully agree with Dr. Jumu’ah’s statement, “Through endeavors of hard work and allegiance, our team collaborates with diverse groups of individuals to ensure our future generation receives what is needed to succeed academically, socially as well as emotionally.” She then adds, “…the WHSAA team focuses on the interfaith commonalties (sic) that bond us and not the diversities that stand to divide us.”  

I would love to hear the doctor’s comments about her personal experiences while a student at the high school. There were major changes to the Newark “Community” in the late 60s. What was the high school experience like? What was the faculty/student relationship? What are some of her outstanding memories? Nibby

So pleased that someone of Dr. Jumu’ah’s achievements and dedication to community and the students of Weequahic is a member of the Board of the WHSAA. The future alumni of WHS are in well-intentioned guiding hands so that they can continue to hold the banner high as their predecessors at the school did and fashion for themselves and community benefits that make a difference.

A few weeks ago, I attended a Black History Month program at Newark Vocational High School, a beautiful environment of education situated on W. Kinney Street. Eighteen high schools were represented, including Weequahic. While in the neighborhood, and not having visited the area in many, many years, I took the opportunity to drive by for a view a few blocks away the neighborhood where my parents owned two fish stores on Spruce Street below then Belmont Avenue and before Prince Street. Yes, mighty changes had taken place besides renaming Belmont to Irvine Turner Boulevard.

Gone were the many stores that made the area a busy commercial hub. The surrounding apartment project which housed so many that frequented the stores were gone. Sitting now on both sides of Spruce is beautiful garden apartment housing. Yes, quite an upgrade, but so no commercial establishments. I was happy for the residents and their new homes, but a bittersweet moment thinking of the vanishing memories change brings on.

With that in mind, similar to Dr. Jumu’ah’s call I, too, “look forward to hearing from graduates from all classes, 1930’s through the present day, about your experiences growing up in the neighborhood we all loved.” Neighborhoods may physically change, perhaps bringing with it different like and family choices, but experiences and memories continue to serve as the roots for personal development. 

Please keep our memories of the high school and the Weequahic District alive and meaningful to past and future generations of the Weequahic family by responding, as Norman Barr has asked of Dr. Jumu’ah, by sharing your own Weequahic experience in these pages of the “WHS Note.”  And, thank you, Dr. Jumu’ah, for your letter and WHS student support.  Jac  

Comments about Newark parades march on:

Rita Kravet Rzepka 1/55

My parents always took me to the Bamberger’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I remember reading a book years ago, a memoir of the man that coordinated the parade every year. In his recollections, there was a paragraph or two about the reindeer. One year it was decided they should have live reindeer. As a result, there was a lot of work and confusion. When the reindeer arrived, the coordinators were informed that only pregnant females have antlers. They went about tying antlers to all the reindeer heads solving the problem of providing the parade goers with traditional antlered reindeer for Santa’s sleigh. Funny, of the whole memoir, that’s what I remember. Rita

Lew Kampel (60)

At some time around 1955, all the safety patrols in the city were honored by a parade down Broad Street ending with a free movie at the Loew’s and an award ceremony. I remember scrubbing my white Sam Browne belt in our tub the night before so it would be nice and clean. At the same time, I much preferred the curved arm badge it replaced (see photo, below). These occasionally become available on e-bay for hundreds of dollars.

Below are photos of the 15th Avenue School patrol forming up in front of Arts High School. Most of these guys did not go on to Weequahic, except for Ira Scheff, 4th from left, who lived in the same apartment building as me on S. 13th Street. On the far left, in a suit is Joe Covella. To his right, holding up his hand is Patrick Barletta. The only other one I can be reasonably sure of is Marilyn Cocuzzo, in a white dress, standing sideways to me in the background. BTW, she was very pretty with dark hair and blue eyes. Had a huge crush on her. I don't know the boy covering his face.

The Captain of the patrol was Betty Ann Knox (not pictured). She was the first female or Black captain, a role that was well deserved. She had the respect of everyone. Remember, this was 1955.

This 15th Avenue School group was an interesting class, very different from WHS. One of my classmates became an FBI agent and was killed in a shootout. One of the girls glammed up and married a mafioso. She disappeared and has never been found after carrying on with her husband’s Philadelphia rival. Another, whom I thought was surely headed for trouble, became a chef at an Italian restaurant in Linden. Yet another became a med school classmate who was injured in Vietnam and was highly decorated. So many stories. Lew

The WHS NOTE is emailed to you by the WEEQUAHIC HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION for the CLASS OF 1963 ASSOCIATION and editor, Jacob Toporek.



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