MAY 10, 2024

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Hi WHS-Reminiscers, OK  

Sad news of alumni passing:

Barbara Shakin Bruskin (6/50)

My twin sister, Corinne Shakin Gorelick (6/50) died in December, 2023. She and her husband, who died last April, lived in Boca Raton, FL. for the past 35 years. They had a son and a daughter and 6 grandchildren. Barbara

Bill Tanzer (6/52)

My classmate Aron Blutman passed away a few weeks ago in Las Vegas. During his Weequahic years, he lived on the corner of Nye and Demerest. After graduating from WHS, Aron went to work at Westinghouse for a few years. He then went to Packaging Specialties with his brother and brother-in-law until he married Mureen from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His next business venture arose as he opened a few restaurants until moving to Denver for a short time. From Colorado, Aron moved to Los Angeles where he opened another restaurant with his nephew. After retiring from the restaurants business, he moved to Las Vegas where he lived for the last 15 years.  

Aron is survived by his beloved wife of 64 years, Maureen, two sons Mark and Kenny, and four grandchildren. Alex Liam Luke and Alyssa. Bill 

Sue Creighton

I am sad to say that my mother, Lorraine (Larayne) Rindzner DeAngelo passed away on April 23rd, 2024. She loved to stay in touch with her WHS Class of January,1955, but others as well. My mother lived in Livingston until 1974; then moved to Saratoga, CA. Next, she resided in Almaden Valley, part of San Jose, CA, until 2000 when she moved to Rocklin, CA outside of Sacramento. She was an active volunteer in so many areas throughout the communities where she lived.

A celebration of life will be held at the Villas at Stanford Ranch, 1430 West Stanford Ranch Road on Sunday, May 19th at 2PM. My phone is 916-390-1119. Feel free to reach out. Sue

More on the “card” for Laurel Gardens:

Irwin Ussy Steinlight (1/63)

To Jac Toporek (6/63), what a great poster about wrestling in Newark.  I, and many of my friends, always went to the matches on Friday night. I even once caught a rope one of the wrestlers used to strangle another wrestler. Ask me if I still have it. NO! Ussy

Nate Himelstein (South Side 1/55)

The several articles in the “WHS Note” about Laurel Gardens brought back good memories. Morty Zemel's (my friend) father owned Laurel Gardens and occasionally we would get free tickets. My father would take my brother Abraham and me to see those wrestling events. Along with watching Antonio Rocca in person, we would also see Gene Stanley (Mr. America), Lou Thez, Vern Ganye, and Gorgeous George, the midgets, and women wrestlers.  

On Channel 13, the announcer was Fred Sales who also was the emcee of Junior Frolics. On Saturday evenings, Channel 5 aired wrestling matches which were emceed by Dennis James. It was on Saturday nights, while watching wrestling, my father and I would practice some of the wrestling maneuvers with my twin brother Abraham. We would apply some of the maneuvers on him used by Lou Thez and Vern Ganye. I think these maneuvers stunted his growth. Nate

Sheila Feldblum Kaufman (1/53)

Oh, so many memories of the Laurel Gardens. I didn’t know the name, but remember the wrestling matches because someone in my father’s family had a “pot” store (cookware) on the same street. I do remember the names of some of the popular wrestlers. Sheila

Danny Enzer (59)

When I was a kid, the Meadowbrook Bowl on Springfield Avenue, as a novelty, had a live boxing match with 2 kids. And I was 1 of them! I was 11 years old and can still remember how nervous I was (by the way I won; don’t think I would have shared this story had I lost).

I also remember a great Italian restaurant near the arena that my family frequented called The Reservoir. Right across the street this man had a food cart. His name was Jimmy Buff (ring a bell?). The best “sausage and peppers” I’ve ever eaten. I need to get off this I’m making myself hungry!!

The benefit of having a forum to share them W-memories:

Bill Foster (nee Fruchter; 60)

One of the more interesting features of the Weequahic blog are the names that contribute to it. Gary Fisher (6/60) recently commented referencing Jonathan Lazarus (WHS 58/W. Orange 60). I can recall going to what today would be called “play dates” at Jonathan’s house 70 odd years ago. And Gary was a buddy at Weequahic. I encourage other June 1960 graduates to comment! It’ll be good to know that they are alive and kicking! Bill

Dena Gittleman Greenstein (64)

I appreciate the efforts in sending the Weequahic Alum newsletter each week. It's the one place where we can share our memories of restaurants and recipes, an exceptional school community, catch up with longtime and long-lost friends, celebrate our accomplishments and mourn our losses. Dena  

The recollections we keep close:

Steve Newmark (6/61)

Some weeks ago, the “WHS Note” posted a 60th New Year’s Eve Anniversary photo of me, Larry Novick 1/61, Robert Buddy Horn 6/61, and Ronald Rosen 1/61 taken in 2024 at North Palm Beach, FL. The item contained little detail; so here goes. We made a New Year’s Eve party 60 years ago. We rented a room on Route.1 in a motel in Elizabeth. My guess is about 40 people showed up. It turned into a party that we have reminisced about for the last 60 years. Some, but not all, have gotten together many times since. Steve

Jacqueline Kaufer Klein (66)

Further to my posting a few weeks ago about the notable achievements (and passing) of my classmate Lynn Katzmann and her brother, Jerry (6/63), may their memories be for a blessing. Just like in one of the last scenes of Shtisel," the beautiful series of an Israeli orthodox family, they are sitting at a table and one says to the other, "We all hold cemeteries within us." And suddenly, all around the table appears grandfathers and aunts and uncles, children, siblings; all the ancestors come and join silently for a meal. We see them silently moving, serving food, passing plates; talking without word. These generations never leave us.

I believe they are always with us at the table, in the rocking chair while we sleep, in the backseat of our car, at the bris (circumcision) of our grandchildren.



L'dor v'dor (Hebrew: from generation to generation). So true, as well, of our Weequahic family of generations. Grateful that our weekly “WHS Note” is keeping the generations of memories alive. Jacqueline

Sanford Blumenfeld (53)

I just came across this item (Sagamore Summons; pic, below) that I saved somehow since 1952. I think I was a hall monitor? Cannot remember handing out any of these. I do remember working for the adult night school

Tuesday and Friday, 8 to 10 PM, for $2 a night in 1952-3. My task was to set up easels in a classroom for the painting class. 

Also showed movies in other night classes using a 16mm projector. I was chief of the projection staff and during study period I sometimes showed movies to classes. A narrow side room had a small window for the film to be projected through onto a pull-down screen above the blackboard. I remember showing a Julius Ceaser film to a history class. And a film entitled, "How to Fit a Bra" to a girl's health class, as well as, educational movies in the auditorium after school.

No, I did not become a professional projectionist, I became a pharmacist and owned several drugstores before retiring 23 years ago. Happy Day. Sanford

Larry Sharpe (68)

My friend and attorney Jon Feldman passed away at least 15 years ago. Jon (I think class of 62) and his twin brother played basketball for West Side High Rough Riders.  Jon was all state in NJ and All American at George Washington (GW). I would always bring Jon a cherry coke and cheeseburger from Bun & Burger across the street from his office on Sloan Street in South Orange. I looked on his wall and saw a picture of Jerry West defending against a shorter guy from GW. I asked and Jon said, “That’s me'' in NCAA play” and then added “I outscored Jerry.” Jon claimed Jerry noted that Jon was the best guard he ever played against.

He also said Red Auerbach (famed Boston Celtics’ coach) offered him a tryout, but Jon declined because he was too short and wanted to practice law. And, so, he did. When I was getting married, I wanted a pre-nup. Who better then Jon (was married 5 times; twice to the same girl) to prepare the document for me. After 29 years of marriage (pre-nup was only a 10 year agreement), got divorced. My ex-wife Susan and I are still best friends. Wish Jon was an Indian. Larry