OCTOBER 20, 2023

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Hi W-Blog Participantquahics:  

Martin Friedman (6/54) mourns the loss of a cousin and friend.

Diane Samet Freeman (6/57) passed away the beginning of October. 

Known fondly by her friends as "Bunny," she lived on Goldsmith Avenue when she attended Weequahic. Diane married Don Freeman and within a few years moved to California where she raised a son Greg and a daughter Lisa. She loved to dance and socialize. At the time of her death, she was residing in Oregon. Marty

Today’s Star Ledger highlights Weequahic football team: 



Link to NJ.Com story about Weequahic Football Team.

Jack Rudowsky (1/49) would like to hear from WHS friends:

I had a great relationship with some really great guys during my time at Weequahic High. I would like to know if some of my former buddies are still around. Donnie Liebeskind, Marv Haftel, Ira Kreitzman, Seymour Blinder etc.,

any of you still around? I would love to hear from my buddies of the Class of January, 1949. I can be reached at rochelletsr@gmail.com.  Jack 

The “Medicine Men of the W-Hood:

Nate Himelstein (South Side 1/55)

In reminiscing about Newark doctors, do any of your readers remember Dr. Herman Nash? My late mother referred to him as her “confinement doctor.” In those days they did not have sonograms and when my mother gave birth to my brother Abraham, Dr. Nash was very interested in hearing on the radio the outcome of the Joe Louis v Jim Braddock boxing match. So, he ran to hear the results with his buddies who were in the hospital. At the end of that round, he ran back to check on my mother and heard me; had to get new gloves on to bring me into this earth. That was the reason I am fifteen minutes younger than my twin, Abe (South Side 55). Later on he was a general practitioner making house calls with a driver. 

Also, does anyone remember Dr. Abrams whose office was at 299 Clinton Avenue in Newark. He was a very reputable surgeon. Nate 

Norman Maranz (Hillside 57)

To Debby Rosenthal Weiss (59), I do remember your father, a really nice man. He was our family doctor. We lived around the corner on Chadwick Avenue. My mother would address him as "Arnold;" like a member of the family. I also

remember your house/office being on Renner Avenue at the bend in the

road near Weequahic Park. Norman

Mady Bauman Barna (6/56)

Recalling family physicians from the past, my first was Dr. Finklestein. The next in my memory was my family doctors Echikson and Klos. My beloved Irving Fain delivered my two children and probably half of Newark’s babies along with Dr Sugarman. It was a time when your physician was a family member who seemed to be always available. I’m aware times have changed and so has health care, but how I long for those days we were truly cared for. Thanks to Dr Feldman, my kids’ pediatrician, and the incredible Elissa Santoro. To all you incredible docs, thank you. Mady

Lew Kampel (6/60)

Starting after school, during my senior year at Weequahic and continuing through summer breaks in college and the first few years of medical school, I had the privilege of working in the laboratory at Beth Israel Hospital. That experience gave me a unique perspective on the medical community in Newark having worked with many of those physicians starting when they were newly minted interns. It also shaped my life.

But first a personal memory. My pediatrician was Clement E. Schotland, a gruff and portly man who was a pariah among the Essex County yentas ( ) because he was divorced. I remember him coming to my house for a polio scare (false alarm) and other illnesses until I was about 19. What I loved most about the doctor was that he treated me like an adult and that he would literally scream at my parents to get them off my back and let me grow up.

Now back to the Beth. My boss, Dr. Lester Goldman, was one of the first to treat children with leukemia and certainly fostered my interest in cancer and blood diseases. Seymour Ribot was interested in kidney disease and performed the first hemodialysis at Beth Israel. And, of course, Freddy Cohen with his giant personality, arguably the founding father of medical oncology in New Jersey. He did my medical school physical for me. And then there was the movie star, handsome Asa Crews, Jr., the epitome of cool with his pipe and mustard color Porsche convertible. He was one of the few African American docs at Beth Israel and practiced internal medicine in Newark.

There were many others, but I would also like to recognize many non-physicians who contributed to the health of our community and guided me. Evelyn Pollock, wife of WHS math teacher Max, headed the chemistry lab. She taught me precision and responsibility. Herb Kassoff was a tall microbiologist who gave me a deserved and public chewing out when I once said something truly offensive. Then there was Harold (I don't remember his last name), a ghoulishly pale narcoleptic morgue attendant who liked to prank newbies coming to the place where the dead teach the living. Mary, whose last name I also forgot, was a short rotund woman from North Newark who was the bottle washer. Without her, the lab could not function. Every summer she invited all the students to her home for an Italian feast. More about the summer students some other time. And finally, the beautiful almond eyed Syrian nurse, whose post I always found a reason to visit.

I may have said this in a previous post, but if it takes a village, the Beth was mine. I was the kid and everyone took me under their wings. Lew 

Variations on the “Weequahic Lifestyle” theme:

David Cohen (6/56)

The Newark Jewish lifestyle is a myth. It was for each of us what it was. Some had it really good and some had it really bad, but, somehow, we mixed very well. The people of my generation would and did defend each other whenever necessary. My childhood was magical and I appreciate the wonderful opportunities I had as a child.

I do wish we had better football equipment for the WHS team. I can vividly remember the ear flap on my leather helmet spinning and being stopped by big nose. Kickoff returns were the worse. Really sorry for your loss, Herbie was one of the good guys 

One of those I met as my Weequahic life unfolded and with whom I grew up was Herbie Cohen (6/54). He was in and out of my life as a very young child. My older brother Barry Cohen was very close with Herbie and some of the very weird stuff they did as kids cannot be retold here. They were two years older than me but that was miles apart at age 10 and 11. I was around, involved and aware of how nuts they were and took the blame lots of times for the things that they did. Even so, I was saddened to read the note from his daughter Shar that Herbie had passed away. David

Natalie Confield Tublitz (1/52.)

To Steve Epstein (6/63), I lived in three rooms with five people until I was 15. So what! My life was happy and to this day, 80 years later, I am still close friends with my group from grammar and high school. Rich, poor it made no difference. Natalie  

Don Rosen (53)

T0 Suzanne Care Cummin (WHS 65-67), I suspect that the attitude toward Blacks was drastically different in your generation than in mine. In my years, 1949-53, the neighborhood was predominantly populated by Jews who were very liberal, some communist and very friendly with their black classmates. As of matter of fact, we had a Black class president one year. 

This is not to say that the parents of these kids were friendly with our parents. Yes, those generations were far apart from ours. For the most part they were professionals and knew that living in our Weequahic area was a very good environment for their children. Our Black classmates, though an extreme minority during my WHS years, were welcomed inclusively. Dan

Alan Ginter (64) 

My experiences with the "Weequahic Lifestyle" is much like so many of the comments already shared in the weekly newsletter. The work ethic was very much a central part of the lives of my family and everybody I knew. Both our parents worked before my older brother Fred (61) and I started Chancellor Avenue School. Once Freddy went to school full-time, Mommy stayed at home until I graduated Chancellor (January 1961). Then she went right back to work for her brother, our Uncle George Teitelbaum (father of Hal, WHS 65) at his Belmont Avenue (later Roselle Park) photo developing plant. My father worked at Reliable Electrical Supply Co., 305-307 Springfield Avenue, since shortly after they were married in 1938. 

My Uncle Abe "Rusty" and Aunt Evelin Feldman (parents of Frances [61] and Susan [66]) lived in the downstairs flat on Schley Street (we were upstairs). Uncle Rusty was a painter for the City of Newark and Aunt Evelin was a Newark substitute teacher until she got her credential while I was at Chancellor. They got the down payment for our 2-family Schley Street. house (272, the 7^th house up from Margie's) from our grandfather, Louis Teitelbaum, who lived with us. Back in the day, he used to deliver the Forward newspaper with a horse and wagon wearing a vest made out of newspapers in the harsh winters. He was forced to retire as a delivery driver for Pechter's Bakery when he became too ill to drive.

All five cousins I mentioned above either went to work right after high school (Fred joined the Air Force and then worked) or went to college and then worked. Fortunately, I made all my spending money since I was 13 from playing music. I started with Denny Lohman (6/63) on piano, Ritchie Mintz (6/63) on sax, and my best friend Jeff Davis (64) on drums. We were so resourceful that we worked at least tw0 gigs practically every weekend. After Bobby Keil (6/63) on accordion and later Alan Brown (6/63) on piano replaced Denny, we were able to play the Catskills every summer and school vacation. Once I (the youngest member) started college, we all worked during the week and played Catskills’ bungalow colonies on the weekends. By the way, the parents of all the band members also worked. So yes, the "Weequahic Lifestyle" involved a healthy dose of work ethic. Alan