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SEPTEMBER 20, 2024
TO RESPOND WITH A COMMENT OF YOUR OWN, PLEASE CLICK ON WHSALUM63@AOL.COM.
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Hi Hypers of the Weequahic Spirit,
Tribute to members of WHSAA’s Hall of Distinction (HOD):
As you have read in these weekly “WHS Notes,” the WHSAA is inducting 17 new members to the WHS HOD--WHS alumni and affiliated individuals who have distinguished themselves in various fields.
In conjunction with a Gala Reception at Weequahic (Sunday, October 6th. from 2-5pm) honoring the inductees, there is a virtual tribute journal where messages of congratulations, recognition and good wishes can be posted. The proceeds from the ads go toward scholarships and support of school activities for current Weequahic students.
And everyone who places a tribute, or pays the $30 admission to the virtual induction ceremony, is also invited to the October 6th Gala Reception, which is being catered by downtown Newark’s famous deli, Hobby’s.
To register for the October 6th Gala Reception, and the virtual induction ceremony, go to the
2024 WHSAA HALL OF DISTINCTION WEBSITE
All are invited and encouraged to go to the 2024 WHSAA Hall of Distinction website and consider placing a tribute to support the WHSAA’s long standing and 20 years of productive scholarship programming.
And, please register and come to the high school on October 6th (school parking lot available across from Goldsmith Avenue entrance).
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Leslie Heller and Jeff Golden (6/63) advise of passing of loved ones:
It is with great sadness, I am notifying you of the recent passing of my husband, Murray Heller. He graduated with the Class of 1958, fondly remembered his days at Weequahic and took great pride in wearing his alumni shirt. Murray was a great husband, father, and grandfather. We all miss him so much. Leslie
I just realized that no one has, yet, reported the passing of my cousin Mike Loss on July 30, 2024. He graduated Weequahic in about 1959/60. Here is a link to Mike's obituary; Obituary for Dr. Michael Loss.
After Weequahic, Michael went to pharmacy school and later worked his way through medical school as a pharmacist. He then interned at Martland Medical Center in Newark, after which he joined the Air Force where he was an obstetrician/gynecologist stationed at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida. Mike followed by starting his own OB/GYN practice in the Fort Lauderdale area where, over the years, he delivered thousands of babies.
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I have dozens of stories about Mike, but here are two. Mike's parents had a drug store on Clinton Avenue in Newark. There was a veterinarian's office next door. Mike liked to assist the veterinarian. One day, when I was about 10 years old and he was about 12, Mike invited me to visit the veterinarian's office with him. The vet was doing surgery on a dog with some kind of a hernia. When he cut, he found a small puppy that was outside of the womb. Mike couldn't accept that the pup was dead. He worked on it unsuccessfully trying to revive the dog for about an hour. I knew right then that someday Mike would be a doctor working with babies.
Fast-forward to about 1980. I'm visiting family in Florida. One evening, Mike and I go out to dinner together. After dinner, he needs to check on his patients in the hospital and wants me to accompany him, saying, "It will only take a few minutes." We walk into the hospital. He looks at me, then hands me a white lab coat and says, "Here. Put this on and come with me." "No way am I going to walk around the gynecology department of a hospital wearing a white coat," I told him! I hung back while he went on his rounds. Jeff
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Jac Toporek and Paul Lipkin share another “Small-Weequahic-World” moment:
My wife Vivian (nee Barnet; Irvington 66) has a long-time friend, Janet, who loves to travel the world. Her most recent trip included Vietnam. When first meeting her bus tour partners, she struck up a get to know each other conversation with a woman. Of course, they started the bonding process by acknowledging their New Jersey roots. As the exchange continued, Janet revealed that she attended Somerville High School and the woman responded with Weequahic in Newark. Janet mentioned my name and the woman, Riva Barnet (no relation to Vivian) responded that she knew both me and my twin Norbert as we were graduates of WHS, June 1963.
Janet texted me with the news and even indicated that Riva recalled that the twins Toporek had gone to Newark Airport graduation night. Neither Nor or I remembered that we went to the airport that night, but it was certainly a possibility since we, more than once, had ventured to the airport to greet people (that we did not know) as they departed the plane. Riva also indicated to Janet that she was better acquainted as a WHS student with my brother than with me.
Janet, who shared a few pictures of her Vietnam trip that included Riva, visits our home almost yearly. Word is that on her next rip north from her Florida home, she hopes to get together with some of her Vietnam tour-mates. Could provide an opportunity for the Toporeks to meet Riva once more after 61 years since graduation from Weequahic. Jac
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Spent most of my life in New Jersey. After my wife passed away, I
moved to Monroe Township. Left Monroe for Florida seven years ago. As I approach my 82nd birthday, I felt a need to be closer to one of my children. My youngest daughter lives in Wilmington, NC, so, I moved two miles away from her to the Davis Community. A big culture change from where I lived in Florida.
Recently, at one of our social events, started to chat with a nice lady. I stated I was from New Jersey, she said, “So was I.” Conversation continued, “Where in New Jersey?” When I told her Newark, she responded, “So was I, Weequahic High Voo Den (Yiddish for, “what else”). Her name Helene Hornstein Siegel, Class of 1953. She also moved here to be closer to her children and lived in Monroe Township before moving to Wilmington. Paul
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Sherry Ortner (6/58) reaches out to her classmates:
Hello Classmates of June 58! Following up on Judy Epstein Rothbard's (58) posting of July 12. I am seeking contact information for the “Children of the Class of 58.” In the early 90s, I did a study of our classmates and published a book about us called New Jersey Dreaming. At that time, I also collected information (questionnaires, interviews) from about 50 of those “Children.” I would like to follow up with them (and any other Children of 58”) and learn how their lives have worked out, hopefully producing a sequel to the first book. Please send any information to: sortner@anthro.ucla.edu. Sherry
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Commentary buffet for Jimmy Buff’s:
Fred Goldman (6/6)2
Yes, good old Jimmy Buff's. The first one I ever went to was on Springfield Avenue on the borderline of Newark and Irvington. The one thing you had to be careful about was if you had an order to go. By the time you got home, the hot dog would eat its way out of the bag from all the grease used to cook it. Could leave a stain on your car seat. Not till later did they start to wrap them up with wax paper and then put them in the bag.
Those who wrote in about Jimmy Buff’s were commenting about the Jimmy Buff’s all around, but not a mention of the one in West Orange, a block up from Orange. The Italian hot dogs taste the same as the old one in Newark. Only in West Orange do they have two great specials; the first one is called “Fat Tuesdays.” When you buy a double hot dog, the price is that of a single. The second special is called “Throwback Thursdays;” buy one single dog and get another single for the year you were born. In my case, 1944, I would only pay 44 cents. Can’t beat those specials and that's why I moved to West Orange (just kidding!). Fred
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Sheila Feldblum Kaufman (1/53)
Jimmy Buff’s in West Orange is alive and kicking. You have to order ahead or wait in line to get their special day deals. More can be learned at their website, Link to Jimmy Buffs website. Sheila
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Recent mention of Osborne Branch of Newark Public Library in the weekly “WHS Note” received some commentary:
Barbara Dubin Blumenfeld Klein (62)
I spent many afternoons and summer days at the Osborne Library. I remember a club called “The Bookworm Club.” Every time you read a book, you got a segment of the bookworm and when you completed it, you got a prize. Got memories of lot of time writing book reports at the library. To this day, I am an avid reader. Barbara
Dennis Estis (65)
I hate to correct former graduates of Weequahic, but Sara Friedman Fishkin (60) is mistaken as to where the children’s library was located and where the adult library was. Children’s was always on the second floor and the adult was on the first floor. I should know since I came in second three years in a row in the kid’s contest as to who could read the most books during the summer. Unfortunately, my classmate Howard Chernoff won the contest each of those years. Maybe I should blame the children’s librarian, Mrs. Addison? Dennis
Another step back in W-Time:
Matthew Benoun (6/62)
In response to Harlene Gelman Horowitz’s (6/58) comments, I remember Brookside.
Our family could not afford to go there, but when I was around 13 years old I came up with idea of how to sneak in. Barry Bloomberg, Owen Sullivan, and I would go in the back and climb over the fence and hanged into our bathing suites like we belong. Then, we would put our clothes in a paper bag and hide them till the end of the day.
When we turned around 17, we went to Brookside after June. Our mistake! We did not go there. The guard walking around noticed us and knew we are not members. He asked me where my cabana was. I told him over there, but not pointing at anything specific. The Guard got pretty upset because I could not remember. Finally, threw us out. But, I can say, we had 4 years of great times
Matty
Steve Epstein (6/63)
To Marlene Pinky Gold-Gamble (6/53), when my mom sent me to the Garden Bakery, she would say get the bread with or without poppet seeds. So, I stand with your wording
To Susan Oaklander Leon (1/58) who referenced the WHS-Hillside football rivalry in her note advising of her marriage of 60 years to a Hillside grad, we at Weequahic suffered many Thanksgiving Day losses! But Hillside avoided us in basketball. I’d trade a Thanksgiving Day loss for some basketball State Championships.
Furthermore, to all my fellow Weequahic grads, you are surely a special breed. No one here in the land of corn and beans (Illinois) can believe the amazing ties we all share to our high school and neighborhood. Steve
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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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