Ed Klein’s (6/62) essay on Hawthorne Avenue motivated replies:
Eli Hoffman (1/56)
Thank you, Ed, for the nostalgia about Hawthorne Avenue. You were absolutely right about the stores, my father's store, Hoffman Brothers, Fruiterers, 345 Hawthorne Avenue was right next to Keil's Bakery. The large walk-in refrigerator was in the cellar of the building next to Keil's. I remember very clearly the telephone would ring right outside of my bedroom every weekday at 3:00 am to wake my father up so he could go the wholesale produce markets on Miller Street in Newark.
In response to your mention of the police, do you remember Johnny the Cop? His motorcycle was always full of "stuff" from the Hawthorne Avenue merchants. You're right about Jake Mohawk's Men's Club. What about the crap games in the alley between the fish store and my father's store?
I worked at my father's store on Saturdays, Sundays and during the summer. I grated large horseradish roots on a rigged up large grater. With beets if the lady wanted red horseradish for Passover or Rosh Hashanah. Usually got 10 cent tip!
Bertha Keil always gave me many chocolate chip cookies; wonderful lady. Harrison's, the fish store always had two very large fish swimming in a tank by the windows. The gin rummy card games were held in the meat locker late in the afternoon in Jack Stein's butcher shop. Much more to tell, thanks.
The weekly note brings back so many happy memories. Lived at 246 Vassar Avenue, between Aldine Street and Clinton Place. Fern Marion Lehner's (6/59) father and mother owned the 2-family house. I graduated from Chancellor Avenue School in January 1952 then onto the Annex. graduated from WHS and from Temple University on June 11, 1959. The January 1956 Legend had my ambition as to be an accountant. That ambition was accurate. I enjoyed the past 63 years as a CPA, 30 years with a local NJ medium size firm and 21 years, 1989-2010, as NJ Managing Partner of a large national firm. Semiretired and still working! Ed.
Steven Epstein (6/63)
In response to your impression about students who attended Chancellor, a lot of us did not come from privilege. My friends’ families were also blue collar. My father was a furniture salesman and an upholsterer. Fathers of other friends were liquor salesman, newspaper printers, electricians; all were hard workers just trying to make ends meet like other kids’ parents. Steven
Don Stickler 6/51
I also want to add my thanks for the efforts of all who contribute to this weekly journal which brings back so many good memories of a bygone era. And I, especially want to thank Ed for the memories of the Hawthorne Avenue contingents. I was part of that group which met every day on the corner of Hawthorne and Reeves Place at Nat Katz’s candy store.
We were about 10 or 12 guys who became very close and enjoyed being together. We had an Abramson, Schwartz, Liebman (2), Yarnold, Heimberg, Kesselhaut, Shulte, Mitterhoff, Barna, Gold, Stickler (me) and others whose names I can't remember now some 70 years later. They became doctors, plumbers, insurance executives, dentist, slum lord, stock broker and the biggest bookie in South Florida (according to himself).
We all went our separate ways but whenever we do get to see each other, it is like we were together yesterday. Like so many others, I have made many new friends over the last 70 plus years, but none hold a higher place in my heart then the "old guys." Too many have passed away but their memory stays forever. Don
Joel Enda (62)
Ed, you forgot about Fessenden Place. Fessenden Place was one block long between Walcott Terrace and Goodwin Avenue. From there our family was able to walk to Bragman’s Deli, Silver’s and Keil’s Bakeries, Amato’s and its Italian Hot Dogs and the South ward Boy’s Club on Hawthorne Avenue. Joel
Joan Frieder Smith (67)
I graduated Hawthorne in June, 1963 and went into Weequahic that September as a 9th grader. By then, Hawthorne went up to 8th grade, as Clinton Place Junior High had become overcrowded. Mr. Yaney, who you mentioned as the playground director at Hawthorne, had a son, Jed, who graduated Weequahic in 1964, I believe. I believe Mr. Yaney also taught boys Phys. Ed. at Hawthorne for a time. Joan
Linda Krugman Holtzman (6/59)
Ed never mentioned my father’s drug store at the corner of Hawthorne and Walcott. My son found himself in the neighborhood back in 2016 and took a picture of his grandfather’s store as it looked in 2016. You can see the Hawthorne Avenue School on the corner of Clinton Place. Linda
