SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

TO RESPOND WITH A COMMENT OF YOUR OWN, PLEASE WRITE TO OR CLICK ON WHSALUM63@AOL.COM. 

ON THE EVE OF THE “ROSH HASHANA,” HOLIDAY, BEST WISHES FOR BLESSINGS, GOOD HEALTH AND PEACE IN THE NEW YEAR AHEAD TO OUR JEWISH ALUMNI AND THEIR EXTENDED FAMILY OF WEEQUAHIC GRADUATES.

Hi Sharers of This Weequahic Space,

W-Condolences:

Allan Sapolnick (6/62)

Mitchell Weisbrot, Class of June 1961, died in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on July 24, 2023. After Weequahic, he attended Rutgers Newark graduating in June 65. Mitchell lived in Florida for many years. Thoughts and memories can be left at the Neptune Society website,Mitchell Weisbrot Obituary Allan

Bernice Lewitter Manshel (49), well known community and state activist for a number of good causes passed away on August 18, 2023. Her obituary appeared in the Star Ledger at Bernice Manshel Obituary

Jane Manheim Jurick (56)

With great sadness I report that my beloved brother, Stewart Manheim, passed away on June 15th at the age of 90. He lived in West Orange, NJ most of his life. Stewart was a CPA, as well as an accountant for many years for The Valerie Fund and the West Orange First Aid Squad.

He will be missed by his devoted wife Rhoda; they were married for one day less than their 60th anniversary. Surviving Stewart are a daughter Lori, granddaughter Samantha, son David and wife Dara and their children Alexa, Ellie and Brody and all of his many friends, and, of course, me. Stewart’s obit can be read at Stuart Manheim Obituary, Janice 

Evelyn Margulies Yudowitz (52) seeks assist in locating friend:

I would like to contact a very good friend, Barbara Jean Miller, Class of 1953. Her first married name was Rappaport. A search has been done with no luck. If you have any information on Barbara, please share with me at ayud1823@hotmail.com. 

Since I still maintain Weequahic connections, below is a photo with my long-time friend Joan Oppenheimer Chait, Class of 1953. I am in the pink blouse. This year we got together at the Chatham Bars Inn in Chatham, Massachusetts to continue the tradition, 15 years, of our annual gathering on Cape Cod.  Evelyn

Doc-quahics cited again:

Rita Cohen Klepner (62)

I loved reading about Dr Rosenthal. He delivered me and my sister. He was our family doctor for years. When my husband had extreme back pain a month after we were married in 1966, we called Dr Rosenthal. He took one look at him and 5 minutes later diagnosed him with kidney stones. There weren’t many doctors like him.  Rita

Edith Shaffer Jazmin (1/54)

My brother Steven was one of the first babies Dr. Orris helped to deliver just after he returned to NJ and serving in the army. Our family doctor, Dr. Bolton, called in when he was born. And, speaking of Dr. Bolton, I’ll never forget him making a house call and sitting my brothers Bernie, Steven and me on the kitchen table and saying to my mother, “CHICKEN POX, CHICKEN POX, CHICKEN POX.” So much for learning to share. Edith

Steve Bogner (66)

Regarding Mel Ortner’s (6/64) recollection of Dr. Harold Orris, he was a lovely man and was the neighborhood pediatrician. He administered a number of penicillin shots to my behind! He did have a daughter, Janie, who was a very nice girl. She attended Boston University where I also went. She was two years ahead of me. I hope she is well and I have no doubt she had a beautiful life. Steve

Steve Rohde (WHS 64/63 NCE Transfer)

I really appreciated Debby's post about her dad Dr, Arnold J. Rosenthal. He was my physician while I was growing up. We lived on Scheerer Avenue and I believe his practice was in the basement of his home on Renner Avenue. He was a great doctor who I saw many times during my youth. In fact, I believe, he made house calls back then. My daughter Rachel is an orthopedic surgeon in Michigan where I reside. Steve

Bob Dubman (6/52)

My first dental practice in 1963 was in an office that shared a waiting room with Dr. Sugarman (obstetrics) located in the apartment building at 19 Lyons Avenue (one block up from Weequahic Park). Being new in practice and having no dental patients other than those that found me in the Yellow Pages, I had plenty of spare time while waiting for the telephone to ring that I spent playing racquetball at the downtown YMCA on Broad Street. For $1 per hour, I employed a receptionist that would call me at the "Y" to let me know that the telephone rang and to hurry back because a new patient was arriving. In the shared waiting room, I was able to distinguish my new patient from those of Dr. Sugarman. My patient was the one expecting and without the big belly! Bob

Responses to Jac Toporek (6/63) on attempts to make the almost 25 years weekly recital of shared Weequahic memories more inclusive:

Ira Melon (6/63)

In reference to your posting about the difficulty in getting non-Jewish alumnae input for the newsletter, please share this history as it has very deep meaning for me. My classmate Artie Watkins was my best friend while at Weequahic. He was Episcopalian. I went to Young Israel Hebrew School. He graduated Maple Avenue and I graduated Chancellor. We hit it off immediately and were fast friends from day one.

At times we were almost inseparable; we were like brothers. We went to Rutgers together and I was instrumental in getting him to pledge the TEKE fraternity. We continued our friendship after graduation and he was the best man at my wedding in 1970. Sadly, Artie passed away in 2014 at 68 years of age; much too soon. I miss him to this day.

For us, it didn’t matter that our belief systems were different. There were so many commonalities that forged our strong bonds. Jac, I hope your continued effort to reach out to our non-Jewish graduates continues and bears fruit. Ira

Marty Friedman (1/47)

Your recent note that said that the more recent graduates of WHS are not interested in joining our fabulous newsletter group is correct. Perhaps, they never had the same opportunities or the same joy remembering what their experience, people, places, and things. But you have done a spectacular job growing it and giving all of us a great deal of pleasure. Our unusual history was a 30 year one in a million. Marty

Jac Toporek (6/63)

In reply to Marty Friedman (47), first, thanks for the kind words about our weekly exchange of alumni chatter. I cannot speculate about the absence of memories from so many who were our classmates, friends, teammates at Weequahic and in neighborhood sports activities and shared the streets of the neighborhood. I regret not be able to have these nostalgic pages include the richness of their memories, favorite eating places and food delights, clergy and houses of worship and related Sunday schools, neighborhood legends, heroes, and persons of interest and so on down the pathway of “Memory Lane.”. Never too late and that is one reason I greatly appreciated Marc Little’s (69) comment in recent newsletters.  Jac

Nostalgia ala Weequahic: 

Elaine Hersh Krusch (6/50)

There were railroad tracks somewhere between Stecher Street and Irvington Park and a shorter walk if you went through the woods. My brother and I would go ice skating on a pond there. A man sat in a little shed somewhere along the way doing God knows what. We would stop and talk to him on our way to the pond and back. He was known as the “train man.” My mother warned us not to stop and talk to him or to go into the little shed. We did a few times. I think he was checking on the trains or whatever. Does anyone know? Elaine 

Elaine Sheitelman Furman (6/56)

Reading the weekly “WHS Note” always brings back memories about living in the Weequahic area. I have since travelled from there to Wanamassa, NJ to Birmingham, AL and now to Jax, FL which has been my home for the past 40 years. I miss some of the opportunities we had growing up in our Newark district. My friends and I walked to the library on Osborne Terrace every other week to get new books. Living in Wanamassa, I had to drive my kids to the library, no Public Service bus and no sidewalks.

Though Newark was a big city, living in our little portion (the Weequahic section) it had the makings of a small town, We knew our neighbors and shop keepers and they knew us. It had its negatives, as well, which grew larger as time passed. Crime increased, and city services neglected our section of the city. The building of the highway (Rt. 78) cut our street into two parts.  

I went to the Rutgers College of Pharmacy when it was in North Newark. I probably would not have become a pharmacist if when I attended it was moved to New Brunswick with, of course, its higher tuition. I am happy to have been a part of the Weequahic section when it was viable. Elaine

Lenny Strauss (6/53)

To David Cohen (6/56), your comments about those eating spots where we ate, and loved, which are no longer in existence hit home big time especially my taste buds. Every place you mentioned was part of our youth. You also asked for any places that we can add. Let’s start with Ming’s the best of Chinese, especially #9, egg roll, fried rice and spare ribs (and, that was way before the exotic dishes.

Stash’s had the greatest wet roast beef sandwiches after you unpeeled lots of delicious shrimps. Who could forget the birch beer and waiting till 12 midnight when they rang the bell for free soup. A Saturday night at either Solono’s Italian Restaurant or The Westwood where after the great food and singing by the piano, you ended with an “Awful Awful.” My first date with Anita in 1951 when I had my learners permit, I took her to Bond’s in Cedar Grove for an “Awful Awful” and had to show off drinking three to get one free. Today, 72 years later, still with that beautiful inside and outside gal. I could go on and on. Thanks Dave, for bringing back great memories so I could continue. Lenny