THE CIRCLE PLAYHOUSE

Bob Gottdenker sent this from Jack's theater memorabilia (1967 or 68 ):

The Gottdenkers

FROM DON KLINE:

HiMy brother Norman Kline emailed me about the blog that I had not seen before, I was a member of the old Synagogue on School st. and a member of Young Judea(I think it was called). I was also the first to be Barmitzvah at the current synagogue and roamed through the concrete basement before any superstructure was placed above it. My Dad Irving was a member of the Adath Israel players and always was cast as a cop in "My Sister Eileen","You Can't Take It With You", and Arsenic And Old Lace. As I recall, the casts remained the same with Izzy Rabinowitz, his brother Ben, their wives, Rose Belafsky etc.I may have pics from the era and will certainly look for them. I recall Izzy racing up the stairs yelling charge! in the roll of the erstwhile Teddy(Roosevelt) in "Arsenic And Old Lace and Rose Belafsky pirouetting as the wanna be ballet dancer in "You Can't Take It With You".Don Kline

A few Adath Israel Members in WHS Senior Play '58

Adath Israel kids were in the 1958 Senior Play "What A Life." If the captioning is too small to be legible, The always beautiful Susan Bernstein is nearest the camera bottom right, I'm 2nd from right in the upper. I'm not certain if Mike Waters' family belonged to Adath Israel, but he was a friend to Phil, Bart, Kenny (Klein) and myself.

A bit of the family Alpern...

The top photo is (from left) my Grandfather, Morris then my Mother Claire 'Bubba' Ida and my Dad Harry.2d photo is Claire, Harry and my Sister Phyllis.

A NOTE FROM JOY ROCKOFF:


Hi Sharon,

Alan and I are now living in an Adult community in Monroe. Our house in Colonia just got to big and since our son Steve, as a Doctor, lives in Williamsport, Pa. He and his wife, Elaine with their four children didn’t get here to often. The grandchildren are three boys 17, 15, and 13. Their little girl is 10. We try to see them as often as we can.

Our daughter,Wendy, lives with her husband,Chris, in Long Island. She works in the city at an International Ad agency as the head of Human Resourses. They are both extremely busy as you can imagine.

Alan just can’t seem to retire. He loves working. After being a lawyer, Judge, Prosecutor, Judge again, retiring at 70, he is now the Executive Director of the State Commission of Investigation.[SCI] He is busier then ever. I retired as Sales Rep. for an employment agency about 15 years ago. I am now enjoying my retirement and my new friends here. However, I do keep in touch with the Goldfarbs who live at the Renaissance in Somerset. The Richmans live there, too (Florida over the winter). The Goldbergs live in Woodbridge in an Apt. complex off Route One. Sandy is working as a Travel Agent. The Melnicks live in Basking Ridge. However, Helen is not well and sadly is in a nursing home.

If you need more info, Sharon, let me know.

Fondly, JOY ROCKOFF

Random Memories...

Beginning to look through my old files for pertinent Adath Israel memorabilia I discovered the program for a tribute given by Adath Israel to Marion and Abe Neiss. It wouldn't be an overstatement to mention that without the Neiss's there might not have been the Adath Israel we came to inhabit and to love. I enclose all the material since a number of our Adath Israel members are memorialized therein. they were all 'doers' ...the vital element in bringing any dream from a dreamy haze into sharp-focused reality. I have a bit more such, however if such voluminous posting is too much or of no interest please let me know.

Morris

MY EULOGY FOR SARAH KAUFMAN, 2006

When I was growing up, my bedroom window looked across the driveway to Sarah and Freddy’s kitchen window. The light was always on, or so it seemed. The kitchen was where you came to schmooze, have a glass of seltzer that came from one of those pressurized bottles kept in cases on the tiny back porch, or have a cup of coffee and a little something. She fed you, sat with you, listened, talked, and it felt like a place you belonged. As in my house, the front and back doors were in frequent motion, with the comings and goings of family and friends, checking up, checking in. And if the kitchen wasn’t alight with conversation, it was on the front porch, with Sarah in her big recliner, surrounded by green plants, her telephone nearby.

It was from that big recliner that Sarah knit and crocheted intricate patterns for her grandchildren, wrote reports, read her books, did the Sunday Times crossword puzzled in what seemed to me to be record time. She didn’t know how to be idle. Sarah was a teacher. The lessons had no plan, they weren’t composed. She taught by example: how to work hard, how to be committed to your community, how to care about your heritage, how to give of yourself, how to be generous. She worked tirelessly to better the lives of others through Sisterhood and Hadassah, and was honored many times over for her work.

Sarah loved to laugh but she didn’t tell jokes. She recounted true stories, with a glint in her eye, a smile on her face. She shared the gossip, gave a little, got a little. She was devoted to all of her family, and her friends were always there for her – Miriam and Abe (Winograd) were treasures to Sarah. And her neighbors, Fred, Georgine, Dick, and Eleanor, made sure she was always safe in her home.

Sarah Kaufman was blessed with a long life, a good life. I believe she lived to see 94 years because of her fierce determination and her independence. She just didn’t know how to kvetch, how to complain. Even as her body showed its weariness, her spirit never flagged. She maintained her grace and dignity, her kindness to those around her until her last day.

I’ve had a recurring dream for many years – in it I’m looking through my bedroom window, it's evening, there’s a light on over the back steps, Sarah’s kitchen is lit up. I see shadows, movement. I imagine she’s making stuffed cabbage or gefilte fish, or a big pot of soup, catching up on the latest news with a visitor. Or I see her in her recliner on the front porch, reading, waiting for me. I had that dream Friday night.

I will miss her.

FROM DENNIS BRODKIN

My wife (a New Yorker)and I recently celebrated our 40th anniversary. Like many other Adath Israel alums ,Rabbi Newberger officiated at our wedding. I'll check to see if I can find a good pix or two to send of that great event. I'll also dig through my Bar Mitzvah slides and send to you so you can use your new scanner. We live in Mission Viejo, CA having left NJ in 1999. We moved out here to attend to some health issues that my Dad was going through. He passed away in 2000. My Mom is 86 and doing well; she lives in a nearby Leisure World community. I've kept her up to date on all of the postings and on her next visit to our house, I'll let her see for herself. I told her about the 2 pix of Bart( by the way, I tried to post a comment to those 2 pictures but it hasn't appeared; not sure if I did it properly) . Very bittersweet. She loves hearing about the "old days" at the center-what a special place. Judi and I are both still working. I'm a non-practicing attorney (did 20 years of practice in NJ) working for Wells Fargo Bank; Judi is an executive assitant with a local engineering compay. We have 2 daughters-both married and each has a daughter under the age of 2. We enjoy being grandparents ( the Woodbridge kids!!!), but unfortunately our kids don't live close by. Our older daughter lives in Portland, OR; both she and her husband are college professors. Our other daughter and her doctor husband live in Grand Rapids, MI.She is an elementary school library-information specialist who is taking a break from her career to raise her family (she's also pregnant with #2). They have both been regaled with my tales of Adath Israel so I have shared some of the blog with them. With all of the Chodosh women now living in SoCal, we often have opportunities to talk about Woodbridge. Not too long ago Thea had a dinner party and Alan Jacobsen and Nancy Deinstein were there as was Harriet Bernstein (and Thea's sisters). I've seen Ellen once in the last 40 years, just after her Mom died, but I believe she is coming out here this spring and hopefully we'll get a chance to see her again. We do chat via the internet, along with Marc Winograd and Bob Gottdenker. I'm also in touch with Norman Kline. Keep up the great work you are doing with the blog and I hope to send you some stuff soon. Take care. Dennis

STILL UNIDENTIFIED

These are some still frames from the 1949 video of the original Adath Israel on School Street. Can anyone identify these faces? I've added more labels to the video, but have had trouble uploading the file. I'll keep trying.
-Sharon

THE GUYS

Morris Alpern contibuted these pictures. Why don't guys dress this way anymore? They're very cool.


"At one point in the 50s a meeting was held at my house, 243 Green Street, to explore starting a chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In the first photo, I recognize Phil Shore 2nd from right wearing sport jacket. then an unidentified boy, then Bart Brodkin and (I think) Fred Brodsky. In the second shot Bart Brodkin is facing the camera, next to him, partially obscured is Phil Shore, Mike Waters, Fred Brodsky and Harris Engelman.In the foreground, again I'm guessing, Billy Rabinowitz and (Stuart Edelstein?). The date on the envelope the prints are in is June 11, 1957. Sorry for the quality but color prints didn't seem to 'age' well"

- Morris

More memories

Behind the Belafsky house, a Kaufman uncle and aunt, Harry and Irene Kaufman, lived, along with their daughter, Rosalyn and her daughter, Gail Shulman. Uncle Harry had a wonderful orchard in his yard. Gail, who was born in 1940, lived in that home and went to grade school in Woodbridge until Rosalyn remarried and they moved to NY. Unfortunately, Gail died a number of years ago, far too young. Anyway, my brother, Marvin and I sometiomes played with Gail, along with Mark and Sheila Belafsky. I'll try to find a photo I have of all 5 of us in costumes, either for Purim or for Hallowe'en (I can't recall which).

LIST OF NAMES

These are the names Ellen and I came up with - forgive any misspellings - but can you add any more? Do you know where any of them are? Can you let them know about us?


Adelman, Alpern, Ballon, Bass, Belafsky, Bernstein, Brant, Brodkin, Brodsky, Burns, Chaimovich, Chodosh, Choper, Coen, Cohen, Cooper, Darwin, Deinstein, Dern, Dorn, DuBrow, Deutsch, Edelstein, Ellenbogen, Ellentuck, Feibush, Fertig, Fox, Gerber, Goldfarb, Goodstein, Gore, Gottdenker, Gross, Gursky, Gutman, Hess, Homer, Housman, Hutner, Hutt, Jacobson, Kantor, Kaufman, Klein, Kline, Kramer, Laden, Lang, Langer, LeBow, Levine, Lichtman, Mappen, Mazur, Meistrich, Melnick, Miller, Minsky, Nedzela, Neiss, Neuss, Newberger, Oettle, Ostrower, Pargot, Patnoy, Platt, Plavin, Polkowitz, Quint, Rabinowitz, Rapp, Richman, Rockoff, Rosenblum, Roth, Ruderman, Salls, Schlessinger, Schonwald, Sher, Shinrod, Shore, Simkin, Slotkin, Speigel, Stahl, Staum, Stein, Stern, Strauss, Swerdel, Tanzman, Temkin, Turner, Turteltaub, Vamos, Vogel, Weinberg, Weiner, Weinstein, Weintraub, Weisenfeld, Weisman, Weiss, Winograd, Witkin, Wolpin, Zeigler

Adath Israel Memories - Martin Staum

The warmth of memories from Adath Israel is indescribable. It's all bathed in the glowing tones of Rabbi Newberger's voice - and I don't think I've heard a rabbi or cantor since then who can duplicate the sweetness of that voice - even though several have more operatic training.

But there were also the memories of the Hebrew school - and the flight of many a paper airplane as the Rabbi tried to keep some order in a very unruly class.

Of course one of the most persistent memories is stopping at the office where my mother worked for, it seems, about 25 years. And the Center was indeed the center of my parents' lives - with my father becoming a more conscientious shulgoer in his later years. My father passed away in 1995 and my mother in 2002, with her last two years with us in Canada.

When I was preparing my Ph. D. in 1969, the only viable job opening was a visiting position in Vancouver, B.C., where I ended up in two temporary jobs for two years. At that point, I had no definite plans when suddenly a position opened up in Calgary, Alberta, and I have never regretted coming here.

I married my wonderful wife Sarah in 1974 and we have a daughter Nina who is 28 and one grandchild - Libby - who is just 14 months old.

I'll try to post pictures at a later date.

It's been great reliving these "old times". We moved to Woodbridge in 1948 when my father opened a bowling alley in Perth Amboy. What I remember most vividly is the way our entire social life revolved around the "Center". Virtually all our friends were members - it held such an important place in every facet of our lives. I remember going to play volley ball on Sunday mornings, getting out of school early once a week for Hebrew School and going to services Friday night (parent approved social time).

My parents moved from Woodbridge in 1964. My mother passed away in 1985 and my father in 1995. I now live in East Brunswick with my husband of forty plus years - Gary Schwartz. Gary is an attorney here and I work in his office. We have two "children" - Rob who is the Dean of Admissions at UCLA Law in Los Angeles and Lynn, also an attorney, who lives in Clifton Park, NY with her husband and two daughters. My sister is living in Highland Park with her husband Richard Mitnick. She has a son who has two children (the oldest of whom will have her bat-mitzvah this fall), living in San Diego, and a daughter who has two children and lives in Los Angeles.

Nona Levine Schwartz

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF PERTH AMBOY

ALSO FROM MARK BELAFSKY:

...the following two ladies plus Bob Spector, are in the process of putting together the history of the Jewish community in Perth Amboy. Many of us have our roots there and would have interesting "stuff" to add. contact them, please <Joanmeister1@aol.com> <JAYMARILYN@aol.com>Mona Shangold, from Perth Amboy, has started a foundation to restore the Jewish Cemeteries on Florida Grove Road. Many of us have relatives there. She hosts tours of the cemeteries inn the spring, summer, and fall, and can be reached at <Mshangold@aol.com> the web site is http://www.friendsofjewishcemeteries.org//-

LINK TO SLIDE SHOW OF MERGER

This is the link to the "slideshow" of the 2006 merger of Adath Israel and Neve Shalom in Metuchen. Scroll down the slide show list to find it.

www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=MULTIMEDIA

95 Is the New 70!

Elizabeth Kopper Goodstein Gast celebrated her 95th birthday in early January and is as inspiring as ever. I thought you would also like to see our incredible Flora Laden. Wow!

THE BEGINNINGS - from Mark Belafsky

MARK BELAFSKY sent these photos (from the book "Woodbridge: New Jersey's Oldest Township" By Virginia B. Troeger) with the following note:

In 1937, my father left Beth Israel Hospital in Newark as a staff (house) physician and bought this Valentine home on the corner of Green Street and Amboy Avenues. He built his office with a separate front and side entrance on the West side of the porch (right in the picture.) We lived in the rest of the downstairs, and on the second floor. The top floor had an outside entrance in back, where my grandmother and bachelor uncle lived until he got married in 1947. I can remember shoveling coal into the bin thru the outside coal chute. and was very happy when Dad converted to oil heat, I didn't have to get dirty anymore. Richie and Arlene Pargot lived in the upstairs apartment after they got married, while he was in dental school. The Chodosh's lived next door, and Nancy Miller lived behind, on Amboy Avenue. Dr. Homer bought the home in 1955, raised his family there, and had his office there till recently, adding on and remodeling thru the years. The house was torn down last year for a Rite Aid Rx Store. Very Sad.
The Adath Israel Dedication picture shows my Dad, seated two to the speakers left. He was Adath Israel's first President, and was responsible as much as anyone for the building. You can see me, kneeling on the grass to the right and in front of the speaker, my head turned to the left. My sister is standing with her back to the camera. The text tells about the Jewish Community in Woodbridge- interesting stuff. I have more pics, will dig them out---- Mark

ADATH ISRAEL ARCHIVES

I found this on the web today:

"Special Collections in the basement of Alexander Library has many collections of organizational records for Jewish congregations and community centers that document the life of Jewish communities for much of the twentieth century. The records are predominantly minutes, accounts, and membership lists. Some collections also contain newsletters and correspondence, and the largest collections have their own finding aids. "

ADATH ISRAEL'S MERGER, 2006

I found this article online:

New Jersey Jewish NewsGreater Middlesex County Feature
Woodbridge’s last synagogue merges with Metuchen’s Neve Shalom
by Debra RubinSpecial to NJ Jewish News

With sadness for what was and hope for what will be, a throng of people gathered in Metuchen May 21 to mark the merger of Congregation Neve Shalom of Metuchen and Congregation Adath Israel of Woodbridge.
The celebrants held Torah scrolls under a huppa and a bright blue sky, in what for many was a bittersweet moment. The Woodridge synagogue made the decision to close its doors after 99 years in northern Middlesex County, where population shifts have led to many synagogues’ closing or merging with others.
Woodbridge Township, which once had four synagogues, now has none.
Adath Israel is the last of those synagogues to be absorbed by the Conservative Neve Shalom, which recently also welcomed congregants from Congregation Ohev Shalom of Colonia.
Neve Shalom president Priscilla Glinn welcomed the Adath Shalom members: “I know this is a difficult thing because it happened to us three years ago,” said Glinn of Colonia, who came over with the Ohev Shalom merger. “Three years ago almost to the day we left a beloved shul. We truly understand, and I want you to know we support you.”
Glinn said she expected that Adath Israel’s members, like those of the Colonia congregation, would find a welcoming family and a home where “the Jewish community could be strengthened for future generations.”
Glinn and Adath Israel’s president, Estelle Marcus, each carried a Torah scroll into the sanctuary, where another huppa had been erected to symbolize the marriage of the two congregations.
Marcus then walked over to Rabbi Gerald Zelizer. “Rabbi Zelizer, I am honored to present you with this sefer Torah,” she said, her voice breaking with emotion. The rabbi then passed on the scroll to be placed in the ark.
Adath Israel brought six other Torah scrolls to add to Neve Shalom’s 12 or 13.
It also brought along 146 family units, about half of whom were associate members who lived out of the area, said Marcus. About 60 families have so far joined Neve Shalom’s 463 families, she said.
The Woodbridge synagogue once boasted a membership of 350 families. Today, Marcus said, “we had no one to come to services. We got four or five people. We didn’t even have a minyan on Friday night.”
However, Marcus told the gathering, “I am delighted to stand here and see so many welcoming open arms at Neve Shalom, which will really be the center for Jewish life in Middlesex County.”
Although sad over the demise of a longstanding Jewish community, Marcus said she looked forward to “a rebirth” through the association with Neve Shalom.
Marcus will remain on the board of directors and executive board of her new synagogue; she said she would work to ensure the newest members of Neve Shalom will have a voice in the congregation’s future.
Marc Bressler, who chaired the merger committee for Neve Shalom, said the new members will “bolster the most participatory full-service synagogue in this county.”
Zelizer said that in a sense, the merger reflected the Torah reading from the day before.
“The Torah includes a moral instruction to the people of Israel that ‘when your brother stumbles you shall strengthen him. He shall reside with you,’” he noted. “Congregation Neve Shalom is today strengthening a brother, Congregation Adath Israel, to whom we have been close both geographically and through personal associations since the inception of our shul.”
Zelizer, in recalling the Ohev Shalom merger, reiterated something he said to those members at the time.
“Realistically, today is bittersweet because it is for you a dislocation from a familiar location, analogous to moving from one’s home of many years,” he said. “But that melancholy can be mitigated by the knowledge that throughout the years, this union further strengthens and guarantees our future together as a shul in northern Middlesex County.”
And despite having to leave its synagogue on Amboy Avenue in Woodbridge, many of those attending seemed happy to join in the festivities.
“I think it will be the rebirth of our synagogue,” said Irene Hutt, who said her husband’s family were founders of Adath Israel. “To everything there is a season, and this is the season for Neve Shalom.”
Sandy Goldberg, the first woman president of Adath Israel and a former president of its sisterhood, acknowledged that the day was very emotional for her. “But I know this will be for the better,” she said. “Things change. But Neve Shalom’s people have made us feel extremely welcome.”
Before the sanctuary ceremony, Cantor Sheldon Levin sat outside playing his accordion on a sunny spring morning, while synagogue members took turns holding the Torah scrolls. Some carried children while others clapped. More children came out of Sunday morning religious school classes, some holding their own plush play Torah scrolls.
After filtering inside, between speeches, more accordion playing, singing, clapping, and dancing around the sanctuary, there was also a three-person shofar-blowing moment, or more accurately, two men and a 12-year-old girl blowing the shofar.
That girl, Whitney Schulman, said it was her first stab at shofar-blowing after a lesson by Zelizer.
“I played the trumpet for a number of years,” she said, but admitted, “I was a little bit nervous.”
Jonathan Baliff, a Neve Shalom member from Metuchen, noted his synagogue’s history of being an open and warm environment. “We welcome this new community of Jews who are very much in the spirit of Neve Shalom — Conservative traditional, egalitarian,” he explained. “We are a synagogue that makes everybody feel at home.”
Then the newly joined congregants went off together to do what Jews do after any celebration — gather around tables to eat lox and bagels together.

©2006 New Jersey Jewish News All rights reserved

Early Picture of Amboy Ave in Woodbridge

I can see the Rio Diner, but can't determine if Adath Israel is on the corner or not.

Andy Hornick

MORE PICTURES FROM ANDY

Random stuff -The 1950's picture was taken at the Garden Apartmentson Rahway Avenue across from the White Church and Library. It was the "beginning" for my folks and their generation in Woodbridge. I recall the Goldman's, Cohens, and I think the Slotkin's living there at the time. So much for "before" and "after" and the "in between". Still married to the same girl after 35 years, two daughters and two grandchildren. Its been a great adventure so far. My three memories from my Bar Mitzvah at Adath Israel-A party in the basement of the building, "The Twist, "And my dad's best friend from the Bronx, who hadn't been to temple for some time, clapped with enthusiasm when I completed my Haftorah reading.

SHARON and ELLEN

One of the biggest hit songs of 1954 was Irving Berlin's "Sisters" from the movie "White Christmas" (sung by Rosemary Clooney and her sister Betty). Ellen and I performed it for our Brownie or Girl Scout troop. We'd lost touch for 40 years - but found each other 5 years ago. And here we are today.

Paul Bernstein Dancing Once Again

Paul dancing with Ellen Gutman. A regular Fred Astaire!

Birthday Party

Jane Goodstein's Birthday Party
Front Row: Ellen Swerdel, Debb Minsky, Alan Stern, Barbara Dern, Michael Ballon, and Ellen Gutman.
Second Row: ?, Larry Coen, Rick Aquila, ?, Paul Langer, Jane Tanzman, Jane Goodstein, Larry Ballon, and Abby Meistrich.
Back Row: Brian Ruderman, Janice Poddlewaddle (yes, I'm sure that was her name!), Joyce Minsky, Perrisue Rabinowitz, Paul Bernstein, and Doug Lynn. Circa 1953.

Adath Israel Events - April 1952

The top photo is the annual Purim party:
Front: Ellen and Mark Swerdel, Ellen Gutman, Harvey Cohen, ?, The Lebow twins, Marlyn Turner and Ken Oettle.
Back row: Rabbi, Morty, and Marsha Newberger, Dr. Belafsky, Bert Samson, Joe Klein, ? Mrs. Burns.
The second photo:
Help needed here! I do know at the far right is Mrs. Schonwald and Mrs. Oettle's mother the caterer.
Third photo:
More help needed. Mr. Rabinowitz is in the center and Bert Samson on the far right.
Bottom photo:
The Adath Israel Players. Maybe you can fill in the blanks.

Children's Seder/April 1952

I realize that Ellen Stahl has posted this treasure as well. I have been able to identify quite a few faces:
Front: Paul Bernstein, Donald Howard, Stanley Dorn, ? Darwin, Michelle Stahl, Alan Zeigler in the bowtie. Of the little ones in the front, I can only identify Gary Laden. Sharon Kaufman all the way over on the right.
Middle: Alan Quint, Billy Rabinowitz, Rita Patnoi, Linda Chodosh, Bunny Bernstein, Lynn Samson, Neil Roth.
The Back Row: Sheppie Strauss, Mrs. Burns, Marlyn Turner, Mae Z Coen, Linda Patnoi, Thea Chodosh, Charlie Hutner, Marvin Kaufman, Rabbi Newberger, Larry Kantor, Izzy Rabinowitz, Sheila Belafsky, Mrs. Newberger, Kenny Klein, Fred Brodsky(?), Susan Bernstein, several I can't id, Mrs. Quint.
Back right hand table: Barbara Deutsch (standing with dark dress), ?, Ellen Gutman, H. Harvey Cohen, and Carol Hutner.
Can you find yourself?

HOW TO POST TO THIS BLOG

I figured out how you can post to this blog!!!!!!!!!!

Follow these steps ( let me know if you have any problem with this):

1. Go to Google

2. Create a gmail account (it's free, and spam free, as well)

3. Send me an email with your gmail address - sharoncpw@gmail.com (that's my alternate email), and I'll send you a blog invitation

4. When you get your blog invitation and are logged onto your gmail account, go to "more" on the top of the page

5. In the drop down menu, click on "Blogger" - that will take you to the Adath Israel blog

6. Click on "dashboard" on the upper right

7. Click on "new post" - write your contribution there, add pictures by clicking on the small picture icon or video icon , then "upload" and "publish post"

- Sharon

STANLEY DORN(YAK)'S BIRTHDAY

Front row: Paula Nedzela, Patty Manger, Nicky Rosenblum, Ilene Rabinowitz, Abby Meistrich, -- Hess, Gary Laden, --, Gloria Burns, Ellen Gutman, Lil Gutman

Second row: Ellen Polkowitz, -- ,--

Back: Stanley Dorn(yak), Alan Stern

Winograd Pictures

KAUFMAN FAMILY

FREDDY ON TISDALE PLACE

MY FATHER, CHARLIE, AND UNCLE FREDDY

LORRAINE, MARVIN, and SHARON

SUNDAY SCHOOL and HEBREW SCHOOL

I remember Rabbi Newberger talking about the anniversary of the state of Israel - maybe in 1950/51 - as an important (he probably used a much bigger word than that) moment in history. His emotion moved me - but I could not grasp the significance of it. At the age of five or six, I assumed Israel had been around for at least as long as Woodbridge had. Israel was a place with a lot of Jews. So was Green Street or Tisdale Place. I knew nothing about the war that had ended the year I was born, or the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948. I cared far more about what candy would be in the bag next Purim. But 58 years later, the only thing I remember about Sunday School is Rabbi Newberger and Israel.

Hebrew School was another matter. Bobbie Lang and I were the only two girls in the class of rowdy pre-pubescent boys. I don't know why our parents started us a year before the other girls. Pure torture. We were teased mercilessly - but I probably deserved a lot of it because I was no Yentl. Bobbie and I would scheme for hours about ways to get out of going to class. We'd sometimes sit on the landing leading to her living room, and practice pushing each other down the steps. Seriously. The aim was to break a limb - preferably an arm to restrict writing -
but a leg would do. Alas, neither of us managed a break or even a fracture.

I was a hopeless Hebrew student. Did anyone else get a practice tape recording of his or her Haftorah? Sure, kids get cds now, but in those days it was probably rare. I'd sit in front of my father's huge reel-to-reel tape recorder and listen to Rabbi Newberger's melodious voice singing my portion over and over. The Friday evening of my Bat Mitzvah (I don't think girls read from the Torah on Saturdays in those days) I probably set a world record in speed reading. Getting it over with was all I was interested in. Whew. My relatives chuckled, and my teasing continued.

KID'S SEDER

REMEMBER THIS DAY?

Ellen Stahl Parker contibuted this Seder picture.

THE HORNICKS

HARRIET and GENE HORNICK

HALLOWEEN, mid 50's

Sent by Andy Hornick

The Chodosh Sisters now

Gloria, Dale, Linda, Thea Chodosh

All living in California now

Linda Chodosh Fox sent this picture