MARCH 10, 2023

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

Hi Scribers of Weequahic Historical Text, 

Saul Wolfe (6/510 eulogizes a classmate:

For those of you who can remember that far back, Ed Hyans (6/51), who was my best friend for more than 75 years, recently passed. Link to: Obituary for Edward Hyans. We shared the joy of his engagement and wedding, the birth of his children, my engagement and wedding and the birth of my children and the inevitable loss of parents. He was a great husband, father and grandfather. 

Ed was successful working as a salesman for an otherwise family-owned company, which ultimately reworded his efforts with an interest in the company. After working for them for 25 years, he would good-naturedly complain about the fact that he never got a watch for his service. Years later, the company, which truly appreciated his efforts as well his good-natured grumbling, sent out invitations to a beautiful party they arranged in his honor. The price of admission (secret) was that every guest had to bring some sort of gag watch to give to Eddie. I was lucky enough to get one for Ed with Soupy Sales, the old-time comedian, on its face, which was no competition for the beautiful Rolex the company presented to him.

He is survived by his wife Emily, his children, Dr. Peter Hyans and Leslie Hyans-DePalma and three very special grandchildren whom he adored. Over the years, my wife Roberta and I were fortunate enough to travel with Ed and Emy on numerous occasions; trips to the Caribbean, France and to exotic destinations like China, the Greek Islands and Turkey. He was a great guy, and will be sorely missed. Saul

REUNION NOTICE - Classes of January and June 1962, 63, 64:

The WHS Class of June 1964 will be joining to partner with the Classes of June and January 62, June and January 63 and January 1964 to coordinate the 60^th reunion joint luncheon on October 14, 2023 at the Delta Somerset Hotel in Somerset NJ. A second round of invitations will be mailed in March. If you have not received your invite either via e-mail or US Postal Service or for more information, contact your class representative listed below.

(1/62) Jeff Friedman - 908-202-1737 jeffthewanderer@gmail.com

(6/62) Bonnie Zunk Vogel - 732-956-6643 bonniev929@aol.com

(6/62) Cooki Wax Gulkin - 973-723-1707 cookigulkin@gmail.com

(1/63) Irwin “Ussy” Steinlight – 732-991-4648 bballballnut@aol.com

(6/63 & 1/64) Jacob Toporek – 732-986-4498 whsalum63@aol.com

(6/64) Phil Yourish – 973-280-3097 philyourish@gmail.com

Gil Lustig’s (1/60) “It’s a Small Weequahic World” encounter leads to keeping the connection possibility:

Funny story to tell. I took my car into the dealership for service recently. While sitting in the waiting area a woman walks in and sits down next to me. I thought nothing of it until we started to talk. Her maiden name was Sheila Pittell and she graduated WHS in June 1963. She remembered me from the Chancellor Playground. We talked for hours and hours walking down memory lane. Best auto service visit I ever had.

Meeting Sheila leads me to explore the possibility of further WHS connections in my area. Any Weequahic High alumni living in Arizona interested in getting together for a luncheon, contact me at gillustig7@gmail.com. Gil

Jac Toporek (6/63) dwells on a fun Weequahic senior class activity:

Picnic anyone? Did your WHS graduation class have a picnic at the end of the senior year? If so, let’s hear about your recollections of that day. For me, it was a bus ride packed with students in shorts and summer styles feeling like celebrating that they made it to this glorious day. Never been to South Mountain Reservation in South Orange before, so reaching that destination was to be a treat.

And, it just seemed that for the first time, despite the social awkwardness of my high school years and limitations of living on the margins of the district (Meeker and Elizabeth Avenues), we somehow all meshed and enjoyed each other’s company. Large number of classmates in the first pic, below, playing volleyball certainly helped break the ice. I recall my parents buying two large water melons which twin brother Nor and I brought to the picnic. The food frenzy over the water melons was enjoyed by many, as well.

And, what is a picnic without a game of “HaHa (photo 2)?” BTW, still do not understand that game, but certainly seemed a comfy lie with young women and men intertwined interchangeably lying on each other’s stomach. Jac

Miriam Perlman Feldmar (6/57) and Berthe Nathanson (6/59) respond to Stella Goldberg Geller’s (6/52) note on working at the “5 & 10:”

I also worked at the 5 and 10 on Bergen Street when I was 15. I was very excited to be able to get working papers and start working. That was my first job. I worked there full-time for a summer at a big $.65 hr. The owners’ names were Green/Greene. They were far from the nicest people to work for. There was no useable bathroom because they used it for storage; had to go next-door to the deli to use their bathroom. I seem to remember that the deli’s name was Teitlebaum’s, but could be wrong.  Miriam

Stella’s note reminded me of the two and a half years I worked at the same 5 and 10 she mentioned, Green’s 5 & 10, on Bergen Street near Shephard Avenue. where I lived. I enjoyed working there, even though Mrs. Greenberg who ran the store was not the friendliest boss. She was OK though. I liked doing my job and helping people find what they needed in the store. It was truly a “variety’ store where customers had a lot from which to choose.

I was also happy to be earning some money, little as it was. When I started there in 1954, I earned $.55 an hour. At the time that I finally quit when I graduated Weequahic, I made a whopping $.80 an hour. That was in 1959. I don’t know how that compares to other kids working in other places at that time, but I was satisfied. Berthe

Memories are made of this: 

Gary Prager (1/61)

As a follow up to the recent post about Bernie Wurzel's (6/62) recent passing, I went to WHS with his late sister Shirley. and remember the family well. Shirley and Bernie's mother worked at Keil's Bakery on Hawthorne Avenue. She was a single mom and they lived in the apartment building across the street from Osborne Terrace. Mrs. Wurzel worked long hours at the store. In retrospect, I can now understand what a tough life it was for her. But her legacy was raising two wonderful kids.

At this point in our lives, we can now appreciate how difficult it was for those of us who lived on the edge of the Weequahic Section and how many of our parents had to struggle to maintain the Weequahic lifestyle. Gary

Lynn Hilf Cohen (6/61)

To Asriel Strip (1/54) on his reply to the inquiry of Beth Zucker Fischbein (Colonia 74), Harry Boodish was the owner of Harry’s Candy Store and he worked there with his wife. Their daughter was Barbara Boodish, WHS Class of June 1961. She was my friend and on the way home from school we all stopped at their store. I had a cherry coke and a pretzel rod, as did my friends. Lynn

Dan Mont (6/46)

In response to Jack Lippman (50), yes, I remember Cheap John's store on Watson Avenue. One day, I purchased an article against the advice of a dear cousin of mine who noted that the it was dangerous. The item was a piece of wood with about a 3-inch needle and a feather in its tail. That afternoon I was practicing throwing it a heart painted on a barn door when the feather came out and it made a right-hand turn and into a fellow by the name of Willie Pivnick striking his abdomen. Fortunately, Willie was a rather fat kid and my mother was able to get him to a drug store where the Pharmacist retrieved it. Shall I say that it was a lesson learned the hard way? Dan