Graduates From Rockaway In 1945!

Thanks To Marty Nislick, Class Of 1962 For Finding A 1945 Dolphin and Scanning These Photos For Us

 

Harold Berkowitz, Class of 1945, joins us from Boynton Beach, Florida and writes the following.

Dear Skip,

First let me congratulate you on the great job that you are doing with this website. I have really enjoyed reading all of the information that has been appearing and it has brought so many memories back to me of things that happened while I was growing up in Far Rockaway that I would like to share some of them with you. I am surprised that there are so few entries from people who attended F.R.H.S. during the forties.

I was born in the old St. Joseph's Hospital which was on Beach 19th Street. I attended P.S. 39 which was then on Nameoke Street. Anyone who went there surely remembers Miss Brain, the stately principal who always wore a corsage and everybody stood up for when she entered the classroom. Far Rockaway was a great and beautiful place to grow up in. The beaches were a big drawing card during the summer and there were some beautiful hotels along Seagirt Avenue and adjoining streets. The Ostend Hotel was right on the water adjacent to the Ostend and Shore Club Beaches. There was also the Arnold Hotel, Borensteins, The Sonneborn and many more, even the ruins of the old Tackapusha Hotel. The Ostend Hotel was destroyed by fire sometime during the forties and the others just faded away. Also, along Seagirt Avenue across from Roche's Beach were four or five beautiful mansions one of which used to be occupied by Al Smith during the summer months.

Far Rockaway in those days had places like Berger's Delicatessen where on a Sunday nite the line would go around the block. Also, there was the Ocean Pastry Shop, also on Mott Avenue, which had the first ice cream cakes in the area. Saturday afternoon the treat was to eat lunch at the Far Rockaway Palace restaurant where you were greeted by Jimmy and have a great lunch for thirty five cents and leave a ten cent tip like a sport. After this it was off to either the Columbia Theatre (where you bought a ticket from Mae who knew everybody in town) or to the Strand (the Gem came later on). There was the greatest toy store, Neveloff's, where we all ran to buy things when we had extra money, and Ida May Choclate shoppe which was full of great candies. Anyone remember Frank, the operatic shoemaker across from the police station who was always happy?

Summers were great and the population swelled with the arrival of "The City People". Every year there was a Dollar Day during August and Central Avenue used to overflow with people looking for bargains. The winters were cold but I remember the sleigh riding at the golf links ( Ocean Country Club) and the iceskating at Rock Hall. How could anyone forget these things!!!!!

My four years at F.R.H.S. were spent during World War II and the school was on a wartime footing. some of the memorable teachers that I remember are as follows: Mr. Zisowitz, who taught me english as a freshman (who could forget him?) David Sessler who was a great biology teacher, Mrs. Griffin, who taught me social studies and whose classroom it was a pleasure to be in, Hildegarde Liebich who also taught social studies and was the guiding light of Arista, and of course Senorita Gussow who was a little intimidating at first but was an excellent spanish teacher. There are a few more such as my nemesis Mr. Irvington R. Berlage, who tried to teach me algebra, Dr. Greiff who taught chemistry and Mr. Dann who taught social studies and must have been seven feet tall, and Marion Cohen who taught me to type, which skill I am still using. Also the greatest european history teacher ever, Miss Dahlberg, and that staunch disciplinarian and social studies teacher, Mr. Wollrab who ran the great attendance office that everybody wanted to work in.

After graduating from high school I attended Bucknell University and then New York University College of Dentistry. In 1950 I married a great gal from Rockville Centre and after a two year stint in the U.S.Navy Dental Corp we settled in Glen Cove where I practiced Dentistry until 1987 when I retired and we moved to Florida. We raised three terrific children and now also have 3 grandchildren. While living in Glencove we found other F.R.H.S. alumni. "Red" Seymour Steiger and his sister Mae, Kenneth Stark (who passed away not long ago) and Barbara Cooper Goodman. In addition I had a patient by the name of Bill Rose who taught Physical Education at F.R.H.S. and used to tell me of what was happening there. Since moving to Florida I have been using a dentist by the name of Ronal Kertes who also graduated from F.R.H.S.

After being retired for two years I started a second career and became Director of Dental Operations at a Corning Pharmaceutical Research Company and at the present time I am Clinical Coordinator at Dental Products Testing, Inc., of Lake Worth, Florida. I guess this communication is long enough. My sister and I hope to attend the reunion reception and to renew old times.

Harold can be reached at Click Here to Email

Thanks Harold for writing. I truly enjoyed your memories of Rockaway and the wonderful details you gave as you painted a picture of a wonderful place to grow up. I moved to Rockaway just a bit after the hotels and mansions gave way to Wavecrest Gardens and other housing. The house I lived in for 25 years was sliced in half to make way for that super highway known as Seagirt Blvd. Please write again.

A response to your letter.

Hi, Harold!

My name is Carol Marston (nee Solomon,) and I'm a graduate of FRHS (class of '56). I read your lovely tribute to Far Rockaway on Skip's page and boy, did that bring back memories. I left Far Rock the night I graduated. My dad had been working for PaperMate as Advertising Manager and they'd been bought by Gillette, which had headquarters in Chicago. My parents were just waiting for me to graduate to make the final move. (I left kicking and screaming, by the way!)

I now live in Phoenix, AZ and have been here for 36 years. I feel I never did have "closure" as far as saying goodbye to Far Rockaway, so this upcoming reunion is terribly important to me!

I loved growing up in Far Rockaway, especially in that era! I remember the wonderful days spent at Roche's Beach, adjoining Merry-Go-Round and bumper cars. The best summer taste still remains the memory of chocolate ice-cream cones from the Pavillion at Roche's. I was raised in Bayswater and went to P.S. 104. I remember the "Bayswater bus" which cost $.05, and we took it home after going to the movies on Saturday afternoon and staying until dark! Before the movie started, we'd visited either the Palace or the Central Deli for hot dogs. My dad used to take me into Berger's for corned beef sandwiches, and he'd order a "yes" corned beef, which was the clue to make it HUGE. I'd get $.20 a week allowance and go to Mintz's candy store (Beach Channel Dr. & Mott Ave.) to get my weekly purchase of a chocolate ice-cream cone (Breyer's, of course) and a comic book (usually the grossest horror comic I could find) and I remember on those days I felt life couldn't get any better! I also ice-skated at Rock Hall! There were so many "mysterious" places to explore, as I recall. My Schwinn and I explored every nook and cranny of Bayswater, which was delightful!

Far Rockaway was unique in that we basically had an almost country-type life back then, but the closeness of the city let us absorb culture. I still love the opera...my first experience was seeing "Aida" on a field trip with my 4th grade class. Not exactly kid's fare, but I loved it. My parents took me to Radio City Music Hall every time the show changed. One of the most soothing sounds still remains the clickety-clack of the LIRR as we would come home from the city and I'd doze off (after changing trains at Jamaica, which used to scare me to death when I was very little...I think it had something to do with all those tracks...it seemed like they went on forever!)

I'm really, really looking forward to meeting you!

Sincerely,

Carol Marston, Class of 1956

Judy Pollins nee Lovin, class of 1948 and Harry Pollins, class of 1945, join us from Lakewood, New Jersey and write the following.

Dear Skip:

Here we are, 49 and 51 years later (classes of 1945 and 1948), both in good health, retired and hoping to hear fom a classmate or two somewhere out there who might read this email. Judy Pollins nee Lovin, class of 1948 and Harry Pollins, class of 1945.

We learned about the recent class reunion during August of this year. It was too late for us to join in because we had a trip planned toYellowstone, with reservations made a year in advance. However, we did find and visit the very colorful and marvelous Far Rockaway websites and are now hoping someone from the past might dig out their copy of "The Dolphin", scan the faces and descriptions of each, remembering those years and drop us a line at hpollins@ameri-com.com

Our physical address is 25 Evergreen Springs Drive, Lakewood , NJ 08701. Our phone number is 732-920-8317. We also have a fax number which is 732-920-2560

Judy and Harry can be reached at Click Here to Email

Thanks so much for writing. I'm sorry it has taken so long to get this posted for you. I hope you can find some long lost friends.

Berkowitz, Harold - Click Here to Email - Boynton Beach, FL

 

Blau, Milton R. - Click Here to Email - Johnstown, PA
Married to FRHS alumni Marie Gottesman Blau, FRHS '47.

 

Bloch, Howard - Click Here to Email - Plantation, FL

 

Breth, Maxine (Rubin) - Click Here to Email - Monterey Park, CA

 

Brownridge, Bill - Send Your Current Email Address - Roslyn, NY

 

Edelman, Howard - Send Your Current Email Address - San Diego, CA

 

Friedman, Daniel - Click Here to Email - Unadilla, NY

Gerson, Freda Marjorie (Rosenthal) - Click Here to Email - Sarasota, FL
Herb & I have lived in Sarasota, FL for 18 years and have loved every minute of our retirement. We moved to Sarasota from Livingston, NJ. The only other FRHS friend that I know of living nearby is Suzanne Lutkoff.  Being from Belle Harbor, I still see my best friends Pearl Hitzig (Ett) and Bobbie Kadin (Luxenberg).  Would love to attend the next reunion.

 

Goddin, Suzanne (Lutkoff) - Click Here to Email - Longboat Key, FL
I graduated in the middle of the year of 1945. Would love to find others from that class. I remember the big walk out when our football team was deleted. I think Monica Ryan was the principal at the time. Any one else remember that?

 

Goldfinger, Diane (Jones) - Click Here to Email - Chicago, IL - Updated April, 2008

 

Gordon, Joyce (Perlstein) - Click Here to Email - Encino, CA

 

Greenwald, Harriett (Rosenfield) - Click Here to Email - Southbury, CT

Groden, Ivan - Click Here to Email - Forest Hills, NY

 

Hillman, Ruth (Silver) - Send Your Current Email Address - Laguna Hills, CA

 

Hirschfield (Posner), David and Charlotte - Click Here to Email - Boca Raton, FL
Enjoyed looking at the names listed especially the people who graduated in 1945. Hope to contact some of these long lost friends soon. Loved Harold Berkowitz' description of Far Rockaway.

Juran, Robert - cincyfolk@aol.com - Mason (Cincinnati), OH

Kane, Larry - Click Here to Email - Lake Worth, FL

 

Kirwin, Stanley - Click Here to Email Boca Raton, FL - Updated April, 2008
I would enjoy hearing from PS 114 and FRHS classmates. Some of you may know my brothers, Paul and Gib.  I can tell you how to reach them.

Kriegsman, Alan "Mike" - Click Here to Email - Chevy Chase, MD
I was enrolled under Monica D. Ryan as Principal; outstanding teachers were Mr. Stark (music), Dr. Blau (English); the same year--1976-- that 2 of the 3 Nobel Prize Winners who were FRHS alumni received the Prize (Baruch Blumberg and Richard Feynman) I was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Criticism. My wife, brother, and brother-in-law were all FRHS alumni; I and my wife and brother-in-law have visited the school about 10 or so years ago.

Leader, Maurice (Murray) - Send Your Current Email Address - Palm Coast FL
Was a member of rifle team coached by Richie Sierer, won Hearst Trophy. Veteran of WW2 & Korean wars retired from NYS Dept of Motor Vehicles (District Director) married, two grown children.

 

Levine, Naomi (Bernhardt) - Click Here to Email - Old Bethpage, NY

 

Miller, Barbara (Klein) - Click Here to Email - Lawrence, NY

 

Pollins, Harry - Click Here to Email - Lakewood, NJ

 

Raffer, Marilyn (Domowitz) - Simsbury, CT - Deceased, 2008

 

Ribakove, Seymour - No Email or City Listed

Sacks, Sally (Spellman) - Click Here to Email - Boca Raton, FL

 

Stein, Peter - Click Here to Email - Mount Pleasant, SC

 

Tatz, Marilyn (Simon) - Click Here to Email - Lynbrook, NY - Deceased
Married to Milton Simon since April 1956. Daughter, Melanie, born in May 1957. Lived in Far Rockaway since 7 years old. Moved to Lynbrook, Long Island 13 years ago. My father, Herman Tatz (tall, mustache, pipe smoker), was a shoe salesman for Albert Hyman Stride Rite Shoes on Central Avenue.

 

Waks, Murray - Click Here to Email - Las Vegas, NV
Please keep this alive.  I'm 73 years old and think of Far Rockaway as if I stiil live there . One of the BEST times I can ever remember was the BIG REUNION!  Maybe it could happen again. My thanks to all the wonderful people who devote their time to make this a real thing. Look forward to seeing Rockawayites in VEGAS !!

Weissburg, Nita Bette (Spero) - Click Here to Email - Millburn, NJ

 

Wertheim, E. Bud - Click Here to Email - Livingston Manor, NY - Updated January, 2008
Living in the Catskill Mountains, I still yearn for the sound of waves pounding on the beach. I must have some of the proverbial, "Sand in my shoes," which keeps calling me. I imagine that is why I keep scanning this website.  Thanks for keeping up the Far Rockaway websites.  I just want to let you know my email address has changed. My website remains the same but SPAM has made me change my email address to Click Here to Email   Additionally I sent an email, using the address you have listed for him, to an old friend Eddie Russnow, class of 1946. It was answered by his daughter, I missed him by a couple of months, sadly Eddie has passed away.  I read the letter from Elaine Fox, class of 1943, I remember her and her sister Marilyn. We lived on Greenport Road and bought our chickens from her father's butcher shop.   Thanks, Bud Wertheim '45  My web site is:http://www.budsyard.com/sculpture.html

Wilsker, Howard (Butzie) - Lake Worth, FL - Deceased 2011

 
 

Return to Home Page