JULY 7, 2023

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

Hi Members of the Weequahic E-mail Exchange,

Joel Sesser (1/62) is new to the Cyber WHS-Network at hermoso.sesser@hotmail.com.

Debby Rosenthal Weiss’ (59) changed e-mail is hypox98@gmail.com.

Margie Bauman (6/60) tells of passing of WHS friend:

It is with great sadness that I am reporting the passing of Barbara Bobbie Chordock Rosengarten, Class of June 1960, a friend since we met in Brownie Scouts with her mom as troop leader when we went to Madison Avenue School. She leaves a son, Spencer and daughter-in-law Ellen and granddaughter Honora of Berkeley Heights, NJ. Since she lived in Maplewood and I in Anchorage for the past few years, we had many a long late-night conversation on the phone. Until recent weeks, we were still talking of getting together again. My condolences to her many friends in New Jersey. She will be missed. Margie

A few embers left over from the Lyons Avenue fire:

Allan Markus (66)

To my classmate Steve Bogner and Jeff Golden (6/63), I lived on Lyons Avenue. between Fabyan Place and Schley Street. The fire was at the oil company and the entire block had to vacate. When my family and others ran out the houses, wood on fire and other materials were raining down on us. The local fire department did a great job handling the fire. No homes or lives were lost. Allan

Mel Rubin (56)

I realize why the fire was not emblazoned on my mind. Even though I lived three blocks from there, I was away at college in DC at the time. I definitely remember the lumberyard that burned. Mel

Wendy Kaufman Nowak (6/64)

I think the fire that everyone is alluding to was the fire at Gerber's Lumberyard which was located in the center between Dewey and Willoughby Streets and bordered by Lyons and Shaw Avenues. Homes surrounded the lumberyard. We lived at 87 Willoughby on the second floor. I vividly remember standing in our kitchen watching the fire burn afraid that, somehow, it would consume all of the houses surrounding the lumberyard. Thankfully, the brave Newark firemen were able to contain and put out the fire. Several years later, a Shop Rite was built on the site of the lumberyard.  Wendy

To Dena Gittleman Greenstein (64), and “any way a W alum or chum-says it::

Debby Rosenthal Weiss (59)

I agree, that no one pronounced our lovely city as “Nork.” The usual way was to pronounce it the way it was written, but dropping the “a.” With all due respect, it’s a bit tricky and requires practice as does the pronunciation of Weequahic. It runs the gamut from “wick-wake” to “We- quake.”We-kwoy- ic” is probably the snooty version.

How did the Native Americans pronounce it? At least all of us alums know what we are saying. Bad enough we have many personalities butchering the language. We don’t have to contribute to it! Debby

Steve Epstein (6/63)

I don’t know if this is wives’ tale, but it involves Jerry Lewis, who lived on Elizabeth Avenue and attended Weequahic for a short time before being asked to leave. Periodically he would be approached by fans saying they attended the same high school that he did. His response was “spell the schools name.” So ended the encounter. Steve

Don Rosen (6/53) 

In response to nobody I ever knew pronounced it "Nork." I lived on Hobson Street from age 6 to age 23. Don

Philip Lustig (46)

I am always amused at the discussion of how to pronounce “Weequahic.” I guess I am a few of the oldies who attended (1946) left. In my ,t was ‘wee kwaw ic.” Philip

Jeff Golden (6/63)

Regarding Dena's exchange with Washington Post reporter Karen Heller on the pronunciations of "Weequahic" and "Newark, I've written about this before , most recent about two months ago. Based upon how she apparently pronounces it, I'm not sure whether or not Dena and I went to the same high school. What it comes down to is, if you ever lived in the neighborhood or went to the school, you may pronounce it "Week-wake." Otherwise, you are required to say "Wee-Kwoy-ic." 

As for the pronunciation of Newark , there is a city in Delaware named Newark, and its pronounced "New-ark (as in Noah’s boat)." But, as we insiders know, in New Jersey the "a" is silent and the pronunciation is "Newrk" (with only one syllable). It’s not easy, but if it was easy, they wouldn't have changed the name of the airport to “Liberty.”

And one last word about the pronunciation of Weequahic, Wikipedia has an article about Weequahic where, in the very first sentence, they discuss the pronunciation (Link to Wiki article on the Pronunciation of Weequahic). I am willing to concede to the authority of Wikipedia.

This reminds me of the town Scheveningen, which is near The Hague in the Netherlands. Only native Dutch-speakers can properly pronounce it. It’s so hard to pronounce that, during World War II, resistance-fighters used it as a password (YouTube - Town of Scheveningen ).  Jeff

Rita Kravet Rzepka (1/55)

We always pronounced the “k” (or “c”) at the end of Weequahic whether naming the high school, Weequahic Park or whatever. As far as “Nork”, it was “Nurk,” that is,” ur” or “er”, not “or”. I went to college in Ohio and roomed with an Ohio girl. She finally said to me about two weeks after school started, “What city are you from? What are you saying?” I also had a friend in Ohio that pronounced Newark, Ohio as “New Ark,” which always seemed a waste of time and energy. I have lived in Ohio now for 68 years, but will always remember, with love, Weequahic High School and Newark.  Rita

Mindy Shain Strulowitz (54)

It was pronounced by the majority of students during the 50s as

“Week-wake.” You can spell it any way you choose, however, that’s how we pronounced it during those years. Mindy

Jack Lippman (50)

The Washington Post reporter's pronunciations in her article (which I have read) are totally wrong! Despite other variations in pronunciation, no one who ever lived in Newark ever leaves off the hard “c” in pronouncing “Weequahic” or the often criticized “quake'' sound at the end of the word.

And pronouncing “Newark” properly requires more than just one syllable. “Noo-urk” is closer to the way it should be spoken. Where she got this information that was included in her otherwise fine article puzzles me since her guide, Professor Del Tufo, certainly knew better. The reporter's other alleged sources were probably from somewhere else and misrepresented their Newark background out of jealousy. Newark gets enough bad press without Ms. Heller's inaccuracies in her otherwise fine article. Jack  

Nostalgic bonds to the W-Hood: 

Ed Winokur (6/55)

And to add an additional correction to the obit for Lenny Wallen, he was a fellow classmate graduating in June 55. He was also a Peshine Avenue School graduate. His dad owned a butcher shop on Watson Avenue near my father’s TV repair shop. We were the Weequahic kids from the other side of the tracks. Ed

Bill Freedman (55)

This just to congratulate Jac Toporek (6/63) on his career of service and a life valuably lived. I 'm skeptical of fated futures. Won't surprise anyone when I say I tend to think we, our families, those around us and the educational (like WHS) and other facilities available to us have everything to do with the future. And luck don't hurt. Bill

Ira Megdal (Union 64)

To Mel Rubin (56), you mentioned my cousin Barry Pilger who passed much too young. Because he was an older cousin, I received many hand-me-downs from Barry. One was a jacket with the logo “Jaguars AC.” Would love to know something about this club. Also, I once left a hat at the Park Theater. When I went to reclaim it, the usher looked at the label inside and asked my name. When I told him, he told me that the hat wasn’t mine. I then told him that my name really was Barry Pilger and he gave it to me. Ira

Jack Cohen (58)

I recently read in the weekly newsletter two names from my grammar school class, Yvette Pitman, and Judy Cohen. Along with those names, once in while other names pop up. Living in Florida. I see many of my fellow classmates that live here also. Jack

Elaine Sheitelman Furman (6/56)

To Mel Rubin (6/56,) who wrote about Weequahic’s Jewish bakeries and “Hamantaschen,” the Purim stuffed triangle shaped pastry, I can't find mahn (poppy seed spread) anywhere here in Jax, FL. In years past, I found it in a can for baking, but even that is no longer available. BJ's sells hamantaschen in a cookie dough pastry, but only three of them have mahn. The rest of the package has other fruit fillings. Guess I have to settle for the three. Living here, I can only dream about salt sticks, 7-layer cake and salty bagels. Elaine