Northeast High School Class of 1969 Archived messages library Oct 1999 through Feb 2000
The best of NEHS Class of '69 message board
This is a collection of email messages among classmates shortly after our 30 year reunion which includes some remarkable revelations about Cora Hurvitz, Interobang, and other controversial subjects
Message from Pete Weiss on October 23, 1999
OK, I'll start off this message board... I hope everyone had as good a time at our 30th reunion as I did. It was so much fun seeing everyone. I thought everybody looked pretty good considering we are all nearly a half century old...I guess we're getting better not older, LOL! Pete
I want to express my appreciation to all of the members of our 30 year reunion committee without whom our reunion would not have gone as well. In particular, I want to extend a special note of thanks for the efforts of the following individuals: Terry Abrams, Joel Gibbs, Eileen Gerson, Roni Bernbaum, Dale Trager, Sandy Hyman, Bruce Genter, Ricky Segal, Joe Cairone, Cheryl Korman, and Alice Shepherd. You were there at our meetings and/or the phona-a-thon and it was my sincere pleasure to have had the opportunity to work so closely with you. You were all terrific and showed that you cared about our class. I hope our classmates appreciate you the way I do.
Our Class of 1969 email directory (1 Message) Please read this important note about our email list and discussion guidelines:
Recommended guidelines for email list participation
From: pete013 Date: Jan 24 2000 Subj: Email list guidelines Date: 01/24/00 4:57:16 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: rlankin@rjfs.com (Robert Lankin) 24-Jan-00
To our classmates:
As you may know, Pete Weiss asked for volunteers to serve on a "steering commitee" to issue an opinion about the propriety of various types of messages which should be sent to the E-Mail list by classmates. Volunteers for the committee were Ron Zaritsky, Bob Lankin, Wendy Goldman and Sandy Dodek Braverman.
The committee wishes to make it known that we are issuing no opinion on any previous messages and is only voicing an opinion about future messages.
The committee's opinion is as follows:
Recently, through a lot of work on his part, Pete Weiss gathered the E-Mail addresses of many classmates which has facillitated discussions about Northeast High School and our experiences there. Rather than use technology to control the list and make it impossible for people to reply only through him, Pete has made the list public and has in fact made it possible for people to reply on their own and communicate with each other.
Accordingly, the list is now in the public domain and no one, including Pete, can be held responsible for messages sent except the writers themselves.
Members of the class, will have to use their own good judgment on what they will say. Your committee has put suggested limitations on the types of messages placed:
First and formost, if you are sending a message to the entire class, it should be one that you feel that a number of members would be interested in seeing.
Remember that an E-mail list of 200 or 300 people is a public place. Do not write anything that you would not put in the newspaper or say in a speech to 200 or 300 people.
Also, in order to retain this email list as a medium for classmates to exchange communications about NEHS and our experiences there, it is asked that there be no commercial "for profit" solicitations sent to the list. It is asked that any non-profit solicitations be limited to those which are directly related to Northeast High School and members of the 128th class.
Remember that we do have laws regarding defamation and that what you say can be printed up and brought to an Attorney in a couple of minutes.
Rules for good taste cannot be enforced but they do apply. If someone sends a message that you don't like, your recourse is to send a private message and courteously speak your mind. It's not Pete's fault so don't complain to him. You are also welcome to use your "delete" button.
Respectfully submitted for your consideration,
Bob Lankin - Wendy Goldman - Sandy Dodek Braverman - Ron Zaritsky Pete Weiss - Ex officio rlankin@rjfs.com
Click here to view archive of Email messages 1/12 thru 1/15/00 re Cora Hurwitz, fav teachers, etc. - #1
Subj: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 12:51:05 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013
Happy New Year! Hey gang. Hope all is well with you and your loved ones. What's new? Well, for one thing we've been getting email messages from people not heard from in a long, long time. We have regards for you from the following classmates whose email addresses have been added to the email directory on our homepage:
CAMPBELL, ALAN CAMPBELL, JAMES CRASS, JEFFREY DIEBEL, MICHELLE D'URSO, SAMUEL EAGLE, JUDITH FRIEDMAN, SANDRA HORN, DENNIS ISAACSON, LOUIS KOLMIN, JAMIE KOLOSKY, KIP (Clarke) LEVIN, MARILYN LIEBERMAN, HOWARD MAGAZINER, RICHARD NEWMAN, EVELYN ORTH III, WILLIAM PODEL, ROBERT PORTNOY, BARBARA ROGERS, THOMAS ROTHMAN, LYNN SALKIN, LARRY SCHATZ, BARBARA SEFLIN, HOWARD SHECHTMAN, STEPHEN A. STEIN, BENJAMIN STUP, RICHARD VALENTINE, HAROLD WATKINS, GLENN WEINER, DAVID WEINER, RENEE WHITE, JOE
To visit our homepage, type - https://pete013.tripod.com/
Visit the Northeast High School Message Forum at Classmates.com...... It's a Northeast High School Message Forum... maybe you'll wanna check it out and add your memories of your days at NEHS to the discussion. or type http://forums.delphi.com/dir-login/index.asp Here is a sample thread of messages
General Discussion - Marcus Marutani, class president... s... From: VOICES1 Jan-7 11:31 pm To: ALL (1 of 5) 362.1 Marcus Marutani, class president... slamming through eight 1" wooden planks during his campaign. I was beside him. Very impressive. Gus Baack and his wish I could kill this kid face. Cora Hurwitz making sure every student's parents knew he or she was worthless. Tons and tons of great friends and outstanding memories. Hail Northeast, indeed.
From: JANET NISENHOLZ 1971 (JANET710) Jan-9 5:22 pm To: VOICES1 (2 of 5) 362.2 in reply to 362.1 I remember that campaign...I was a sophmore when I started at NEHS and it was a neat year. Cora was a terrible counselor and I hope I never meet any teacher or counselor again.
From: MBOOKBINDER Jan-9 11:15 pm To: VOICES1 (4 of 5) 362.4 in reply to 362.1 I was on stage with Marcus also--I helped him prepare those 8 boards (We painted the words "STUDENTS" & "PROBLEMS" on them). I agree with you 110 %, those years at Northeast were the best. Edited 1/9/00 11:18:40 PM ET by MBOOKBINDER
and here is an interesting post that Joel Gibbs brought to my attention regarding Cora Hurwitz.
Just in case you missed this posting on the NEHS e-mail site... this is from a Northeaster who works for the Inquirer and pulled it from the files. Perhaps it would make an interesting e-mail to the data base. JG << Cora's NOT giving advice anymore -- at least not on this earth:
HURWITZ On Nov. 27, 1995, CORA (nee Rabinowitz), wife of the late Dr. Abe Hurwitz, survived by one brother, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Relatives and friends are invited to Graveside Services Wed. 11 A.M., Roosevelt Memorial Park (Sect. B2), Trevose, Pa. In lieu of flowers contributions in her memory may be made to a Scholarship Fund at Northeast High School. JOSEPH LEVINE AND SON
Subj: RE: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 8:55:57 AM Eastern Standard Time From: rzaritsky@quatro.com (Zaritsky, Ron) To: Pete013@aol.com ('Pete013@aol.com') hey pete, thanks for all the updates on everything. it's been bringing back lots of memories. ron
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 9:55:11 AM Eastern Standard Time From: LOUF69 To: Pete013 A HAPPY,HEALTHY AND SAFE NEW YEARS TO ALL OF THE CLASS OF "69"
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 11:08:11 AM Eastern Standard Time From: steven.reiss@weil.com Pete, you continue to do a great job in keeping us connected to our youth. Happy Millennium to you and all other 69'ers. If you're ever in NYC, give a call (212) 310-8174.
**********NOTE********** The information contained in this email message is intended only for use of the individual or entity named above. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or the employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify us by telephone (212-310-8000), and destroy the original message. Thank you.
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 7:39:42 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 To: steven.reiss@weil.com In a message dated 1/12/2000 11:08:11 AM Eastern Standard Time, steven.reiss@weil.com writes:
<< Pete, you continue to do a great job in keeping us connected to our youth. Happy Millennium to you and all other 69'ers. If you're ever in NYC, give a call (212) 310-8174. >> Steve, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to email me with your generous comments and new millenium wishes. Most of the time, I send messages and do not receive a response and therefore can't tell if my efforts are well received or considered an annoyance. Please, continue to keep in touch and please SIGN THE GUESTBOOK! best regards,
Pete ps. - I couldn't help but notice that your confidentialty notice appeared at the bottom of your email message. Are all 153 other recipients (those who received a cc' of your email message) ordered to destroy their copy as indicated in the warning "you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify us by telephone (212-310-8000), and destroy the original message. Thank you." ? LOL best regards, Pete
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 8:02:51 PM Eastern Standard Time From: AccuZ To: Pete013 Thanks for including me in on your E-mail Pete! how do i get in on this e-mail party
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 8:10:00 PM Eastern Standard Time From: gary@bakersound.com (Gary) To: Pete013@aol.com Heck, I just destroyed my computer. gary
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 8:18:07 PM Eastern Standard Time From: isyben@earthlink.net (Isy Sonabend) Reply-to: isyben@earthlink.net (Isy Sonabend) To: Pete013@aol.com Hi, Pete. Happy New year! I think you are great keeping everyone informed. Everytime I see a new list of names, I remember how many people I forgot. Can you find out if anyone else from our class is in Scottsdale, AZ? Ellen Merritt Glassman is here, and I ran into Kathy Mae Cohen one time. I'd love to know about anyone else. Keep on keeping us informed!, and thanks. Benita Singer Sonabend
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/12/2000 8:41:10 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rlankin@rjfs.com (Robert Lankin) To: Pete013@aol.com
Pete: You're doing a great job...no apologies necessary. In 11th grade, I was in Cora Hurwitz's History class - it was the only class she taught that year. We did a history of Northeast Philadelphia - published it and it won a Freedom's Foundation award. The course was so popular most of the class stuck together that summer and the senior year for the editing and publishing without recognition or credit. It was my favorite class in all my school years. I went to obsure libraries like the Historical Society of Penna, the Frankford Historical Society with Shelley Michaels and Mike Raitman. We even went to City Hall archives and found 18th century tax records which included taxes on slaves. Needless to say, my memories of her will always be positive. I think that her negativity towards College chances of so many was a misguided way of getting us to work harder. You may share this message if you wish. Best regards, Bob Lankin rlankin@rjfs.com Hi Bob, Thanks for sharing those remembrances with me. I couldn't agree more with you that her tactics weren't always obvious to everyone but, judging from the relative success of so many NEHS graduates, it may be that her somewhat unorthodox methods were quite successful. I will share your thoughts with our email group. regards, Pete
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/13/2000 10:12:16 AM Eastern Standard Time From: steven.reiss@weil.com To: Pete013@aol.com
Glad it makes a difference. Don't worry about the confidentiality message at the bottom. It attaches automatically because of the privileged nature of a lot of my communications. cc: Subject: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69
Subj: RE: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 10:15:51 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Blank.Mark@PBGC.GOV (Blank Mark)
I'm a little reluctant to speak unkindly of the departed (and to take issue with friends Pete and Robert), but I'll just share my two most vivid recollections of Mrs. Hurwitz. The first was the day in February 1968 when many of us gathered in Morrison Hall to take the Merit Scholarship exam. Cora irascibly reprimanded the multitude for what she termed "the fiesta atmosphere"; as I recall, this evoked a gale of laughter, and in fact there had not been any unwonted rowdiness. The second was about a year after we graduated, when I encountered her somewhere in the old neighborhood, and told her that I had just completed my freshman year at Penn. Neither by word nor by manner did she give the slightest indication that she felt any sense of pride or satisfaction. I suppose that the concept of "positive reinforcement" was, unfortunately, not one that she applied consistently. Mark Blank
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/13/2000 10:37:11 AM Eastern Standard Time From: K9BoatLovr To: Pete013
Yes,... Pete you are doing a nice job of keeping everyone informed. Sorry about Cora,I always thought she was aloof. I don't think I ever had her, except for an after class event.
HEALTHY AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND THE FAMILY. MBK
Cora Hurwitz was indeed one of the "old school." She came from a time when people distinguished between those that were "college material" and those that were not. A notion that you had to judge what a student might do for their college not just what the college might do for them. Cora was responsible for an epiphany of mine. I can recall her listing the 4 causes of the civil war and thinking is that the way life works? Would there have been no war if they didn't come up with the forth reason? Did people dodge the draft because they need 5 reasons or six reason? To these things really cause war? Just because Cora has them in her notes from Penn did that make it true? I have spent(squander perhaps) the rest of my life trying to find some reality behind or the neat list reasons people give to explain their actions.
BTW, I hope some of you recall one of Cora's pets, my dear friend Mike Perlman, who Cora steered to Yale. I know that he was very ill a few years ago and I have been unable to locate or contact him. I know that he was living in Phila. If anyone knows how to get in contact him please let me know.
Subj: Fwd: Cora Hurwitz from Dennis Brown Date: 1/13/2000 12:20:55 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013
I'm forwarding this message from Dennis Brown to the entire email group because I think it's worth sharing. Dennis, try to send such well articulated remembrances to everyone by copying and pasting the list of email addresses to the "send to" window when you reply.
regards, Pete
Forwarded Message:
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 9:51:39 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Pharmer259 To: Pete013
Dear Bob, Sounds like your history project was very interesting & worthwhile. I found a similar history of NE neighborhoods at the Atwater Kent museum which I showed to Pete & the board. It was published by a local publisher. Was the original book still available or do you have a copy? I am interested in this topic & would like to see it.! Didn't have much contact with Cora but when I mentioned her to my sister who graduated in 1964 from NE she had the same reaction as we did. Shades of the Wizard of Oz & your little dog too !! What a witch !!. She may have been a decent misguided teacher, but sent out the wrong message to impressionable students at a vulnerable point in their lives ! Well obviously we all survived college despite her & went on to have productive lives anyway, whether because of or despite her negativity! What is your last name? Denis Brown
Subj: RE: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 1:35:53 PM Eastern Standard Time From: bell@hudsoninc.com (Alan Bell)
I am astonished by the depth of feelings about Cora Hurwitz being expressed in these e-mails by so many of my classmates after so many years. I thought that I was alone, or nearly so, in harboring strong feelings about how badly we were treated as a group about a matter of such significance to our future psychological and material well being. We were the "baby boom bulge" (1,172 graduates) and had been fed a lot about the supposed superiority of our school along with a set of high expectations about our futures.
Unfortunately, our college placement guidance failed us miserably. It's simply not true that she was only trying to be realistic about who was or wasn't "college material". Nor was it some misguided attempt to make us work harder as one of you suggested (Her message was never: If you improve or do more you could have a shot at this school you are interested in. It was always, don't bother, you are wasting your time.) Nor does the relative success of so many of us prove that she was successful (sorry Pete). Quite the contrary, from the record it is clear that success occured in spite of, rather than because of, her efforts. The first evidence is the large number of graduates who transferred after a year or two at their first school before moving on to a a much better institution (Please e-mail back if this happened to you). Many others went on to graduate education at schools far better than their undergraduate colleges.
Quite simply, we were "low balled" so that she could have a better placement record. She reserved her efforts for the few who worked in her office (this is not meant to criticise anyone who did this; you had a better read on the situation). Fortunately for myself, I ignored her statement that I was wasting my time applying to Ivy League Columbia. I applied very late without any help from her office and was accepted. When I got to Columbia, I was almost immediately struck by how few of these students seemed any more capable (though they were in general far more sophisticated) than so many of my friends at Northeast who were discouraged from reaching for such "elite" schools.
The failings of her office were all the worse because we were from a working class community and most of us were first generation college applicants. We knew little if anything about the choices available and the consequences of our choices. We really needed some supportive guidance on college selection. Unfortunately, our school did not believe in us, did not fight for us, and sent a very discouraging message: it's not who you are, what you've done or what you are capable of doing that matters; it's all about who you know and who's office you spend your spare hours working in.
It's not that I think where you go to college is all that important. It's just that I think that the most important job of any educator is to challenge each student to believe that they can be somebody or do something other than what the rest of the world seems to be telling them they have to settle for.
Subj: RE: Cora Hurwitz from Dennis Brown Date: 1/13/2000 1:45:43 PM Eastern Standard Time From: mraitman@etec.com (Michael Raitman)
I'll repeat Rob Lankin's message here, for background: In 11th grade, I was in Cora Hurwitz's History class - it was the only class she taught that year. We did a history of Northeast Philadelphia - published it and it won a Freedom's Foundation award. The course was so popular most of the class stuck together that summer and the senior year for the editing and publishing without recognition or credit. It was my favorite class in all my school years. I went to obscure libraries like the Historical Society of Penna, the Frankford Historical Society with Shelley Michaels and Mike Raitman. We even went to City Hall archives and found 18th century tax records which included taxes on slaves.
As Rob stated above, I too worked on that history project. I'm afraid my post to Pete's log book started this whole thread. It was, indeed, a very difficult project, one that was eventually judged to be worthy of a college Master's thesis. There were several groups in the class, each working on a different section of the city. One paper from each group was selected for inclusion in the final published book. Mine ended up in the book, but as Rob stated, we spent many hours along with Shelley Michaels in some obscure places, and they contributed as much to the research as I did. It is very difficult to research a topic that no-one has published anything about before. Probably about half of the class edited, re-edited, re-typed, etc. the various sections, My sister, Elayne Schurr, helped with much of the typing (no personal computers in those days, it was a real typewriter, corrections made with white-out or whatever) That summer, after we had the final version professionally printed, we all met at Cora's house to manually collate the books.
For Dennis, if you're looking for a copy:
I have a copy myself, buried somewhere. When it was first published, they had a few copies at the Regional Library on Cottman Ave., so perhaps they might still be there. My sister received a copy as well, so she might still have one. If someone wants to track her down, she still lives in Phila. and I'll provide contact information. The book actually received a Library of Congress identification number, etc. If people are interested, I'll see if I can locate my copy, and get the information.
As for Cora, I have fond memories as well, due to our more intense involvement with that project. I never spent much time with her with regard to college information, etc. I chose my career path by my interests at the time. A fledgling interest in computers (we played with a teletype connection to some computer somewhere, and wrote a few lines of basic code) and an interest in science from following the US space program led me to look at my Alma Mater, Drexel University. Turned out to be a pretty good choice, which Cora had nothing to do with. I remember taking one of those career aptitude tests at NE High. The results actually said I should go into some engineering or science field, but it also suggested something like Forestry as a second choice. Sure. I remember taking the test, and someone getting to a particular question involving some choice about farm animals or goat herding or some really non-sensical choice for a bunch of kids in NE Philly, and blurting the question out loud in class. Everyone cracked up laughing.
Michael Raitman Etec Systems, Inc. 21515 NW Evergreen Parkway
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 3:27:29 PM Eastern Standard Time From: ess2@Lehigh.EDU (Ed Shapiro)
Friends, I decided to join the Cora Hurwitz parade. I really agree with Alan, in fact, it was his email that prompted me to write this. Whatever had happened to Cora by the time we crossed her path in 1966-1969, she had become a bitter and unhappy woman.
My interaction with her occurred in about 3 meetings, as I recall. At our first meeting, she informed me that I was not college material and should apply to Community College. After rejecting her "advice," I was told that she would "let me" apply to Temple. The third meeting required me bringing in my parents, who basically told her that her advice was not being taken. In the end, I applied to Pitt and began a very successful career like the rest of us.
As someone who has devoted his life to education, I would like to change the negative direction of our conversation. It would be nice if all of us could recall a teacher who had been an important and impactful influence (positive, that is) on our lives from NE. I'll start the ball rolling--
In 11th grade I had an English teacher, Mrs. Schatz. As I recall, she was young (who knows, I was looking through 17 year old eyes!). She had assigned a petry explication and I selected Lawrence Ferlenghetti's "Coney Island of the Mind." He was a counter culture poet ala the beatnick era. No one had heard of him but she thought I might find him exciting. When she handed back the assignment, she called me in and said that I had shown great personal insight and might make a good psychologist.
Funny how that comment stayed with me. I finished NE thinking I would go into science. Ihad been a biggie with SPARC (I think Steve Reiss had been an Astronaut) and started college as a physics major. After my first physics course, I looked for something else. I then remembered Mrs. Schatz's comment, took my first psychology course, and fell in love with a profession. I have since gone on to combine my love of teaching and psychology, finding my home in school psychology where I have been for the last 25 years of my life.
I would love to hear from others about special teachers.
Finally, in terms of Cora, I have been searching for someone who was one of her pets. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Susan Rappaport?
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 3:41:19 PM Eastern Standard Time From: S o system
Hi class of '69: I am so touched at the way this loop has kept everyone in contact with each other. Thanks especially to Pete W. I remember Cora H. but do not remember having contact with her, having made up my mind in the 10th grade to go to Jefferson Medical College to become an xray tech, which afforded me the opportunity to leave Philly to head to Southern California where I have been happily residing ever since 1975.I do remember Mrs. Hurwitz demeanor though it never really touched me personally. This list is so interesting to read, mostly knowing alot about where some of us are now in our lives and to stay connected. Just reading the names and events we went through brings me back to a great time of my life.I hope we all continue to stay in touch no matter what the loop is that brings us to write.
Happy New Year, Susan Glovin Sherman Calabasas Ca.
Subj: Astonishing: the attitude of students to Cora Date: 1/13/2000 3:44:31 PM Eastern Standard Time From: K9BoatLovr To: Pete013
Astonishing.. I read each of the items sent to me and it is truly amazing how an open wound keeps festering.... Resentment, betrayal, lost opportunity, and then a great job on a project. what a paradox this women had on those that she contacted. And we all survived, for the better, I hope. MBK
Subj: RE: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 3:46:01 PM Eastern Standard Time From: robkrumm@pacbell.net (Rob Krumm) Reply-to: robkrumm@pacbell.net
This is getting to be too much fun. Lawrence Ferlenghetti's "Coney Island of the Mind" has always been my favorite book of poetry. In fact, when I first started teaching I used to use these poems all the time as classrrom lessons. My favorite is the one that ends, "...I have not lain on beauty rests like this, afriad to rise that I might somehow miss, some movement Beauty might have made-but I have slept with Beauty in my own wierd way..." I pass Ferlenghetti's bookstore all the time in SF. He is the poet laurate of SF.
Subj: RE: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 6:25:25 PM Eastern Standard Time From: steven.reiss@weil.com To: robkrumm@pacbell.net I'm not sure what started this Cora Horowitz retrospective, but it sure is interesting from a 30-year vantage point. I don't remember receiving much guidance of any sort from her at all. I started at Penn State, but transferred to Vassar after 2 years. There, I found what Alan Bell did at Columbia -- the students may have been a bit more worldly, but they certainly weren't any smarter than the gang at Northeast. I went to law school at Stanford -- a school Cora probably thought I could not locate on a map.
Speaking of Alan Bell (who I never see in New York), I had lunch with his wife today on the possibility of collaborating on a suit on behalf of the NAACP against all gun manufacturers. All this e-mail must have created a Northeast High karma or something.
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 8:59:12 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Soozie 3 Dear Friends, I remember Cora, the wicked witch, telling me that I would never amount to anything, would never get into any college, that my grades weren't high enough, and that perhaps I should take up flower arranging or something! I remember how badly I felt after that, and left her office in tears. But didn't let her opinion deter me. She was mean, callous, and cold hearted!!! She definitely wasn't one of my favorites. Speaking of favorites......though there were no teachers that I recall leaving a having a positive influence on me, I do remember some that I liked. I remember Mrs. Gibson for 10th grade geometry......I really liked her and did extremely well in her class. I also remember Mr. Rosen for History.....we had fun teasing him. Mr. Olinsky for chemistry. Mr. Eisen for history. Does anyone remember Mr. Rapp for English......and the special "Rapp paper" that the school store stocked just for him?? I can remember him looking out of the window and saying, "We are having weather today."
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 9:17:38 PM Eastern Standard Time From: DonnaDG In reply to Steve's question, The thing that amazes me about this whole line of thought, is that everyone has such vivid memories of their interactions with Cora. I have none, although I know that I got some "guidance" from her. I think that she got a kick-back from Miami of Ohio, because I remember her telling me and all of my friends to go there. I didn't, I went to Ogontz campus and then to University Park, where I still live and teach in the local school district, so she did me no harm. To answer your question though, my cousin, Sharon Boss Feldgus, was a pet of hers. She graduated in 1959 and went to Temple. I keep trying to think of a great teacher who positively influenced me, but none are ringing a bell. I'll search the yearbook and keep trying. Maybe if some of you recall your favorites, it will help.
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 9:57:13 PM Eastern Standard Time From: isyben@earthlink.net (Isy Sonabend) Reply-to: isyben@earthlink.net (Isy Sonabend) To: Pete013@aol.com I am amazed at the response to the Cora Hurwitz obituary. I am reading all of the responses with a smile from ear to ear. I think it is so wonderful that after all these years, and aided by this age of technology, this communication is going on. I am reading names and listening to people I never thought I'd hear about again. Good for you Pete, for getting us all together! The only thing I can remember about our teachers at NEHS is that teachers weren't supposed to be that way. They inspired me to become the kind of teacher they were not; kind, understanding, compassionate. My teaching career ended when I left Phila in 1979. Regards to all Benita Singer Sonabend Scottsdale, AZ
Subj: Fwd: Help...re Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/2000 10:24:01 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding the attached message from Susan Glovin for the benefit of our email group. Thanks for your contribution Susan. Pete
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/13/00 12:41:19 PM Pacific Standard Time From: S o system Hi class of '69: I am so touched at the way this loop has kept everyone in contact with each other. Thanks especially to Pete W. I remember Cora H. but do not remember having contact with her, having made up my mind in the 10th grade to go to Jefferson Medical College to become an xray tech, which afforded me the opportunity to leave Philly to head to Southern California where I have been happily residing ever since 1975. I do remember Mrs. Hurwitz demeanor though it never really touched me personally.This list is so interesting to read, mostly knowing alot about where some of us are now in our lives and to stay connected. Just reading the names andevents we went through brings me back to a great time of my life.I hope we all continue to stay in touch no matter what the loop is that brings us to write.
Happy New Year, Susan Glovin Sherman Calabasas Ca.
Subj: Cora...and Mabel Date: 1/13/2000 11:17:05 PM Eastern Standard Time From: saaronson@lucent.com (Aaronson, Steve R (Steve)) To: robkrumm@pacbell.net, steven.reiss@weil.com ('steven.reiss@weil.com') Greetings 69ers. As a graduate of a State university, perhaps I am not qualified to comment...but since Cora hated me with a rare and particular vengeance, and I returned the favor in a way that strangely foreshadowed my later career, let me clog your e-boxes with this 30-year old tale. I too labored on the history of Northeast Philadelphia project, but not happily. In fact, amid the general atmosphere of protest and rebellion, I took the meek route--no doubt seeming even more so in these post Columbine days--of writing a brief letter to the editor of the Northeast Megaphone, a letter protesting the stupefying days spent supposedly researching the history of a few cow pastures, but actually following Cora's recipe for personal glory, when perhaps it would have been interesting to learn something about the twentieth century (like, something about Asia or even World War II). Even then, submitting the letter did not make me feel like a troublemaker...until one day a messenger appeared in my class with a note asking me to see Dr. Mabel Haller immediately--an unamused Dr. Haller who, no doubt after conferring with Cora, demanded that I withdraw the offending letter. The letter ran, and that awful history class ultimately did yield something wonderful: a cute girl in that class (Roz Chanin) became and remains my wife and mother of my two great kids. Looking back, I can see my future crystallizing in the moment when two short old women taught me 1) that disobediance to authority did not automatically cause the universe to become unglued and 2) that writing bestows awesome and mysterious powers, at least over those who demand revisions.
Steve Aaronson
p.s. Well said, Bell! Thanks, Pete. And Reiss...you're so busy having expense-account lunches...you never call, you never write...
Subj: Re: Cora...and Mabel Date: 1/13/2000 11:33:05 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 In a message dated 1/13/2000 11:17:05 PM Eastern Standard Time, saaronson@lucent.com writes:
<< Well said, Bell! Thanks, Pete. And Reiss...you're so busy having expense-account lunches...you never call, you never write... >>
Thanks Steve for that particularly relevant anecdote. It really adds to the aura of Ms. Hurwitz. I thank you for your willingness to share that wonderful story with us. And yes , I agree...Mr. Reiss and Mr. Bell have been out of touch with us for far too long. We should think of a good assignment for them to make up for lost time. hmmmm....
Since they are both articulate writers, what if we ask them to think about the next subject for our email group and grace us with their penmanship to start our next discussion.
By the way Mr. Reiss, the President has personally asked me to try and convince you to defend him from prosecution by the independent counsel's office after he leaves office. Well, whadda ya say? LOL
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 1:25:39 AM Eastern Standard Time From: ILitman
Cora had a profound effect on my education before I attended a single day at Northeast. My brother David, Class of 66, was ushered into her office with my folks while I was still playing with Rob Krum, Alan Bell et all at Fels. Cora informed my parents that my brother was nothing special, that his future would be best planned without higher education because "he just wasn't college material".
At the dinner table that evening, my mother declared that Cora was an idiot (I was aghast at the turn of phrase by an adult!) and that her sonS could go to any college they pleased. Hey!, How'd I get involved? Needless to say, the die was cast, and I never had to endure Cora, although I was required to meet with her once. I later went to Colgate and finished at Temple.
My poor dimwitted brother went to Penn State,received two degrees in biophysical chemistry, then onto Columbia for his Ph.D., then to Yale for postdoctoral stuff. Now he manages to just get by as an international vice president of a high technology medical corpoartion.
In some small way I guess Cora did touch our lives. But as my parents still firmly believe, if we were touched in a small way by Cora, it was because she was a very small person.
Subj: RE: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 1:48:39 PM Eastern Standard Time From: whe@eilberg.com (William H. Eilberg)
I am fascinated by all the email about Cora Hurwitz. Please allow me to add my comments, from still another perspective. Cora Hurwitz chose me to be one of her "people", i.e. one of the students working in her office. I didn't know, at the time, that one was not supposed to turn her down. But I did turn her down, and I suppose she never forgave me. I just had other things I wanted to do with my spare time, and saw no reason to become one of her slaves. We all joked about Cora's advice: whatever she says, do the opposite. As one of many examples, she insisted that I take Math Level I instead of Math Level II, when, in fact, I was better prepared for Level II than for Level I. That test (Level II) was the only 800 I ever got! She was obviously very good at giving advice on matters about which she knew little or nothing! This was a small-minded, mean woman. We joke about her now, but she obviously caused a lot of pain for many people. I'm happy to hear of all the people who were smart enough to ignore her bad advice. Incidentally, there were three teachers at NEHS who influenced me greatly, and who were as great as any teacher I would encounter in college or law school. These were John Huntsinger (math), Mildred Weinstock (history), and Margery Braunstein (English). I am grateful to have been in their classes, and would have been so much poorer, intellectually, without them. Best regards to all. Bill Eilberg
Subj: Re: Cora...and Mabel Date: 1/14/2000 2:43:30 PM Eastern Standard Time From: UPROARCD
Hi gang! Having been out of the loop since 1972 when I moved away from Philadelphia, I have truly been enjoying reading your memories and seeing old familiar names. What little info I get of old classmates comes via Roz and Steve Aaronson, with whom I still stay in touch. Unforturnately, I was unable to come in for our reunions, but being privy to all these "conversations" is truly a "blast from the past"! For me it brings back good memories and warm feelings. Re old Cora, the only memory I have of her is "apply to Miami of Ohio and Bowling Green". She was definitely getting a kickback!
I live in Southern Ca - have been here since 1974. Wonder who else is here? Sheryl (Steinberg) Drozen
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 11:52:58 AM Eastern Standard Time From: sbravman@Princeton.EDU (Sandi Bravman) Susan, I am so glad you mentioned Mr. Olinsky. I also liked Mrs. Luft for tenth grade biology. However, with my adult cynicism, I had been thinking about what a bunch of losers and sickoes most of our teachers had been. And those in Wilson were even worse! So, I am glad to remember Mr. Olinsky. It's easier to remember the teachers who were whacko and made a negative impression than the nice ones. I remember Mrs. Fariello (previously known as Miss Farcus) who by the end of twelfth grade needed an adult to monitor her classroom to make sure she didn't say anything inappropriate; Miss Braunstein who hated all of the boys in the class; Mr. Stark who used initials for everything; etc. I am amazed that so many of us turned out so well adjusted considering who we had to deal with on a daily basis.
And Dr. Hurwitz was not the only one who has passed on. Dr. Haller is no longer with us. Mr. Ebbeke was killed in a fire in his home that he couldn't escape from, because his home was so littered with junk that there was no way out at all. Does anyone else know of any other teachers who have passed on?
Subj: RE: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 3:31:10 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rzaritsky@quatro.com (Zaritsky, Ron) Hello everyone, again. I just spoke with my wife (Janet Steinberg-class of '72) and she mentioned that Cora might have been a Holocaust survivor. Is it possible that this experience made her into the person you all love/hate? Guess we'll never know.
Thanks to all the folks who are emailing me, it's great remembering what was and might have been. keep 'em coming.
Ron to Bill Eilberg: we're cousins by marriage (Janet)
Subj: Re: RE: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 5:30:16 PM Eastern Standard Time From: DLWESTLE
I remember always wanting to be a nurse..But of course Cora felt I didn't have the "discipline" or grades for nursing school..I became a Med. Tech which i enjoyed but never felt that it was enough...After my kids were born i did go back to nursing school, did very well, & have worked in Labor & Delivery since 1986. I am very proud of the fact that I have been responsible for helping to bring so many babies into the world. As far as favorite teachers go, Mr. Weiland(Chemistry), Mr. Gallagher (English). And doing Romeo & Juliet with Pete sitting next to me in Miss O'Hanlon's class was great. Who can forget Trude Farkas...She wasn't one of my favorites but certainly made coming to class interesting. Never knew what she'd be wearing (or not!!) What was the name of the book that you all worked on with Cora? Since i still live in the Northeast I'd love to get a copy of it.... Hey Ron Zaritsky, remember me? Was wondering what happened to you & your wife after we moved from Philmont Heights.. Donna Westle Rosenfeld
Subj: Fwd: Cora...from Sue Rubin Date: 1/14/2000 6:40:22 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 Here is an email from Sue Rubin. Also, please note that Richard Quindry richard@quindry.com (Rich Quindry) has requested that his name be removed from our email discussion group. Please respect his wishes. Thank you.
Forwarded Message: Subj: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 8:56:13 AM Eastern Standard Time From: seliasrn@worldnet.att.net To: Pete013@aol.com (Pete Weiss)
Hi Pete, Please do me a favor and foward my comments on Cora to our classmates. Apparently with my email service, I can only send 25 Cc at a time. Thanks so much, my friend..... SUE
Dear Fellow Classmates, I am amazed, although not surprised, by all the email regarding our beloved Cora Hurwitz. As like so many of us, I had the displeasure of her unkind words and negativity. I recall numerous visit to her office only to hear comments that left me feeling very inadequate and very unsure of my future. Being a teenager in the '60's was challenging enough with all the turmoil in the world, let alone having someone telling you you'll never achieve your goal. Luckily, like so many of us, we have proved her wrong by becoming successful adults. I wonder how many students whose lives Cora touched who believed her unkind words and did not have the courage or opportunity to challenge them. I also can't help but think about my own children and how encouraging and supportive their guidance counselors have been throughout their education and the positive influence they have been to them.
On a brighter note, I wish you and your loved ones a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Subj: Re: Cora...and Mabel Date: 1/14/2000 9:50:03 AM Eastern Standard Time From: steven.reiss@weil.com
Aaronson: It's not true, I do write. Here's the proof. In response to someone's rememberance of Marcus Marutani's election ploye -- smashing 7 boards with "Student Problems" written on the front and backs -- I was going to recall your failed election bid against Marcus in which we put on some banal skit (which obviously was insufficient to propel you to victory) in which Ron Solar (Class of '68) starred as the embodiment of some sort of "power", the precise nature of which escapes me. I have a more vivid memory of the concert given by our group -- "The Sands of Tyme" (note the creative spelling) -- in the 11th grade assembly during which we played "Valorie" and Solar, as part of the performance, pulled out a size 40 E bra and wept over his lost love -- the bra apparently evoking her most notable attributes. The assembly was headed by Vice Principal Simon, who promptly ordered that power be shut off to our amplifiers mid-song; after which we were ushered into his office for some discipline. The event apparently did not scar Solar (or the rest of us for that matter). He went on to found some biotech company in California that makes body replacement parts.
On the teacher front, there were several whose dedication, perception and humanity still stand out after all of these years. My favorites were Martin Olinsky, who helped make solving chemistry equations comprehensible through the modestly named "Olinsky method", and John Huntsinger, who taught trigonometry tous in 11th grade. Huntsinger was a true gentleman.
Subj: Fascinating Shades of NEHS69 Date: 1/14/2000 10:13:46 PM Eastern Standard Time From: sdepue@starlinx.com (sdepue)
Hi everyone --
I never realized that Cora Hurwitz touched and misdirected so many lives. I spoke to her once when I was in school, when I got the results of my aptitude test. The test, BTW, was not too far off. It said I should be an Architect. I became a fashion designer. Same concept, different materials.
As for teachers that made a difference, I haven't heard anyone mention the Arts. There was Tom Gallagher for drama, Robert Steele for music, Henry Pearlberg ... music again and Roberta Lusen and Manny Silverman for art. These people brought out the creative sides of students. Many of you may not have touched the arts since then. But my favorite academic teachers were George Brown, who passed away before we graduated and John Young. Mr. Young passed me in Geometry out of the graces of his heart since I showed up for help so often after school. Mr. Brown spent a class explained how to order an ice cream cone and not pay for it (something he did in Paris one time) and had a penchant for giving A's for the semester if certain questions could be answered in class. I remember actually answering one and getting the A.
If anyone knows where Eileen Masover can be reached, I appreciate an email. I lost track of her after the last (25th) reunion.
Subj: Re: Help...re Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 10:46:55 PM Eastern Standard Time From: SHJRESUME To: Pete013
hey pete aaronson bell and reiss........Cora Who? At least you guys met this woman..Apparently there must have been some of us who did not even get that consideration. Let's keep in mind the ladies dead and it's now time to get over it and move on. ......Mr. forgive and forget who else but...................SAUL
Subj: (no subject) Date: 1/14/2000 11:18:06 PM Eastern Standard Time From: ILitman
Yes Virginia, there are good teachers. Mr. Haas taught us some literature and how to create a term paper; Mr. Freedman taught some physics but mostly I remember his compassion. Final semester of senior year and I have an average that would freeze water if it were a temperature. Freedman calls my folks into school and says no college in the fall if I fail. He suggested a wager: double or nothing based on a science project. Earn a B and he'll pass me for the year, C or below and he'll see me again in the fall. Mr. Brown was clearly the most remarkable character. He was my first encounter with someone who didn't fit any known description of a teacher with which I was familiar. But was he ever good at eye opening. I think that was his interpretation of his role in our lives. Every class started with real world examples or the morass outside our school doors. When he had trouble with a color TV he bought at Wanamaker's, everyone in the class had to write an essay to the customer service supervisor. I think he used them to harass the guy for months. When he died, I went to the funeral with another classmate half expecting him to sit up in the casket and complain about the accomodations.
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 10:51:54 PM Eastern Standard Time From: PAULA 0424
as someone had suggested maybe we could move on to another topic other than cora i remember some other teachers that had a positive effect on me, Mr. britchkow heading the business megaphone, miss fisher the sewing teacher who i ended up teaching with in phila, mr shore for math, mrs rhodes for science mrs barr for gym and mrs komins for spanish i read in the jewish exponent a few years ago that she had died if anyone else has anything else to add about any of these teachers i would enjoy hearing about it thanks
Subj: Re: Help...re Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/14/2000 11:45:26 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 In a message dated 1/14/2000 10:46:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, SHJRESUME (Saul Jacobs) writes: << hey pete aaronson bell and reiss........Cora Who? At least you guys met this woman..Apparently there must have been some of us who did not even get that consideration. Let's keep in mind the lady's dead and it's now time to get over it and move on. ......Mr. forgive and forget who else but...........SAUL >>
You're right Saul, but you know its been 30 years since you won your election for Vice-President of the Senate. Maybe we should make you run for that office again. Ya know, 30 years is a long time to be vice-president of something. hmmm.. Lets see, we could have an on-line debate among the candidates for President,Vice-President, etc. Get ready Bell, Aaronson, Rose, Reiss...you guys as well as Jacobs are gonna have to run clean campaigns this time!
I think I might even make some campaign contributions for a dark horse candidate like....GIBBS! Yeah, that's it. Lets get Gibbs ready for prime time! LOL
Subj: Re: Help...re Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/15/2000 1:40:20 AM Eastern Standard Time From: rrmaga@webtv.net (Rich Magaziner) To: Pete013@aol.com really liked your response to Saul Jacobs !! I don't think Joel Gibbs is a dark horse ! He probably would have done real well ! Let me know when the 2000 campaign for the 1969 class begins (LOL)
Subj: Re: Help...re Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/15/2000 2:31:31 AM Eastern Standard Time From: CJS917 To: Pete013 Dear Pete, This was fun to read all this E-mail. Could you send me Stephen A. Schectman 's e-mail address. Thank you in advance. Looking forward to getting more e-mail from classmates.
Subj: The Lesson Learned Date: 1/15/2000 7:37:03 AM Eastern Standard Time From: K9BoatLovr Astonishing.... I read each of the items sent to me and it is truly amazing how an open wound keeps festering....Resentment, betrayal, lost opportunity, and then a great job on a project. What a paradox this women had on those that she contacted.
The lesson learned is that we can trust people we look up to, but always trust yourself more because the out come of any action affects your life, not the person who gave the advice.
To those of you who have children, make sure their life is better than ours and the direction you head them towards is rewarding in whatever they accomplish.
And, we all survived, for the better, I hope. Health and a good life to all. Bruce Kanis
Subj: Re: The Lesson Learned Date: 1/15/2000 9:29:18 AM Eastern Standard Time From: R GOOD 622
BOY HOW I REMEMBER CORA HURWITZ. WHEN I STEPPED INTO HER OFFICE THE FIRST TIME, THE FIRST THING SHE SAID TO ME WAS YOULL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING. FORGET ABOUT EVER GOING TO COLLEGE. COULD YOU IMAGINE HOW I FELT. PRETTY LOW. SO MY REPLY TO HER WAS ID RATHER GET HIGH AND DO DRUGS.
WHEN SHE HEARD THAT SHE CALLED MY PARENTS IN. WELL I DID GO TO COLLEGE AND I DID GRADUATE, BUT INSTEAD OF TRYING TO PROVE CORA WRONG I BARELY GOT BY I OPENED A HOME IMPROVEMENT CO AND LOST THE BUSINESS 2 YEARS LATER. FOR THE PAST 21 YEARS IVEBENN IN THE AUTOMOBILE BUSINESS. IM THE SALES MANAGER AT HENRY FAULKNER OLDSMOBILE WHERE IVE BEEN FAIRLY SUCESSFUL. IM MARRIED WITH TWO WONDERFUL BOYS ANDREW AND CHAD. WITH A LITTLE INHERITANCE MONEY FROM MY FATHER AND SOME LUCKY INVESTMENTS IN THE STOCK MARKET IVE BECOME A MILLIONAIRE . I GUESS YOU COULD SAY IM SUCCESSFUL NOW ALTHOUGH I DONT FEEL THAT WAY. I WOUNDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPEND IF I NEVER WALKED INTO CORAS OFFICE THAT DAY BECAUSE EVER SINCE I LACK CONFIDENCE IN MY SELF . SO TO YOU CORA HURWITZ THANKS FOR NOTHING.
Subj: Re: Fascinating Shades of NEHS69 Date: 1/15/2000 9:51:29 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Soozie 3
Hi everyone, Sandra Bergman DePue mentioned some teachers of the arts.............. I, for one, would like to turn the conversation away from Cora, the wicked witch of the Northeast. I remember Roberta Lucen. I had her for my double art period in 11th grade. I didn't like her because I didn't think she like me. Because of her and some things that she said, or didn't say that maybe she should have, I felt insecure about my ability as an artist. As a result I dropped art two weeks into my senior year, and picked up typing and child development. This changed the direction of my future and I became a teacher (Should I REALLY hate her now?) and have been for the last 24 years. As I get more disillusioned with the school district I often regret that I didn't stick with art, and lately I have decided that I will get back into it someday, if only for pleasure. I also remember Mr. Fluhr. He was my art teacher for 10th grade art and 11th grade ceramics. I liked him very much, and thought he was quite funny. I remember in ceramics we were sculpting nudes. As he came around to look at out work he felt that my female was too balanced. He took out his pen knife, chopped off her breasts, and slapped them on her butt! This evoked lots of laughter from those nearby, though at that moment I wasn't too happy about him performing reconstructive surgery on my nude! However, after he smoothed the clay on her now flattened chest and ample derriere, I had to admit that the sculpture was more interesting to look at. I also remember Mr. Seidler for driver's education.....and to this day I always practice F.O.B. approaching an intersection and I'm careful not to get "pickle trucked." For math I remember Mrs. Gibson for 10th grade geometry and Mr. "Bowtie" Decker for 11th grade algebra. In physical education I remember I had Miss Smith in 10th. Having just transferred to NE from Lincoln I was happy about that......not only had Miss Smith been my former neighbor, but her roommate had been my French teacher while at Lincoln. I remember Mr. Shwartz for French and Mr. Olinsky for chemistry. I had Mr. Eisen and Mr. Rosen for history. Though I didn't have her for any social studies class, Miss Norma Levin was my homeroom teacher and I remember her book on the Holocaust. This dialogue that Pete's email list has generated has been very interesting. I have been having a great time contacting some old friends and taking this walk down memory lane. Thanks Pete!!!!!!
Subj: Re: Fascinating Shades of NEHS69 Date: 1/15/2000 4:33:16 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Pete013 In a message dated 1/15/2000 9:51:29 AM Eastern Standard Time, Soozie 3 writes: << This dialogue that Pete's email list has generated has been very interesting. I have been having a great time contacting some old friends and taking this walk down memory lane. Thanks Pete!!!!!!
Susan Hoffman Klassman >>
Susan, Aw shucks, thanks. I'm personally amazed and very pleased to see such an energetic response to the initial email. I salute all those who have taken the time to express themselves to our fellow classmates. I also proudly note that we have quite a diverse group of classmates who have participated in this exchange. I certainly hope everyone continues to share their memories and experiences with us.
Pete Weiss
ps - I'm bcc'ing everyone instead of sending directly to everyone to save text space on this message. I hope it works.
Subj: Re:Teachers & life Date: 1/15/2000 10:32:05 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: Pharmer259 To: Pete013
Hi gang, it's been fun jumping in to the time machine & reminiscing about which teachers shaped our lives back then. Here's my group even though I posted a response already (maybe privately?) Joseph Weiland had one of the best teaching styles in handling students & making Chemistry interesting (no mean task-mydaughter is taking 11th grade Chemistry right now). He made everyone feel good about themselves unlike someone we have been kvetching about. I have toremember my 10th grade Geometry teacher - Valerie Jakubovitch. Many hated him for being strict with the rules but he set me on a course for academic acheivement by reccommending me for AP math in 11th grade. I had been an average student thru Jr. High,but hid my stride after 10th grade. I remember Miss Komins' Spanish class as I'm sure most of the guys did. It saddens me to hear of her death. I remember George Brown (no relation) ,& Mr. Stark, Manny Mauskopf, & Mrs. Gibson fondly.Another fond memory was my 12 th grade English teacher whose name escapes me. She filled in for a teacher on Sabbatical(who my mother had in school), but she taught poetry by looking at Paul Simon's songs. I met many friends in these classes & learned many lessons beyond the course work. Time it was & what a time it was !!! Strangely enough, after graduation when I was working at a Pharmacy in Mayfair, I looked up one day to see waiting at the counter , Mabel Haller !. It was weird seeing my principal 7 years post graduation as a person needing healthcare & not as this figurehead which we all looked up or down on as the case may be. It reminds me that we are all people doing our life's work to the best of our abilities. Judging how well we live up to our capabilities should be decided by ourselves.Whether people's influences helped or hindered us, we are affected by them. The result is still up to us & we are the masters of our own fates. Oh well,, it's too early for such profound statements. It's been great hearing from all of you & to see where life has taken us after 30 years ! The reunion continues on-line. Can I have a corn-beef sandwhich? I feel like the post-reunion party continues on with a late night chat at the Country Club Diner. Pete where's that Danish you promised ? Dennis Brown <
Subj: Re: Teachers & life Date: 1/15/2000 4:57:28 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Pete013 In a message dated 1/15/2000 10:32:05 AM Eastern Standard Time, Pharmer259 writes: << It's been great hearing from all of you & to see where life has taken us after 30 years! The reunion continues on-line. Can I have a corn-beef sandwhich? I feel like the post- reunion party continues on with a late night chat at the Country Club Diner. Pete where's that Danish you promised ? Dennis Brown >>
Didn't you get your danish? You need to sign the gustbook on our NEHS Class of 1969 homepage and your danish will follow. Please sign the guestbook, I have a lot of cherry danish to send out! LOL
Note to all email group participants - The following have indicated their desire to be removed from our email list for the now due to personal reasons.
Hal Stern - sosuke1@aol.com
Richard Quindry - richard@quindry.com
Pete
Please respect their wishes and leave them off your response to these emails.
Subj: Re: Fascinating Shades of NEHS69 Date: 1/15/2000 4:53:52 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shorty0324 Hi all: I enjoyed reading everybody's email so much that I called a few classmates that weren't receiving the email; told them about the Cora emails that they were missing, sent copies to them, then asked Pete to add their email addresses to his list. Now, I look forward to going on line, as I am eager to read everyone's stories as well as receive emails from people that I haven't seen or talked to in years. Thanx to Pete for getting this started. Wendy Goldman Harris
Subj: Re: Fascinating Shades of NEHS69 Date: 1/15/2000 5:10:09 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Pete013 In a message dated 1/15/2000 4:53:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, Shorty0324 writes: << I enjoyed reading everybody's email so much that I called a few classmates that weren't receiving the email; told them about the Cora emails that they were missing, sent copies to them, then asked Pete to add their email addresses to his list. Now, I look forward to going on line, as I am eager to read everyone's stories as well as receive emails from people that I haven't seen or talked to in years. Thanx to Pete for getting this started. Wendy Goldman Harris >> -------------------------------------- Thanks Wendy, I'm glad that so many of us are enjoying this email exchange. We do have some people who for personal reasons have asked to be taken off our email list as follows Hal Stern - sosuke1@aol.com Richard Quindry - richard@quindry.com I hope everyone will respect their wishes. I have also archived the entire discussion and added it to the message board on our homepage where those who don't have the time right now can later go and review the discussion and everyone's posted messages at their leisure. Pete
Hello to all of my could-have-been school chums. Wow, who the hell was this Cora? Paula, I am so glad to hear a response from at least one familiar name. You know, while everyone is bitching about Cora, I don't even remember who she is, (and this is not a senior moment) so it was not her lack of influence that shaped my high school career. Quite frankly, I rarely even made it to school during my senior year. My most vivid memories are of meeting with friends from Bell's Corner at the Country Club Diner, eating my cheese danish, and making plans from there. I ended up going to college through no influence from NEHS or my family. My folks had no clue what I was doing, ever. I guess down deep I was destined to be okay, even though I was a teenager without any supervision. My biggest fear having my own kids was that they might be wild like I was, but fortunately, they are very successful, conscientious students who will go far. And, needless to say, I am quite a different parent than my parents. As for me, after high school, I intermittently traveled and went to school, ended up with an M. Ed., recently divorced my M.D. husband (and that's a good thing) and have been involved with bike racing. So, no complaints, it all worked out just perfectly. I hope you all have been having a good time of it. Looking forward to many more reunions. Didn't everyone, almost everyone, look great! Phyllis
Subj: Re: (no subject) Date: 1/15/2000 3:03:10 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: BruceShare Of all the teachers who passed before me K thru B.S. Mr. Barish (physics) will always be dear. I had his class with Paul Fox and Larry Inver. While Larry did his Barish immitations Paul changed anyone's grade below a C to something higher each time Mr. Barish left the classroom for something, and he was always leaving the classroom. Great stuff! Bruce S.
Subj: Why pay retail or discount Date: 1/15/2000 3:39:53 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: BruceShare As a service to my classmates I am offering computer hardware at my companies cost. We can get any model Gateway, Compaq, DEC, or IBM computer system . My company is a reseller for these manufacturers and we have access to their full lines. Just e-mail me model and accessory information and we can usually turn an order around in 1-2 weeks at invoice cost + freight.E-mail me at bshare@hbsrx.com.
Subj: Re: The Lesson Learned Date: 1/15/2000 5:26:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Pete013 To: Shorty0324 In a message dated 1/15/2000 5:05:59 PM Eastern Standard Time, Shorty0324 writes: << hi- when you write can you please write your name at the bottom of your message so we know who is writing - thanx >>
That was Richard Goodhart. I'll try to clean up when I add to the archive in our message board. You could also look them up on our email directory. Pete
Subj: Re: Teachers & life Date: 1/15/2000 5:27:30 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Soozie 3 To: Pete013 Dear Pete, I didn't get to go to the 30th reunion and now I am so sorry that I missed it. What are the chances of having a 31st reunion? LOL!!!!! Sue
Subj: from wendy Date: 1/15/2000 5:32:54 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Shorty0324 To: Pete013 Hi Pete: I've been going back and forth reading the email name and then going back to see their name. And then, would you believe, forwarding all of our emails on to my Mom who is enjoying reading all of the Cora stories. Take care. Wendy
Subj: Re: (no subject) Date: 1/15/2000 6:07:35 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: S o system Hello: Does anybody remember the geometry teacher named Valerie Jacubovich? (a man, maybe his name was his problem). He made life he-- for me and then came summer school which i think his entire class attended. Very passive agressive type.... Liked upsetting the students and enjoyed their reaction.
Subj: Fwd: NEHS '69 from Robin Date: 1/16/2000 3:36:50 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: Pete013 Here is an email from Robin Cohen Chernow that I'm forwarding to our email group. Pete
-----------------
Forwarded Message: Subj: Date: 1/16/2000 11:49:35 AM Eastern Standard Time From: cabin@mail.odyssey.net (robin chernow) To: Pete013@aol.com Hi to all my classmates from one of the many Cohens you went to high school with. I have very few memories of high school at all but I do remember having a metal shop teacher for homeroom in 10th and 12th grade. His name was Mr. Rowland. I believe that in 12th grade he flipped out on a student and was given some sort of leave. He was replaced by Bill Boggs, the guy who now has a show or two on the Food TV Network. At that time, Mr. Boggs was the manager of a comedy team (Patchett and Tarses)and may have taught English. Of course, no one I have spoken to remembers this but me. How about it all you Cohens??? My 11th grade homeroom teacher was Mike Friedman who actually made science and homeroom bearable. The letters about Cora are a hoot but certainly have their serious side. I suppose all of us who now have contact with and influence over teenagers need to remember to take the responsibility seriously. Robin Cohen Chernow
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/16/2000 6:12:58 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 In a message dated 1/16/2000 5:49:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, hms1952@earthlink.net writes:
<< Pete: The WEB site is a blast! I'm getting this rush of nostalgia from reading everyone's comments. Personally, I hardly knew Cora Hurwitz. I think I met with her once and didn't get a whole lot out of it. I'm wondering what happened to Mrs Komins. I think it was Sandy Friedman that said she had died. Geez, she wasn't a whole lot older than we were when she was teaching Spanish at Northeast. Does anyone have any information as to the circumstances surrounding her death? Also, what's the password to get into the NEHS Class of '69 Message Board. The link goes to tripod and it asks for an ID and Password. Keep up the good work....it's GREAT! Take care...Howard >>
Hi Howard, Glad you are enjoying the exchange among our classmates. I think its great too. I don't know how Mrs Komins died but perhaps someone in our email group knows and can shed some light on this. Also, the password you are referring to...I think you are going to the delphi page for NEHS forum at Classmates.com. It requires that you register your name, shool and year of graduation, and email address and then you will be given a password to get in. Take the time to fill the online registration form out, its worth it. It does not cost any money. best regards, Pete Weiss
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/16/2000 6:22:41 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Shorty0324 Hi All: I recently asked Pete and now I will ask all of you -- do you know how or when any of our classmates that are listed on the deceased website died. I was friends with a few of the people listed and wondered what happened to them. Thanx Wendy Goldman Harris
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/17/2000 12:40:10 PM Eastern Standard Time From: sbravman@Princeton.EDU (Sandi Bravman) Yes, this was a big loss and she was pretty young. I believe she had cancer. Sandi (Dodek) Bravman Pete013@aol.com wrote: > I'm wondering what happened to Mrs Komins. I think it was Sandy Friedman that said she had died. Geez, she wasn't a whole lot older than we were when she was teaching Spanish at Northeast. Does anyone have any information as to the circumstances surrounding her death? >
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/17/2000 11:35:38 AM Eastern Standard Time From: BruceShare Pete, I believe Mrs. Komins died of cancer about 10 years ago. My niece was in her class when she fell ill.
Subj: Re: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/17/2000 8:54:26 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Miniblndmn in response to some of the remarks regarding cora hurwitz, i also hate to put a downer on someone who can not defend herself, but......... i met with her and my parents on several occasions and in the end she didn't help me at all. i ended up doing three years at ccp, then 6 years at night at pct&s ( now known as pu) until a light went off in my head and i started a very successful career in sales which has lasted over 20 years now, no thanks to cora..........anyway regards to all and i hope we can keep up the dialogue on this forum. special thanks to pete.
Subj: Fwd: Fascinating Shades fr Lou Podel Date: 1/17/2000 9:23:44 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding Lou Podel's comments which I think are worth reading. Pete ----------------- Forwarded Message: Subj: Re: Fascinating Shades of NEHS69 Date: 1/17/2000 7:46:03 PM Eastern Standard Time From: LPodel To: Pete013 LOU PODEL HERE....I,M GETTING A KICK OUT OF ALL THE BANTER AND THOUGHT I'D JOIN IN AND SAY HELLO. DOES ANYONE REMEMBER MRS. BARR AND HER DANCE CLUB IT WAS ALOT OF FUN AND WE GOT OUT OF CLASS. I REMEMBER A PARTY AT HER HOME FOR THE DANCE CLUB AND MEETING HER 2 SONS CHRIS AND MATT WHO BOTH HAD CAREERS IN THE NFL. PERSONALLY, I AM AN ATTORNEY IN PHILA. HANDLING MAINLY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE CASES WITH 2 KIDS. A SON IN 11TH GRADE AND A DAUGHTER IN HER 3RD YEAR AT THE UNIV. OF FLA. THINGS TURNED OUT OK DESPITE CORA.
Subj: Re: mrs schatz Date: 1/17/2000 10:35:21 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Miniblndmn hey ed .......... i agree wholeheartedly...........by the way i remember mrs. schatz as being quite a babe thru my 17yo eyes..........regards from bruce levin
Subj: Fwd: Fascinating Shades fr Susan Glovin Sherman Date: 1/17/2000 11:15:04 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding this message from Susan because it is worth reading. Thanks Susan. Pete ----------------- Forwarded Message: Subj: Re: Fascinating Shades fr Lou Podel Date: 1/17/2000 11:12:20 PM Eastern Standard Time From: S o system To: Pete013 << THOUGHT I'D JOIN IN AND SAY HELLO. DOES ANYONE REMEMBER MRS. BARR AND HER DANCE CLUB.>>
Hi again Pete: One of my fondest memories of those years was Mrs, Barr. She was so warm and reachable that I have often thought about her thru the years. Can't say that about many of the other teachers. Take Care, Susan Glovin Sherman
Subj: Fwd: Mrs. Barr and Dance Club fr Barbara Baxt Date: 1/18/2000 1:00:04 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 This message is from Barbara Baxt and is recommended for our "reminiscing" pleasure. Thanks Barbara. ----------------- Forwarded Message: Subj: Mrs. Barr and Dance Club Date: 1/18/2000 12:21:33 AM Eastern Standard Time From: atlred@hotmail.com (Barbara Baxt) To: pete013@aol.com Dear Pete, First, I want to thank you for your time and effort designing and organizing our website and e-mail "broadcasts". And, for the fabulous, thought provoking and reminiscing of fond memories of NEHS '69. I can't wait to see what I will find each time I pull up my e-mail! As for Lou Podel's memory of Mrs. Barr's Dance Club....that had to be my fondest memory of my senior year at Northeast. What a great group of girls and guys. We had the best time! As seniors, we performed in the school show, The Sound Of Music. What camaraderie and fun we all had! Mrs. Barr was "genuine" and a teacher who we all became attached to. My dance partner was Evan Snyder. "Louie" was my buddy. I guess I was just waiting to see who was going to acknowledge Mrs. Barr's Dance Club, and what thoughts would evoke on one of my favorites. Life is for "sharing"....thanks.
Subj: class of 69 Date: 1/18/2000 8:10:08 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Shorty0324 good morning all: After receiving so many emails from long lost classmates, I deceided to take my year book out of the attic and see the faces that go with the names. I have now spent the last 2 hours looking and smiling, at the pictures and memories of some of the teachers and classmates. Here are a few of the teachers, who must of touch me- (mentally) as they signed my yearbook- Mr siro Marchionni, Mr Herbert Ross, Mr Martin Britchkow,Mr. Stark, Mr Sherby,Mr. Haas,Mr Sklar,just to mention a few. Well, take care and keep writing. Wendy Goldman Harris
Subj: Re: Help...re Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/18/2000 10:41:46 AM Eastern Standard Time From: steven.reiss@weil.com To: Pete013@aol.com Finally Saul. I was wondering when we would hear from you. Maybe if you had introduced Cora to "Pecker" --- no, it's not what the rest of you think -- she would have been friendlier. All of this e-mailing is wonderful. The only downside is that I'm totally neglecting my practice. C'est la vie.
Subj: RE: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 1/18/2000 12:23:31 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Blank.Mark@PBGC.GOV (Blank Mark) Wendy -- here's what I know. Scott Kelman passed away in 1973. I saw his obituary in the paper when I was a first-year law student. Lewis Walder also died in the 1970's; he is buried very near my maternal grandmother. Jeff Shapiro passed away last year in Cherry Hill; he was a much-loved cantor. As brief as this message is, it's been a painful one to compose. Jay Reiss
Subj: Re: other teachers Date: 1/17/2000 11:39:57 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Miniblndmn mr young was a great guy.......some of us who were failing geometry played him in basketball for our grade ........he was a good guy..........i pulled a "c"
Subj: RE: other teachers Date: 1/18/2000 2:32:06 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Blank.Mark@PBGC.GOV (Blank Mark) I'll second the accolade for John Young -- he was unfailingly professional and courteous to those of us to whom he taught 10th grade geometry. (Along with Gale Katz and Kenny Hantman, I was summoned almost daily to the blackboard to work out this or that problem, but I considered it an honor rather than a burden. One day the teaching of math was set aside so that we kids could participate in a survey of our "group dynamics." We were never told what we wrote down about one another.) Equally classy were Florence Gibson, 11th grade algebra, and Ed Karr, 12th grade elementary functions. (Mr. Karr was thought by many to resemble Lyndon Baines Johnson. Apparently he shared this perception, as he solemnly intoned one day, "Let us continue!") Another nice guy, Dave Patchell, in boys' hygiene, announced that any flunkee would be permitted to retake any quiz whatever # of times it took to score a 70. My 11th/12th grade homeroom adviser was Roselyn Wachstein (later Blumberg), who came to NEHS in '67 as a very cute 21-year-old rookie (a photo of her playing volleyball on the class trip graces our yearbook supplement). I've been told that she retired from NEHS in 1999, which leads me to wonder if there's anyone still there who knew the 128th class. Miss (title still used then) Wachstein invited me to her wedding on 6/22/69, but I unhappily declined as I'd already accepted an invitation from Jack Schachter (who Joe Frazier once invited to be his sparring partner) to a party that day for those of us who were with him for three years of Hebrew. It has been said that the young mind "is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be lighted." I think that the capable teachers instinctively grasped this.
Subj: Fwd: "Dr. Ruth" Hurwitz from Roz Chanin Date: 1/18/2000 11:26:17 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding this email from Roz Chanin (Aaronson) for everyone's reading pleasure. Thanks Roz for your contribution to this "virtual reunion" (thanks for giving it an interesting label Sandy Bergman) and thank you for promising not to put me on hold next time I call. Pete ----------------- Forwarded Message: Subj: "Dr. Ruth" Hurwitz Date: 1/18/2000 5:13:20 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rozaaronson@yahoo.com (Roz Aaronson) To: pete013@aol.com Dear Pete,
Thanks for setting up this email forum(and for all the work related to the reunion). It's very enjoyable reading!! I wanted to relate my bizarre story to the group, but yahoo won't let me forward to so many names. Can you send this out for me? In return, I promise that the next time you call Steve, I'll know who you are and put him on the phone. I won't even put you on hold. Thanks, Roz Chanin Aaronson Hi everyone, Not to beat a dead horse (-face), but here's one more Cora-tale. I was also in Cora's 11th grade "American History " class where we researched NE Phila. all year. Cora then asked me to work in her office over the summer, in exchange for lunch at Burger Chef and busfare. I guess I must have been pretty poor because it didn't seem like such a bad deal at the time--or maybe I thought I'd get a scholarship to Vassar with Astronaut Reiss (which he was NOT, Pete!).
Her next request was that I be a (kosher) guinea pig in an intensive vocational guidance study she needed to complete her Master's degree. I had to go to her house to take a whole battery of tests, and then had to bring my parents for a series of interviews. During one of the sessions, she leaned over so that her face was close to mine, and whined loudly,"Roz, you're afraid of success. What exactly are you afraid of?" I was thinking, "Your face," but didn't say anything. I was again left speechless when Cora gave me her evaluation of the results of all my tests and counseling sessions: I was a serious underachiever (because I had a couple of B's), and was double-doomed because I had a certain boyfriend. She had found out that I was dating Steve Aaronson and she threatened to tell my parents about this" illicit relationship "--unless I promised to terminate it at once. I was so shocked I stammered that we were friends, but that my parents knew and approved. She gave me a withering Planet of the Apes look and insisted that I was too young to have a boyfriend, especially one as obnoxious as Steve (this was after Principal Mabel had failed to squelch his impertinent anti-Cora letter to the Megaphone). Needless to say, I was not invited to return as a Cora aide in twelth grade...and my college choices were now limited to Temple or Penn State (which I merrily attended, just in time for protests, riots, and other glorious fun). It turns out that Cora was no better at playing Dr. Ruth than she was at college counseling; that is, she sucked big-time. Steve seems a lot less obnoxious after 27 years of marriage and two great sons. Roz
p.s. Steve's election slogan was "Student Power"--hip enough to beat Saul! I had no idea that Marcus Mauritani had written "student problems" on those boards he whacked with one mighty karate chop; if only I'd known, things might have turned out differently...
Subj: Re: Help...re Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/18/2000 6:34:39 PM Eastern Standard Time From: alpz@erols.com (Alan Pizzi) Dear Classmates, My e-mail inbox was a relatively quiet place until this Cora stuff started. Enough! So what if she screwed most of us up. Some of us have managed to recover, even if it took 30 years! Al
8 of 10 Archive of Email messages for 1/19/00 - 1/23/00 re our days at NEHS - #5 (1 Message) These are archived email messages sent to our NEHS discussion group including further discussion about counselors, teachers, etc. and featuring a new discussion about the underground student newspaper "Interobang".
Subj: Re: "Dr. Ruth" Hurwitz from Roz Chanin Date: 1/19/2000 1:42:25 AM Eastern Standard Time From: ILitman
I never had the impression that Aaornson was obnoxious, but if Cora thought so it must be true. I'm sure glad I never asked him out on date! (although I do know of some ladies harboring ancient crushes if he's interested...... calm down Roz, just kidding)
Subj: Fwd: from Shirley Polonsky Keisler Date: 1/19/2000 10:14:35 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding the accompanying email message from Shirley Polonsky Keisler which I think is worth reading. Thank you Shirley for your contribution. Also, please note that JEFFREY CRASS - crass@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu has requested that his name be removed from our email discussion group. Please respect his wishes. Thank you. Pete -----------------
Forwarded Message: Subj: Cora Hurwitz Date: 1/19/2000 2:16:39 PM Eastern Standard Time From: skeisler@erols.com (Digital) Reply-to: skeisler@erols.com (Digital) To: Pete013@aol.com Dear Pete: I just wanted to add my 'two cents' on Cora Hurwitz and then put her back in the far recesses of my mind where she's been for the past thirty years. It seems to me from reading our classmates' emails that our success was, for the most part, inversely related to her advice. She told me as well that I was not college material and would never succeed at much of anything. I remeber my parents meeting with her and my mother insisting that Cora didn't have to write a glowing recommendation for me, but that she better not write a negative one. I guess Mrs. Hurwitz listened to (or was intimidated by) my mother, as I was accepted to college despite her. I then went on to get a master's and a law degree. Best wishes for the new year. Shirley Polonsky Keisler
Subj: Fwd: Honoring the past by J. Reiss Date: 1/19/2000 10:22:56 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding the accompanying email message from Jay Reiss which is worthwhile reading and really brings back memories. Thanks Jay for your contribution to this "virtual reunion" . Pete -----------------
Forwarded Message: Subj: Honoring the past Date: 1/19/2000 6:34:57 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Mail Wiz To: Pete013 Pete... I've posted this on your website, but don't know if you'd like to circulate my comments via email too. Feel free to if you wish... Regards - Jay Reiss +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Honoring the Past In March of 1969, arising out of a public outrage to the war in Viet Nam, coupled with a building resentment to some of the administrative policies and methods of handling student protest at Northeast High, an underground student newspaper, entitled "The Interobang," was launched under the watchful eye of math teacher Myron Zison. Mr. Zison (see yearbook, page 43), although not an official faculty advisor of the paper, was there to encourage, support, and stimulate enthusiasm in the paper's growth. I personally would like to honor him not only as a great teacher, but also as a personal mentor and good friend. As the Interobang grew over the course of our senior year at Northeast, so did the number of students who contributed articles, poetry, and moral support. These students include:
Marc Young Phil Coff Ron Domsky Eric Weisman Ken Hantman Larry Kurtz Debbie Leiberson Arlene Levit Celeste Hanusey Mickey Kronig Bernice Gelman Ira Litman Claire Kaplan Elsa Revsin Inez Frank Harold Kramer Linda Rubin Mindy Lubeck Jackie Gnepp Frank Wolf Evan Snyder Joe Kahn Charlene Bernstein Alan Bell Steve Aaronson Marlene Richter Joe White Steve Schechtman Helene Weinraub Bruce Cohn Barbara Rosen Dave Berman Dave Wexler Jewel Gelband Mike Wenocur Laura Isakoff Rochelle Koff Lynn Burkholder Debbi Brian Ed Gibbs Al Silver Roberta Poritsky Jay Rose Joe Perlstein Linda Berman Robin Strikoff Sheila Linz
Looking back on the Interobang, with it's anti-war artwork, challenging editorial copy, and ads from the Electric Factory, WMMR Radio, and local boutiques, one can't help but be impressed with the creative minds who contributed to those pages. I would like to honor everyone here, who's input and creative efforts contributed toward the awakening of the sixties at Northeast High, and throughout northeast Philadelphia.
Jay Reiss (Email comments welcome. Please write to: mailwiz@aol.com)
Subj: Fwd: re Phil Coff, Marlene Richter Date: 1/20/2000 1:15:41 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding this "request for an APB for Phil Coff and Marlene Richter" that I received from Ron Zaritsky. If anyone has current info on how either of these classmates can be reached, please email me or Ron Zaritsky. Also, Ronnie Bernbaum (Rosen) - isphh@aol.com - has requested that her name be removed from our email list. Please respect her wishes. Thanks, Pete ----------------- Forwarded Message: Subj: FW: Honoring the past Date: 1/20/2000 12:52:13 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rzaritsky@quatro.com (Zaritsky, Ron) To: Pete013@aol.com ('Pete013@aol.com') pete, nice comments from jay. if you could put out an a.p.b. on phil coff and marlene richter, it would be appreciated. ron
Subj: Re: Honoring the past by J. Reiss Date: 1/20/2000 9:20:38 PM Eastern Standard Time From: ILitman Fellow classmates, I still have copies of the Interobang and they still priced at twenty-five cents! It was a rare time in our history. The burgeoning protests against Vietnam gave a focal point to our voice; a unison that generations before and since have not had. The support that we experienced as adolescents came from disparate elements around our community, country, even the internationally. As a group we were speaking up and the population on the other side of the fulcrum (older siblings, parents, teachers, politicians) were giving ground as the our voices gained weight. As we gained power, limited as it was, we gained a freedom of restraint that led to experiments in drugs and other fictions that were previously denied us. In retrospect, I think we can all see that some of those restraints were not necessarily a bad thing. How many of us who used drugs freely in the late 60's and early 70's would offer them to our children? As a father of girls 15 & 11, don't even talk to me about the sexual revolution! What I recall most vividly, are the "brain storming" sessions as the Interobang was being developed. I would tell you that I joined on whole heartedly because of my passion for justice and an innate vein of altruism that was just then surfacing in my psyche. I would tell you this if I were still a teenager. As an adult I can look back and remember that I joined the Interobang staff because Arlene Levit did, and she was my girlfriend at the time. Rather than give up time we could be together to some newspaper, I enlisted. I'm glad I did. It turns out I really did have a vein of altruism, and the more I learned, the more incensed I became. During a fair portion of the next few years I found time to protest and participate in any of a number of passionate causes (few of which I remember now, sadly). The group of people that Jay listed helped me shrug off the lethargy of merely being a teenager. I don't think I have been very quiet since. One small impetuous act, based on no other rationale than hormonal requisite, and I am a better man today. Go figure! These e-mails have been a catharsis. I'm on a roll, you'll hear from me again. Peace & Love, Ira Litman
Subj: RE: Honoring the past by J. Reiss Date: 1/21/2000 11:45:11 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Blank.Mark@PBGC.GOV (Blank Mark)
I was planning to respond to Jay's message, but I'll take the opportunity to reply to Ira The Fiery Viking. I too have a personal memory of the underground newspaper, but my perspective is a different one. I was one of at least 14 members of the class of '69 who entered the University of Pennsylvania that September; I don't know how many more had been offered admission. Sometime in the spring of our senior year at Northeast, shortly after we received our offers (mine reminded me of a bar mitzvah invitation), the Interobang ran an item about the Penn admittees. The article described us, as a group, as (to the best of my recollection) "conformists, bullshitters, and collectors of Senate points." The name of the author did not appear. This tribute might well have eventually slipped my mind were it not for the fact that Leopold Elkins quoted it one day in his history class, and then asked me how it felt to be thus maligned. (Mr. Elkins was never averse to blindsiding students with intrusive questions in public. One time he asked a girl, in class, if her dress was comfortable.) I pondered briefly and then replied, "I don't know about the first two things, but I don't think that I even HAVE a lot of Senate points." (What were Senate points, anyhow?) This elicited some laughter from the class, and even the chronically sarcastic Lee Elkins seemed amused. One of my obligations as a federal government attorney is not to respond in kind to verbal abuse, whether in (especially in) or out of court, so I suppose that the experience, in the long run, was instructive. Since Jay listed his fellow journalists, I was tempted to list here the names of my 13 onetime fellow targets, most of whom are not on this e-mail circuit. I decided not to do so, mostly because I don't think that I can purport to speak for them. But I do think that there is a lesson here. There is this impulse to classify people that we disdain or with whom we feel uncomfortable. We call them non-college material or "conformists" or "nerds" or "jocks." This tendency is not limited to John Rocker or to rude and unphotogenic college counselors. Nor is it limited to youngsters who have been told that because they espouse a particular political outlook, they are partaking of a unique moral wisdom. Rather, it can arise in any of us, and we need to resist it when it does. -Jay Reiss
Subj: Re: Honoring the past by J. Reiss Date: 1/21/2000 3:00:13 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rlankin@rjfs.com (Robert Lankin)
I wish to comment on the latest bru-ha about the Interobang. It is amazing that the collective memory has such a variety of points of view. I was not a writer for the Interobang but I think I was one of its greatest fans. I was intensely proud of the uncensored material and the fortitude of the participants in writing things that were not approved by the administration. I remember spending the ten cents to buy a copy covertly in class. Yes Ira, it was 10 cents. Were you saving those copies for the last 30 years in order to sell them for a quarter and make a profit?
Anyway, Mark's comments about being the object of ridicule because he was admitted to the University of Pennsylvania is well taken. This is the result of teenagers writing an uncensored publication and using poor judgment. Frankly, I would rather have the uncensored material, complete with mistakes, errors in judgment and inappropriate material (wasn't there a photo of a female not completely dressed in one of the issues?) rather than sanitized edition that had been approved by Dr. Haller. This brings us to the full circle thirty years later. Within a day or so, your self appointed committee will be coming out with guidelines for material on this E-mail list. While the wording of the document is not yet complete, it appears that my fellow committee members have agreed that there will not be an editorial committee that will be approving what you write. We will be recommending that commercial messages not be sent. The class members will have to police themselves. If you are bothered by a solicitation to buy something, an inappropriate or offensive joke, or worse yet, you are invited to a meeting of Rotary that will be doing projects at Northeast High, you can complain to the author or better yet, use your delete button. This is better than having pre-approved material. Hearing the opinions of varying points of view, many of which are different than my own, after thirty years, and being in touch with all of you in this way has been so great. I have not very much work done since this all started.
Subj: RE: re Phil Coff, Marlene Richter Date: 01/21/00 10:18:32 AM Eastern Standard Time From: fconquest@uas.edu.uy (Faye Conquest)
Dear Pete: Hope this note finds you well and happy in the new year. I just returned from 3 weeks in Philly to find 4 pages of emails. Unfortunately, most of them read Navigation Cancelled. Our system here is quite antiquated and I cannot read the attachments. I am also not that computer-literate. Are we having conversations among all those listed in the TO part of the email. Can you tell me how I can do this to reach everyone. It seems I missed a conversation about Cora Hurwitz. My memories of her are not pleasant. She told me I would not amount to much and that I should not dream too high. I find it funny that I graduated with honors from Temple, went on to a master's degree and now I am a high school college and guidance counselor. Everytime I meet with a student, I remember Cora and do the opposite. Best wishes, Faye
Subj: Re: re Phil Coff, Marlene Richter Date: 01/21/00 6:41:52 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 To: fconquest@uas.edu.uy
Hi Faye, Yes we have been having a "virtual reunion" (Sandy Bergman's label) that has been very interesting. I have archived (put copies of all the email messages) the entire series of emails and they can be found on our homepage by clicking the the red pushpin icon under the heading "NEHS Class of '69 Message Board". If you want to send out messages to the entire group, you can copy and paste the email addresses from the emails or our email directory, or send me the massage you want to send and I can forward it for you. If you need more help, email me again, I'll be happy to help. regards, Pete
Subj: Re: Hail Northeast - Class of '69 Date: 01/22/00 3:20:52 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Ferleger 5
Dear pete,
hello 2000. As you can tell I'M A LITTLE SLOW IN returning my email. Happy new year. i still have super memories of the reunion.HOW about ALAN BELL and STEVE Reiss both showing up from the same neighborhood in NEW YORK. I don't have any CORA HURWITZ stories that I CAN REMEMBER. however, I AM BRAIN DEAD on most days. NEXT time I'm in Philly, maybe we can get together,, write back when you have time, see ya ferleger
Subj: Re: Honoring the past by J. Reiss Date: 01/23/00 5:21:40 PM Eastern Standard Time From: ILitman
OK: Point 1) I don't speak for anyone associated with the Interobang of other than myself. I now feel compelled to read them after thirty years and I am sure to laugh when I do.
Point 2) I cannot be certain, but it would not be a stretch of the imagination to presume that the persons who crafted the article Mark Blank referred to were not accepted to U. Penn had they applied. I believe that there has never been a time when acceptance to Penn was not a big deal. Still, Mark's point is well taken. We should all endeavor to prevent "grouping" when we gripe. I apologize to the Ted Turners, Bill Gates', and Donald Trumps of this world for having maligned all billionaires as conformists and bullshitters. Fortunately, they rarely listen to what I have to say anyway. Mark Blank sounds as though he's very successful too. MAYBE the Interobang staff had a reverse magic touch?
Point 3) I have no idea what a Senate Point is either. Were they good things to have? Could you trade them in across the street for burgers? I'd ask Alan Bell because he was an officer, but he was also an Interobang contributor. Could I trust his response? Life gets more complicated and I can't remember where I put my ginkloba.
Point 4) NEHS 69 Department of Practices and Standards will not allow advertising, so I must rescind my offer to sell Interobangs at 25 cents (Supply was very limited anyway). Ira Litman
Subj: Jay Reiss responds to Mark Blank's letter Date: 01/23/00 8:46:37 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Mail Wiz
I can see from the group's response to my Interobang tribute last week that some additional comments are in order here. First I'd like to offer up some additional background material on the newspaper itself.
The Interobang was published at Northeast because the traditional vehicles of written expression at our school, The Megaphone and The Phalarope, were unavailable to us for anti-war related articles and other forms of iconoclastic expression. As far as the war in Viet Nam was concerned, we were living in very troubled times back then. None of us wanted to see our friends return from Viet Nam in body bags. This was a war that many of us opposed.
There were other issues at Northeast High too. The Interobang offered a forum for dissent, and for many of our classmates, was the first exposure they had to a perspective which differed from the status quo of our well-meaning (but occasionally narrow-minded) administrators.
Our first issue was published in March of 1969. It was a 12-page collection of original material and artwork; everyone involved worked for free; and the amount of money we charged for each issue just barely covered our cost to print up the pages. The response to the paper, among both students and faculty alike, far exceeded our expectations, and so we forged ahead to the next issue in April of that year, and increased the page count by 50% to a total of 18 pages. In order to successfully print the larger second issue, and also to cover the costs of a larger print run, we needed help. We had no printing budget to speak of. As teenage students, none of us could bankroll the paper to enable the entire school to read each issue. It was at that time that the Philadelphia Resistance offered us some help.
The Resistance was an anti-war group whose goals many of us believed in. Some of us met with them at their downtown Walnut Street headquarters and cut a secret deal to use their printing presses at no charge, in exchange for some free advertising in our next issue. We also encouraged a small group of our supporters to solicit paid advertising from several local boutiques and radio stations. Many of the businesses that we approached, enthusiastically supported our goals and contributed enough to cover some of the added production costs we incurred. This allowed us to continue to distribute the paper in school and charge just pennies for it, as many of you recall. The third edition of the Interobang was published in June and was an even longer 28-page issue. Eric Weisman's artwork graced our cover, and the long list of contributors I named in my previous letter all worked to make that final issue come together. It was a magnificent collection of stimulating and thought provoking articles and political cartoons. More than 50 people contributed to it in one way or another.
It was the policy of the Interobang to accept articles, unedited and uncensored, from anyone who cared to submit one. We did not require the author of any given article or artwork to sign his or her name to the piece; we accepted submissions from both students and faculty alike; and in some cases, articles were secretly passed through several hands to allow the author his or her free expression, without fear of retribution or ostracism. The offending article referred to in Mark Blank's letter appeared in the June 1969 issue of the paper, on page six, and ran as follows:
We hope that the University of Pennsylvania, in keeping up their new admissions policy, is well satisfied with their class of '73. If the students accepted from NE are any example of the others, it seems they now place primary emphasis on bullshitting, conformity, and Senate points. We're glad to see that intelligence is no longer a prerequisite for admission. The article was unsigned, and could have been submitted by literally anyone, including Leopold Elkins himself, perhaps to provide a soapbox in his classroom and to instigate controversy, as he was indeed known to do. Cora Hurwitz may have authored the piece as well, seeing how many of her advisees, to whom she suggested less demanding academic goals, were now being admitted to the University of Pennsylvania in spite of her best attempts to persuade them otherwise. In truth, there is no way to know who wrote this piece, although I will admit to everyone here that it seems like a cheap shot these 30 years later. But cheap or not, such expressions were allowed in the paper, and did not, in my opinion, characterize the paper as a whole.
There are several lessons to be learned here. Mark Blank's well written letter points out a few of them. He said in his letter that "there is this impulse to classify people that we disdain or with whom we feel uncomfortable," and I think we can all agree with that, especially those of us on the Interobang staff who were routinely classified as hippies, and who, after the last period of classes on any particular day, were jumped in the parking lot outside school and beat up, bloodied, or bookwormed by those students who disagreed with us. Mark also says, "Nor is [this impulse] limited to youngsters who have been told that because they espouse a particular political outlook, they are partaking of a unique moral wisdom." I would like to add to this that federal government attorneys are not exempt from assuming their own version of moral wisdom, as a few of us have observed right here in this newsgroup exchange. I would also like to add one of my own observations to Mark's, which is that it is dangerous to generalize from a limited piece of information. One cannot assume that the Interobang, in its entirety, was a publication full of presumptuous moral wisdom, based upon having read an isolated paragraph of dubious origin. And one should ALSO not generalize and assume that our staff of contributors had all fallen victim to the "impulse to classify people that we [allegedly] disdain[ed]." Some of our contributors had balanced views, some had limited perspectives based upon limited experience, whereas others were just pissed off at the world, and were channeling their visceral reactions to that world -- and to our Northeast High School administration -- through strong statements which were occasionally angry, often irreverent, and most definitely uncensored.
I for one, was proud to be a part of that vocal group who chose to fight with the pen, rather than with the sword. Regards to my fellow classmates, Jay Reiss Co-publisher The Northeast High School Interobang
Subj: Re: Jay Reiss responds to Mark Blank's letter Date: 01/24/00 12:25:26 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 In a message dated 01/23/00 8:46:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, Mail Wiz (Jay Reiss) writes: << I for one, was proud to be a part of that vocal group who chose to fight with the pen, rather than with the sword. >>
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Mark Blank <----In this corner, wearing his dark pin-stripe business suit, gold framed "flexon" eye glasses, weighing in at a lean, mean, 175 pounds, is Mark Blank, NEHS'69 graduate and the challenger in this bout.
Ok, Ok. I will referee
Jay Reiss ---->In the other corner, wearing a "1968 Philadelphia police car" red Italian knit sweater, weighing in at 178 pounds, the former co-publisher of "Interobang", defending champion and penmanship award winner is Jay Reiss.
Now boys, I want a clean match (no mud slinging allowed). There is to be no hitting below the belt and the when the referee signals, you are to go to a neutral corner. When you hear the Bell, that's Alan Bell putting his Presidential 2 cents in, you'll each retreat to your corner for a scheduled rest period. There will be 12 rounds. You will be awarded points by the judges on a mandatory 10 point system (whatever that is). The judges for this bout will be Saul Jacobs, Sandra Bergman Depue, and Bruce Share. May the best man win.
Pete Weiss webmaster
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ps. - I love this discussion. Its been very impressive, entertaining, thought provoking, etc., etc. Also, I want Ira Litman to know how disappointed I am because I already sent in my $.75 for the three issues of Interobang just before he revoked his offer. Shucks!
Subj: Re: Jay Reiss responds to Mark Blank's letter Date: 01/24/00 8:10:40 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Soozie 3 Hey Pete, Can I be a cheerleader? I never got to be one in high school and want to try out now!!! Susan Hoffman Klassman
Subj: Re: Jay Reiss responds to Mark Blank's letter Date: 01/24/00 8:39:19 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Shorty0324 hi all i want to be one of the girls that walks around the rink with the sign over her head. You know the one with the little bathing suit and the high heels. The ones that are 5'8 - 105 lbs - with long legs. Wendy Goldman Harris
Continuation of discussion regarding the 1969 "limited edition" NEHS underground newspaper Interobang. 1 of 1 Did the offending article represent the views of the Interobang staff? From: pete013 Date: Jan 24 2000 Subj: RE: Jay Reiss responds to Mark Blank's letter Date: 01/24/00 7:38:07 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Blank.Mark@PBGC.GOV (Blank Mark)
Jeez, I sure am glad that our mystery correspondent of 1969 did NOT urge that all us Ivy League wannabes be tarred and feathered (or something even worse); it certainly sounds like the Interobang would have printed such a letter. It would be interesting to know where, if anywhere, the line would have been (was?) drawn. Perhaps Jay will enlighten us. Anyhow, I am very pleased, and indeed relieved, to learn, based on Jay's and Ira's weekend testimony, that the "offending article" did not in fact represent the considered judgment of the Interobang staff, or major fraction thereof. However (a favorite attorney word), Jay's helpful quotation of the entire anonymous essay (1) reminded me of exactly why I concluded otherwise back then, and (2) has not changed my view that my conclusion was what lawyers would call "reasonable," though it turns out to be incorrect. I'll elaborate on this below.
First, let me note that before I sent my e-mail reply to Ira's original message, I phoned the Exalted Webmaster Weiss and told him of my intention (re Jay's original message). I added that I had initially hesitated because I was concerned about spoiling everyone's fun and perhaps setting off what I termed a "chain of recriminations," but I felt that I had to go ahead, if only to complete more fully our electronic record of "the time it was." Pete said go ahead, just be tactful. I think I tried; obviously, all of you will make your own decision about whether I succeeded. I want to emphasize that I feel no ill will toward the unknown writer and pledge here to give him or her a Great Big Hug at the next reunion. (Well, maybe just her.) It looks like Pete has given his imprimatur for the debate to proceed, so here goes.
I was intrigued by Jay's speculation, presumably tongue- in-cheek, that the piece may have originated from within the faculty, in particular with Lee Elkins or Cora Hurwitz. It's not clear whether Jay was suggesting that they might have been acting in concert, although I'm inclined to think that Mr. Elkins, at least, would have made sure that the pronouns in the first two sentences agree with the very singular phrase "University of Pennsylvania," which "their" and "they" don't. Which brings me to the most striking feature of the actual quote. That is the word which commences the first and the last sentences. "We." (I'm pleased that I remembered the substance fairly accurately, but I had forgotten this crucial aspect.) In my experience, which was pretty considerable even by 1969, people who write letters to newspapers and magazines setting forth their personal views on matters of wide interest ordinarily use the pronoun "I," unless they are members of the British royal family. When you see an unsigned expression of opinion in a newspaper, and it prominently features the word "we," you are typically looking at an editorial. Nor did Jay make any reference to the item in question appearing in a space identified as being reserved for letters, whether or not signed, so I assume that such was not the case. (Incidentally, I thought I remembered that the item appeared on page 1 of the paper. It was sort of deflating to find that we only rated page 6.) It seems to me that the many bright and articulate people who staffed the Interobang, when they contemplated publishing the offending article -- and even given their unfamiliarity with the law of defamation and their asserted inflexible policy of publishing everything unexpurgated -- could have, and should have, been able to distinguish an expression of political opinion (however radical) from a personal attack. There does not seem to be anything in the policy that Jay outlined which would have prevented the newspaper from inserting the following: "Dear Readers: We don't know who the "we" is in the following diatribe (or maybe we do and we just won't tell), but rest assured IT AIN'T THE EDITORIAL STAFF." Just a few drops of ink.
In view of Jay's description of outrageous physical assaults on him and his colleagues, one would think that they would have been alert to the risk of printing without a disclaimer something very likely to create personal antagonism. A final thought or two on group classification. Jay ascribed the beatings to "those students who disagreed with us." I would recommend that he insert "some of" or "a few of" before the quoted phrase, or delete those. (Incidentally, I have been struck by the absence from all of the reunions that I have attended of one particular group -- the hoodlums. They know who they are, and it's a classification that I won't give up using.)
With respect to the mindset of the author(s) of the offending article (and assuming that it was a genuine expression of opinion and not a hoax), I would say that my comment about the worldview of that youngster or youngsters, as of 1969, was dead on. Someone who thought, or had been told to think, that his or her intelligence and, what, imperviousness to conformity (whatever worldview he or she defined thus) elevated him or her above everybody else and above the duty of civility.
Jay complained that the Megaphone did not provide a forum for those sharing his views. I'm not sure that I wholly agree. I wrote a letter in early '69 contending that the Megaphone wrote about the results of its opinion polls to show a much greater leftish tinge to the student body than the polls' own raw data substantiated. For my pains (while I, unlike Steve Aaronson, was not summoned to anyone's presence), I was the recipient of an insulting response from an 11th grade deputy editor, whose name I have mercifully forgotten, who impugned my motives in writing the letter and who did not respond at all to my substantive points. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll also reveal that I'm still ticked off at the late Mr. Elkins for, among other things, threatening to try to prevent me from receiving the senior history award at graduation. But I'll spare you all these other scandals for now.
Subj: Re: cheerleading anyone? Date: 01/24/00 11:30:59 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 In a message dated 01/24/00 8:10:40 AM Eastern Standard Time, Soozie 3 writes: << Hey Pete, Can I be a cheerleader? I never got to be one in high school and want to try out now!!! Susan Hoffman Klassman >> Hi Susan, Yes! Yes! You can definitely be a cheerleader. I took a look at your high school picture and I'm surprised you weren't "drafted" to be on the cheerleading squad. Because of your high spirited enthusiasm, I'm drafting you to be our new cheerleading captain. Now we need some clean, wholesome, all-American cheerleaders that you are going to have to recruit from among our classmates. I know we can count on Harriet Kramer (Jacobs), Cheryl Korman (Levine), and Kip Kolosky (Clarke),and Bette Giwerc (Allekotte) who are on our email directory. Debbie Spirt can be contacted through her husband Alan Pizzi. And I'm sure we can generate some interest among those girls who, 30 years later, regret that they didn't tryout to become a cheerleader back in 1969. Let me know who joins the NEHS Class of 1969 Cheerleading squad - 2000 version. I can't wait to see. I also want photos for our website. And after cheering for the current debates, you guys will have 5 years to "practice" until our next reunion! Yeah! Pete
Subj: First Round Evaluation Date: 01/25/00 12:33:39 AM Eastern Standard Time From: sdepue@starlinx.com (sdepue)
The defending champion took a few on the chin in this round. He didn't use the "cop-out" but still very popular defense known as "the naivete of youth" and therefore left himself open to a swift rebuttal. The challenger's lightning fast jabs had the champ on the ropes. But then the wily champion threw some quick jabs of his own by acknowledging the dangers of generalization. The champ tried a "rope-a-dope" move when he tried to lead the challenger on another bent, with the implication that maybe faculty members tried to stir the pot, but the challenger was not drawn off balance and continued to hammer at the same points.
The challenger's focus on detail and semantics indicates the level of preparation he has done for this match. I speak only for myself as judge.
Subj: Re: Mark Blank and "We" Date: 01/25/00 12:37:27 AM Eastern Standard Time From: ILitman
In response to Jay's description of Interobang policy, Mr. Blank has castigated our insensitive or non-insightful editorial management or lack thereof (I'm not a lawyer, but I always liked that word and use it whenever I can). He suggests that the use of "we" may somehow make the Interobang staff participants in this writing selection and possibly culpable. I have given this serious consideration and would not willingly make light of injustice 30 years old, But....
Has Mr.Blank never read Three Faces of Eve? Would he argue that multiple personality disorder was nonexistent in 1969 just because it was not widely known? Some of us may have had extensive therapy during the intervening years and not wish to attend a crowded reunion and still be the only body in the room. Its possible. I say we should leave we alone! Anonymously yours, Ira Litman
Subj: Re: Jay vs Mark 1st round Date: 01/25/00 2:11:40 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013
Hi everyone, After round one, it is a brutal but close bout we are observing as evidenced by taking a look at 2 out of 3 judges' score cards. The third judge, Bruce Share is keeping his score card close to his vest and therefore we are unable to share that with you at this time. BTW, Ira..."we" want you to lighten up a little. LOL Welcome to a new addition to our email list, Phil Coff MD (philcoff@aol.com) Pete
Score card - Judge # 1 In a message dated 01/25/00 12:37:16 PM Eastern Standard Time, SHJRESUME (Saul Jacobs) writes: Subj: Re: Jay vs Mark 1st round Date: 01/25/00 12:37:16 PM Eastern Standard Time From: SHJRESUME
<< Dear Pete, as a judge in this heavyweight bout I have scored the 1st round as follows.......
Most bitter Jay 7 .... Mark 3 Most psychotic Mark 8.... Jay 2 Sense of humor, dead heat 0 to 0...... Most legalese bullshit... Mark 10... Jay 0 . Most needing to get a life Jay 10 ..... Mark 10 ....Pete 100 cause all you do is hang out on the internet and start trouble......... Love , Saul >>
Score card - Judge # 2 In a message dated 01/25/00 12:02:54 AM Eastern Standard Time, sdepue@starlinx.com writes(as ammended): Subj: First Round Evaluation Date: 01/25/00 12:33:39 AM Eastern Standard Time From: sdepue@starlinx.com (sdepue)
<< The defending champion took a few on the chin in this round. He didn't use the "cop- out" but still very popular defense known as "the naivete of youth" and therefore left himself open to a swift rebuttal.
The challenger's lightning fast jabs had the champ on the ropes. But then the wily champion threw some quick jabs of his own by acknowledging the dangers of generalization. The champ tried a "rope-a-dope" move when he tried to lead the challenger on another bent, with the implication that maybe faculty members tried to stir the pot, but the challenger was not drawn off balance and continued to hammer at the same points.
The challenger's focus on detail and semantics indicates the level of preparation he has done for this match. I speak only for myself as judge. NEXT ROUND!.
Subj: Re: Jay Reiss responds to Mark Blank's letter Date: 01/25/00 5:39:43 PM Eastern Standard Time From: BruceShare
To my fellow combatants and judges It is difficult to comprehend why NEHS has elicited such intense and sustained loyalty,and proved so mighty a force in our lives. There remains the consoling epigram of the ancient sages: Not thine to finish the task, but neither art thou free to exempt thyself from it. Bruce S.
10 of 10 More archived message postings (2 Messages) The Interobang, the controversial underground student newspaper of Northeast High School. Did the use of "we" rather than "I" reveal the identity of the anonymous writer. Is all of this commotion so much legalese bullshit. Or is it a reflection of Pete's surprisingly high score on Saul's "Need to get a life" scorecard because as Saul says "cause all you do is hang out on the internet and start trouble".Stay tuned.
Subj: Re: Remembering Back to 1969 Date: 01/26/00 2:43:45 PM Eastern Standard Time From: sbravman@Princeton.EDU (Sandi Bravman)
Friends, I find these discussions so interesting. Even more interesting is trying to understand our past history using year 2000 values and standards. We need to remember the times we lived in. In 1969, exclusive colleges still had a quota system. That meant they limited the number of minority students they accepted (unlike today, where colleges actually court minority students). In 1969, many of us at NEHS were considered a minority. I remember reading an article right around the time that the college admission letters were being sent identifying the number of acceptances from all of the city high schools to Penn. I also remember feeling very shattered thinking about some of the brightest and best at NEHS being rejected and yet the acceptance numbers at schools that performed much lower than NEHS had a much higher acceptance ratio. So, if anyone wanted to complain about the admission process at Penn, they had every right to.
As far as that eleventh grader complaining, I just have to laugh. My brother graduated from NEHS in 1970. So I had the privilege of attending that eleventh grader's graduation. It was a far different graduation than ours. In spite of our activism and our free thinking, our class still displayed a respect for tradition. By the following year, graduation was a joke. Many of the kids taped peace symbols to their graduation caps. So sitting in the balcony of the Civic center, it looked more like an anti-war rally than a graduation ceremony. There were actually boos when some people or teachers were announced. I happened to see Mr. Clark immediately after the ceremony and he told me this class was nowhere as respectful as our class had been.
Lastly, our generation has a lot to be proud of and we've made some lasting changes in the world we live in. Since the protests of the Viet Nam war, our political leaders are much more cautious about leading our country into full scale wars. We have "skirmishes" and we have "operations", but not full scale wars. Even Robert Mcnamara who was secretary of Defense under Johnson, now admits the Viet Nam war was a mistake. If our generation hadn't protested it, nobody would have questioned the government's right to use force all over the globe. We've helped get rid of quota systems and tried to make equality a reality, not just in education, but in housing, in employment and all aspects of life. There is still a lot to be done, but we've made a lot of progress since 1969.
There have been a lot of changes since we graduated. That day in June, 1969 was before moon walks, before kids were allowed to wear jeans to school, before girls were allowed to wear pants to school, where we were sent home if our skirts were too short, before video games became the toy of choice for kids, before Watergate when people had more trust in their governmental leaders, before there were women on the Supreme Court and before AIDS, Herpes and Legionnaire's disease were discovered. It was a very different time. I need to keep remembering this as I transcend the generation gap between myself and my own children; but we need to remember this as we recognize the generation gap between ourselves and most of the administration at NEHS. We were ready to move forward to a brave new world. They were left behind. Sandi (Dodek) Bravman
Subj: Round Two: Let's Get Real Date: 01/26/00 2:45:43 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Mail Wiz * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * D I S C L A I M E R
The following letter has been written to provide information about The Northeast High School Interobang, a student newspaper published during the 1969 academic year. In this article you will also read about Northeast High School events, and SOME Northeast High School students. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author ONLY, and do not represent the feelings, thoughts, or opinions of anyone other than the author. This information is provided to you with the understanding that the author is not engaged in rendering psychological, political, spiritual, mystical, or other professional services. If legal or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. It is not the purpose of this article to provide all the information that is otherwise available to the author, but rather to compliment, amplify, and supplement other such sources. You are urged to read all the available material on this subject, and to reacquaint yourself with the Interobang student publication, as well as to learn as much as possible about subversive politics (in both Northeast High School and elsewhere), Northeast High School scandals (you might ask Mark Blank about some of those), and the psychological underpinnings of both the faculty and students at Northeast High, and then tailor the information to your individual needs. Every effort has been made to make this article as accurate as possible. However, due to the 30 year time period which has elapsed since much of the events described herein have occurred, there may be mistakes, both typographical and in the content itself. Therefore, the following information should only be used as a general guide only, and not as the ultimate source of information regarding the history, as well as the vagaries, of Northeast High School students from the graduating class of 1969. Furthermore, the following letter contains information about Northeast High which is only reported based upon the author's limited experience there as one student among over a thousand others. The material that follows is provided to you for educational and entertainment purposes only. Jay Reiss himself shall have neither liability, nor responsibility, to any person or entity with respect to any loss of self-esteem or psychological damage caused, or alleged to be caused, directly or indirectly, by the information that follows. If you are not interested in reading this material, please feel free to hit the delete button on your keyboard and erase it. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Mark, I can see from your two letters thus far that you have never read the Interobang, which is a shame, since your comments would have been very helpful back in 1969 when the paper was published. And since your experience was "very considerable even by 1969," as you've told us, we could have used a sharp mind like yours to help enlighten our student body with your insights. What a waste that you invested the time and effort to write a contentious article to the Megaphone, only to have your letter routed to an 11th grade deputy editor who considered your letter not even worth a response. We could have provided you with a much more stimulating forum for your views, and I regret not having had the opportunity to make your views public through our pages. But better late than never, that's what I always say. I think you have really underestimated the intelligence of Lee Elkins, and others like him, when you gave him credit for having the sense to use better grammar, had he taken an anonymous shot at University of Pennsylvania admittees through our paper. A truly clever saboteur would NEVER write a letter and automatically reveal himself by using language that would so easily distinguish him from his target.Working like a Trojan Horse (and by this I do not mean to confuse Lee with a popular condom of that era), to be effective, Lee would have had to mimic the language of his intended victims in order to be admitted to their inner sanctum. This could have been a brilliant two-way victory for Lee, as I imagine him plotting his strategy. In one short paragraph he could not only hope to bring down the subversive newspaper he disliked, but he could have also taken fuller advantage of his victory by spicing up his lecture series. And that's where you've come into the picture. Since you seem to like this piece so much, I will agree to continue our discussion of it here, for now. I found it interesting that you placed so much importance on the word "we" that precedes two of the author's three sentences. The instrumental word in the U. of Pa. letter we've discussed, from where I sit, is not the word "we,", but rather the word "if." The second sentence reads, "If the students accepted from NE are any example of the others, it seems they now place primary emphasis on bullshitting, conformity, and Senate points." Quite frankly Mark, I'm not sure that I agree with you in your thinking that the students from Northeast ARE any example of the others. Since you seem fond of tearing apart sentences for their grammar, and taking things quite literally (a habit I've observed in other well-meaning but misguided attorneys over the years) can you at least agree with me that unless Northeast High students ARE examples of other admittees, that this diatribe loses some of its punch? Continuing on the subject of conforming, I think you should also know that the Interobang was a free form collection of artwork, letters, and articles, many of which were signed, and some of which were not. There were no departments or separations of any kind within the publication itself. For the benefit of those here who are not familiar with the Interobang, and for those whose memories have perhaps slipped a couple notches over the years, I will reprint some of the articles as I continue this discussion, so you might benefit from first-hand experience of it's contents and draw your own conclusions from what the various authors have written. I found it instructive (and an extraordinarily valuable reminder) to hear about your view that "letters to the editor" are generally written in the first person, using the pronoun "I" and not "we." In thinking this through a bit, it occurred to me that the author of the U. of Pa. letter, (your Favorite Artistic and Rhetorical Tribute -- hereafter referred to as "the FART letter") seemed to have had some boundary issues when using the word "we." Let me speculate here a bit. It was rumored throughout Northeast during the 1969 school year, that SOME of the students there were using mind-altering drugs that year. Curious about the alleged affects of such substances, I read several books about this, and, as some of you who know me are already aware, after graduation from Northeast, I spent a year living in Japan where I studied Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and other Eastern religions. This phenomenon of "merging with the group" (i.e., this "we" perspective) is described in many excellent books such as, "The Doors of Perception" by Aldous Huxley. In that classic text, the author describes the phenomenon of "merging," stating that, "In some cases there may be extra-sensory perceptions. Other persons discover a world of visionary beauty. To others again is revealed the glory, the infinite value and meaningfulness of naked existence, of the given, unconceptualized event. In the final stage of egolessness there is an 'obscure knowledge' that All is in all -- that All is actually each. This is as near, I take it, as a finite mind can ever come to 'perceiving everything that is happening everywhere in the universe.'" (Doors of Perception, 1954, page 19). With this in mind, I would like to respectfully submit to you the very definite possibility that the FART letter author, when using the word "we," was referring to the Entire Universe, and speaking for All of Us therein, including the Interobang staff. If We should some day have the privilege of autopsying Lee Elkins, we might at that time be better able to address the question of whether or not he was using psychedelic drugs himself. Otherwise, we might have to assume that the anonymous FART letter author was using Them instead. Moving right along, I think your next point will provide a valuable segue into a more detailed discussion of Interobang editorial policies. You wrote, "It seems to me that the many bright and articulate people who staffed the Interobang, when they contemplated publishing the offending article --and even given their unfamiliarity with the law of defamation and their asserted inflexible policy of publishing everything unexpurgated – could have, and should have, been able to distinguish an expression of political opinion (however radical) from a personal attack. There does not seem to be anything in thepolicy that Jay outlined which would have prevented the newspaper from inserting the following: "Dear Readers: We don't know who the "we" is in the following diatribe (or maybe we do and we just won't tell), but rest assured IT AIN'T THE EDITORIAL STAFF." Just a few drops of ink. In view of Jay's description of outrageous physical assaults on him and his colleagues, one would think that they would been alert to the risk of printing without a disclaimer something very likely to create personal antagonism." First I want to make it clear that wimpy comments like the one you suggested above were ALSO against Interobang policies. I mean Mark, let's get serious here. If you're going to publish a radical left-wing underground student newspaper, do you really think ANYONE (especially in those days) would even CONSIDER printing a statement like the one you suggested? Give me a break. There was just too much unbridled enthusiasm floating around to water down the publication with a statement like that. (And, as a side note here, I'd like to thank Sandra Bergman DePue in her "first round evaluation letter" for interjecting the valuable assertion that "this [effort of ours] is still the naiveté of youth." And Mark, the people from whom we feared retribution for our Interobang efforts weren't smart enough (in my opinion)to get into the University of Pennsylvania… and those who WERE smart enough would NEVER lower themselves to get into a street brawl and beat someone up, like those greasers I referred to in my last letter. YOU called them "hoodlums," and you suggested I rephrase the statement I made in my previous letter by describing these rednecks as "SOME of those students who disagreed with us." The error I made was not in the omission of the word "those" however. (I earlier said "…the Interobang staff, on any particular day, were jumped in the parking lot outside school and beat up, bloodied, or bookwormed by those students who disagreed with us.") What I SHOULD have said (and meant to say) was that we were assaulted by those THUGS that disagreed with us. Now that I've had a chance to clarify and expand upon some earlier statements, I'd like to offer an opinion regarding how we are analyzing the past here. It is my view that we would best be served by looking at The Big Picture here, rather than by tearing apart sentences and reducing this discussion to semantics. I realize that you and I are different people, have taken different paths in life, and undoubtedly have different perspectives. As an advertising agency executive and community organizer, it's my job to get people excited and to mobilize action. If you use the knowledge of a 48-year-old attorney to compete against a 17-year-old student, you've going to win a battle over semantics every time. There isn't a single article in the Interobang, or in any other student publication that I'm aware of, that you couldn't tear to shreds onsemantics alone. So what? You're missing the point of the whole thing by using legal writing standards to critique your fellow students' Interobang articles. And if you felt that you could lend some special expertise to our paper, then why didn't you volunteer to help us when the paper was published? Even if you felt estranged from the Interobang because of the hostile comments you heard in Lee Elkin's class, you could have written a rebuttal then which we would most definitely have published. We published other responsearticles from those who disagreed with us. Phil Rosen, also from the history department, wrote a rebuttal to Debbi Lieberson's article, which appears below. We even published a letter from Hyman Boodish, our beloved Vice Principal, so you would have been in good company. I'd also like to make a few comments about your Duty of Civility concept. It's my view that you'll miss the mark by a wide margin if you think that the so-called "Duty of Civility" you've described is the way to challenge authority and make changes in our society. The Duty of Civility is what is used to keep people in line. The Duty of Civility is what is used (among other things) to maintain conformity. To a young adult or to an inexperienced teenager, conformity can lead to "following the masses." Following the masses, in the late sixties, meant, for SOME young men of our age group, the following of these masses to gun stations set up in booby-trapped rice paddies in Viet Nam… and to hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths. What the writer of that letter submission was trying to say, if you can bring yourself to read between the lines, was, "Hey, stop aspiring to the traditional paths to success in our society, stop conforming, and START thinking for yourself and carve out YOUR OWN path to success! The attached political cartoon, which appeared in our June 1969 issue, will illustrate this point further. (For those of you on the Internet, the cartoon is attached to this letter as a JPEG file. For AOL members, it appears below). Just to provide some closure to this sub-topic, the writer of the FART letter, whoever it was, seemed rather full of him or herself, and in my opinion used poor judgment by blasting those of you that he or she singled out. The same points could have been made in a better way. Okay? And now, with that said, here are three articles which appeared in our first issue, published in March of 1969 I suggest we now stop FARTING around and instead continue with more substantive issues, if that's okay with you. Jay Reiss [] (double-click on the cartoon to enlarge it on your screen)
The average student at Northeast High (and many other schools) wakes up on a Friday morning to go through another Monday or Tuesday. This particular school day is no different from any other, distinguished only by a new test to be worried about or some different homework to be done in advisory. The student is motivated not by his desire to learn but by The Mark. However, on the first indoctrinating day The Teacher claims that The Mark and The Test are not of great importance as the vast amount of knowledge the student will supposedly gain during the year. The teacher claims he will "judge the student not only by tests but by his class participation" and what he is "capable of achieving and learning." Yet by May, many teachers know students' names only by seating charts and remember only those whose behavior and averages are extreme. The fault lies with both teachers and the large class size. Forty student numbers are sorted and thrown together into a classroom. These individuals with varying interests are forced to listen to the same teacher drone on, take notes and study for tests with little to break the monotony of the daily routine. The memorization of teachers' words (often of little importance, forgotten within a week) is often all that is essential to passing tests. Individual disagreement on the part of the student is often heard by The Teacher merely as a matter or courtesy and then it must be accepted that The Teacher's ideas constitute the correct test answers. Rather than antagonize The Mark and The Teacher (who is frequently vital for college recommendation) the student accepts information without questioning or pointing out its irrelevance. Teachers alone cannot be blamed for student's discontent. Not until students are given some voice in what they are to learn and how they are to learn it and classes are made significantly smaller will schools ceases to be babysitting centers and become institutions of learning. Students might then become individuals participating in and responding to their education.
The Sound of Prejudice by Marlene Richter * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * When the curtain rose for the Northeast High production of The Sound of Music, a surge of amazement swept over the faces of many in the audience. It was incited by an extremely capable and talented performer, not because of his outstanding performance, but because he happened to possess a dark complexion. And due to this, Carl South found himself ostracized by many of Northeast's "fine students" and their parents. Many an unkind comment had been made in the open, loud enough for all ears. And did anyone give a damn about his feelings? -- Only his friends and a few faculty members cared. One great guy, Tom Gallagher, stood behind Carl all the way. Many of our young skeptics have failed to realize that Tom Gallagher's choice of Carl for the male lead, wasn't made to seek unfavorable, unwanted, and unneeded comment. Carl was decided upon for the part because he was the best one who auditioned. It wasn't done to show a point, though it did prove a hell of a good one. With the bell-bottoms on our co-eds, and the hip beads and hair, and the groovy talk about love, love, LOVE! … We're still back in the stone-age. We've got a long way to go to reach understanding. We have got to accept one another for ourselves; like a person because he's an okay guy and dislike him because he's not. But don't take him at face value and put him down without giving him a chance. Face it kid! It's either live in peace and harmony or don't live at all. The bomb's only a silly millimeter of disagreement away!
Editorial by Alan Bell * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * A grave problem exists in the city of " Philadelphia and in every city in America. The problem is busing students. The Issue involved is whether or not to carry on interracial busing between black ghetto and white middle class schools in order to effect forced integration. This Issue incited a most interesting response from the Northeast Philadelphia area. Some time ago, when busing was being considered for the Northeast, a remarkable happening occurred. The long dormant parents of the happy middle class suddenly had a voice. They organized and protested the busing proposal. Why did this topic awake the slumbering hypocrites? I will try to explain the reasons for such a reaction and also the fallacies in our parents reasoning. The problems involved in busing are difficult to solve because both arguments are seemingly valid. Each side is able to formulate logical, sensible, and reasonable explanations for its cause. I contend, however, that one side is more justified than the other. We must look deeper into the problem. The secure white people of the Northeast are comfortable for good reason. They have worked long and hard at their jobs and deserve to live at the station of life at which they do. These workers are proper, then, in demanding that their children be sent to the schools in their neighborhood. We must look deeper into the background of this problem to find where justice really rests. The overwhelming majority of black men in the country are descendants of slaves. These human beings were forcibly taken from their homes and brought over to this land of freedom and opportunity. Half of the slaves captured in Africa never lived to see the shores of the "Land of the free and the home of the brave." Those that survived were subjected to treatment unique in modern history. The black "savages" were sold as oxen, their women were raped, and their family structure was destroyed so that no black child knew his father or mother. He was beaten, starved, and overworked. The black man was broken in spirit and culture. Then arrived the great emancipator, good old Abe, who with grace of God changed 3/5 of a man into a whole man once again. Groovy! He signed the paper which gave the Negro freedom. This of course did not mean that the black boy was equal to the divine white man but only that he was now an entire "boy." I never cease to be amazed at how those "niggers" were able to pick all that cotton with only 3/5 of a body. This is how we pick up the situation after 109 years without much significant change. Now is the time for the white society to pay for all of the sufferings of its black brothers. But there is a choice. Reverse discrimination must now take place if our society is to remain. The busing of students is only one small part of this total concept. It is a direct step to tearing down the ghetto walls and uniting people in a truly equal way. This concept must be applied throughout the mainstream of American life. More black students must be accepted into our universities even if they are accepted over better qualified white pupils. Businesses must take black men into their firms even though there is a better prepared white man wanting the job. The black community must be given every opportunity to own its homes and businesses. They must be given a hope. He must be accepted in business, education, and government. These are the cruel facts which the white society must accept. Its a cheap price to pay for the humiliation of a race. I only hope that it is not too late. Think about it. Alan Bell P.S. Please forgive me for using generalities which should be qualified. They were used only for convenience and to insure clarity and understanding of the main points discussed in the article. Any comments pro or con will be appreciated.
Subj: RE: Remembering Back to 1969 Date: 01/26/00 3:29:18 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Blank.Mark@PBGC.GOV (Blank Mark) Greetings from snowbound and officially shut-down governmental Washington. I'll pass up the chance to respond to the main themes of Sandi's interesting essay, but I do want to say a word in defense of the honor of my much-written-about alma mater. Obviously, Sandi has had the chance to become immersed in the history and lore of Princeton U. And there's no doubt that the University of Pennsylvania has taken many dubious actions (even if you leave out my admission) over the years. (Ironically, the screwiest is probably the university's claim to have been founded in 1740, rather that the actual 1755, apparently for no better reason than to claim greater antiquity than Sandi's employer (1746).) But if Penn ever had a quota system applicable to Jewish students (I'm assuming that that's the minority to which Sandi alludes), that system was in shambles long before 1969. It was generally accepted when I was a Penn undergrad that between 40 and 50 percent of the undergrad student body was Jewish. In recent years, Penn has been working hard to become more of a national, and less of a Middle Atlantic, school, in terms of recruitment, and some think that this will have the effect -- presumably unintended -- of reducing Jewish representation. A personal note -- the NEHS class of '69 had more recipients of Mayor's Scholarships to Penn (seven) than did Central High (five), and I believe that we had more than any other Philadelphia high school.
Subj: Re: Jay vs Mark 1st round Date: 01/26/00 4:17:38 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Mail Wiz In a message dated 1/25/00 11:11:40 AM, SHJRESUME writes: << Subj: Re: Jay vs Mark 1st round Date: 01/25/00 From: SHJRESUME << Dear Pete, as a judge in this heavyweight bout I have scored the 1st round as follows....... Most legalese bullshit...Mark 10...Jay 0...... Most needing to get a life Jay 10 Mark 10 Pete 100 cause all you do is hang out on the internet and start trouble......... Love , Saul >> >> Hey Saul.... as far as I'm concerned, writing thought-provoking letters IS having a life! Thanks for your comments! :) - Jay Reiss
Subj: RE: Jay vs Mark 1st round Date: 01/26/00 4:36:34 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rzaritsky@quatro.com (Zaritsky, Ron) hey saul, does harriet know that you love pete, just curious, have a nice day. ron
2 of 2 Subj: we all need a break From: pete013 Date: Jan 26 2000 Subj: re: laugh break Date: 01/26/00 5:00:46 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 Hi everyone, As I read the latest contributions to the ever more stimulating Class of '69 email group discussions, I was really sent back in time. I then read one of those "Fwd:" emails, which I generally quickly scan and delete. But this particular one seemed so "tuned in" to our latest 1969 vs 1999 theme, I just had to share it with you. Pete
Baby Boomers: The '60s vs. the '90s.
Then: Long hair. Now: Longing for hair.
Then: The perfect high. Now: The perfect high-yield mutual fund.
Then: Keg. Now: EKG.
Then: Acid Rock. Now: Acid reflux.
Then: Moving to California because it's cool. Now: Moving to California because it's warm.
Then: You're growing pot. Now: Your growing pot belly.
Then: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your parents. Now: Watching John Glenn's historic flight with your children.
Then: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor. Now: Trying not to look like Marlon Brando or Elizabeth Taylor.
Subj: re: misc Date: 01/26/00 11:29:42 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 Hello fellow '69ers, Just a few administrative items to bring you up to date on. Please remove Glenn Watkins - blueribb@aircor.net - from your email list at his request. Also, please join me in welcoming Bruce Klein - alexk1@aol.com - to our email list. Finally, there have been some changes on our Class of 1969 Homepage including a new page of photos some of our classmates have sent in. So don't forget to go back and visit our NEHS Class of 1969 Homepage at https://pete013.tripod.com/ . And while you're there, PLEEEEEASE sign our guest book. Thanks, Pete
Subj: Re: misc Date: 01/29/00 4:21:44 PM Eastern Standard Time From: rlankin@rjfs.com (Robert Lankin) To: Pete013@aol.com To all of our classmates: Our friend and classmate Laurel Robbins Fielder has a very serious medical condition necessitating major surgery which will take place in the next week or two. It is our expectation, hope and prayer that she will make a full and complete recovery. Laurel and her husband Pat were with us at the recent reunion. Wouldn't it be neat if there arrived at her house, a stack of Get Well cards, with NE128 written on the outside - coming from people who knew her and even people who didn't know her? Her address is Laurel Robbins Fielder 1726 SE Manth Lane Port St. Lucie Florida 34983 Thank you for your consideration of this request. Best wishes to all. Bob Lankin rlankin@rjfs.com
Subj: To my fellow classmates Date: 02/02/00 3:33:37 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Mail Wiz To my fellow classmates: I want to thank all of you here who have contacted me both publicly and privately regarding the recent Interobang discussion we've shared on Pete's e-mail list. When I first posted my nostalgic letter honoring those who participated in the paper, it was my intention to remember my friends from the past, but not necessarily to relive the past. After all, the sixties are long gone, even if not forgotten. Over the past couple of days, it has occurred to me that a public debate here might not be a fair fight. Even more to the point, why fight at all? Better to have some fun here rather than to stir up the pot by taking sides and risking the possibility of hurting each other's feelings. Accordingly, if anyone here has an interest in seeing the paper, I'll be happy to photocopy all three issues for you, a total of 58 pages, and mail them out by Priority Mail. If you'll contact me privately, I'll advise you how to proceed. I'll do this on the conditions that, in addition to reimbursement for the printing and postage costs, that there be no recriminations of any kind; that all authors be indemnified against real or imagined insults; and that, on my next trip to Philadelphia, there be a soft pretzel with my name on it waiting for me at the airport. Best regards, Jay Reiss
Subj: Re: get well for classmate Date: 02/04/00 11:23:04 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding this message (see below) that classmate Joe Cairone sent to me about our recent Cora discussions. Thanks Joe. Does anyone know who originated our unofficial class motto "Sin, sex, booze, and wine, we're the class of '69"? Finally, please join me in welcoming Jill Wolfson - wolfner@scruznet.com - to our email list. Pete << Subj: Re: get well for classmate Date: 01/30/00 10:49:33 AM Eastern Standard Time From: Jclrnit To: Pete013 A card will be on its way from me for "classmate". A wonderful idea! Thanks for the news and all your e-mail. I do not consider all the interaction among classmates living in the past. This is the greatest opportunity to recall some of the best times of our life. When life becomes tedious, we need such happy times to recall. The e-mails have been great! One, outrageous and hilarious revelation is how the infamous "Cora" effected so many students at the time. I took it personally and thought it was just me. My parents taught me to be confident and strong, however "Cora" did make me feel very self conscious the first few years of going through college. Her statements of "you'll never make it in college" stuck with me my first two years, from time to time. I mean her no disrespect, but sure would like to give her "half a peace sign" and a strong "nah-nah-nah-nah-boo-boo!" I regret never mailing a photocopy of my diploma to her. Wouldn't that be wonderful waste of our time to do that now? Imagine the Class of 69 mailing photocopies of our diplomas to "Cora" with letters. I wonder if the present college guidance counselor at NEHS would get it? Pete, your the best. If I wore a hat I would take it off to you for putting us all in touch again. Sincerely, Joe Cairone. >>
Subj: Fwd: get well for classmate Date: 02/05/00 3:01:42 PM Eastern Standard Time From: Pete013 I'm forwarding an email from Laurel Robbins Fielder. Also, I was informed that our class of '69 motto "Sin, sex, booze, & wine, we're the class of '69 was originated by Brenda Weiser Cohen. It has been 30 years and your slogan has stood the test of time. Great work Brenda! Pete ----------------- Forwarded Message: Subj: Re: get well for classmate Date: 02/05/00 8:42:25 AM Eastern Standard Time From: PFiel41352 To: Pete013 Dear Classmates, Well I never was at a class reunion in 30 years! Finally in October I decieded to go to Phila. again just to attend this one. It was one decison I made that I will always remember! It was great to see all the classmates that I was friendly with in high school again after so long. I have been having some health proplems sinse before Christmas. Doctors down here in Florida have too different opions of what to do. I wanted to go back to Phila with my husband to see the top doctors there and do whatever they say. Since I have been out of the area for 6 years I didn't know really where to call. Robert Lankin was the one I though of . If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have appts. with the top doctors there. Everyone in the class has been great for giving me the suport I need to get thru this tough time. Many thanks to the Class of "69" Laurel Robbins Fielder
Subj: Re: (no subject) Date: 02/08/00 7:50:23 AM Eastern Standard Time From: MAYESJAN@ccf.org (Janet Mayes) To: Pete013@aol.com On the issue of Cora and her"influence" on the lives of many of the class of '69...like the holocost...it should never happen again. Maybe, our gift to the future, is to do what we can to make guidance counselors aware of what Cora did so history does not repeat itself. Gotta go now but I'll continue...
Subj: Re: (no subject) Date: 02/08/00 11:23:29 AM Eastern Standard Time From: AccuZ To: Pete013 YO PETE: DID I HEAR REUNION IN THE SPRING?! READY WILLING AND ABLE! AS THEY SAY "I'D BE DOWN WITH THAT." KEEP THE INFORMATION COMING. AS ONE OF THE MANY WHO HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE 30TH REUNION. THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU PUT IN TO THIS CYBER SPACE TO KEEP THIS MOTLEY CREW INFORMED AND TOGETHER. YOUR ALL RIGHT PETE WIESS. WELL YOUR PART LEFT I KNOW. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. SINCERELY YOURS LEE Z. WAPNER AccuZ@aol.com
Contact us to update an address, get more information about our reunion committee, or to send us your thoughts or ideas for future reunions or this website Email - click here: NEHS '69 webmaster or call Pete Weiss at 215-922-0900
<----In this corner, wearing his dark pin-stripe business suit, gold framed "flexon" eye glasses, weighing in at a lean, mean, 175 pounds, is Mark Blank, NEHS'69 graduate and the challenger in this bout.
---->In the other corner, wearing a "1968 Philadelphia police car" red Italian knit sweater, weighing in at 178 pounds, the former co-publisher of "Interobang", defending champion and penmanship award winner is Jay Reiss.
