Cohn, Gloria (Garfinkel) - gloriagcohn@aol.com - West Hempstead , NY - P.S. 156 - Class of 1942 - Updated June, 2012
Currently living in West Hempstead, NY.  I lived at 134-56 231st. Street and Irwin lived at 130-42 229th Street.  Graduated Far Rockaway High School in 1946. Married 63 years on Sept 11...7 grandchildren and 1 and a half great-grandchildren.  Also would like to contact Larry Kandel (sister I think was Patricia), Richard April, Howard Goldston, Chauncy Grey, Beverly Schatzberg Husband Irwin's brother is Burton Garfinkel.

Curtis, Don - dcurtis12@cox.net - Cherry Creek H.S. - Class of 1942
Currently living in Toano, VA. We moved to 134-36 233rd St on 5/28/1928 and lived there until moving to upstate NY on 11/27/1941. I was in the
seventh term at Andrew Jackson HS, planning to graduate with the class of 1942 but the move changed that. Instead I graduated from Cherry Creek HS (NY) in June, 1942.
After I found this web site, I mentally constructed an article about my days in Laurelton, at PS 156 and at Andrew Jackson in those days. I once wrote a paper about The Valencia theatre in Jamaica describing the "Palace" type of ornate theatres built just prior to the advent of talkies.
Reading some of the remembrances on this site, I well remember Jake, "The Gypper" who ran the bicycle shop on Merrick Road. Also the Herman Brothers who ran Twin Ponds gas station, the Enslers drug store, Max's Dairy store and Sterry's Bar (with live entertainment Friday and Saturday nights), Capt. Engerer's Lion Taming Circus and his next door neighbor John, the Ice & Coal yard. I went to school with one of the Schmidt boys whose family owned the operating farm across Merrick Road. And on and on.
Thanks for the opportunity to write. I'll have to make a list of my friends and acquaintance of the time. Perhaps some will be remembered by others.

Curtis, Diane (Marcou) - dcmarcou@aol.com - P.S. 156/Pine Valley Central H.S. - Class of 1949
Currently living in Saint Petersburg, FL. Lived at 134-36 233d St. in Laurelton from 1932 (b.d.) to 11/27/41 when we moved to Western, NY south of Buffalo. Remember with great fondness kids on the street, viz., BOBBY CAESAR, ELSIE NELSON, FREDDIE and LORETTA ANDERSON (they all went to P.S. 138). And DORIS DRUTT, MARILYN GREENFIELD, ANTOINETTE and BEATRICE TAVERINI (their father was a barber on Merrick Rd.)and SHELDON SHULEVITZ (sp?) whose father might have also been a barber, and BILLY and JEANNIE REISS (sp?) and ALBERT and BOBBY KOEHLER (sp?). My teachers at 156 were Mrs. REDDY and MISS BEATTY in Kindergarten, MRS. LEE from 1A,1B,2A & 2B, MISS REID in 3A, MRS. WEINGARTEN 3B, and then I skipped to 4B which was taught by MRS. ROSENTHAL. MR. BARON was principal and there was a vice principal by the name of LUCY some-one. Our classes were only in the afternoon. MRS. LEE, (Bessie S. Lee), was the greatest teacher in the world and encouraged me always to be a writer. She was killed in an automobile accident while in Italy in 1949, the year I graduated high school.

Thank you so much for this site which I just found tonight. My 78th birthday is next Tuesday (June 29) and when I was in Laurelton I had the best birthday parties! (Just remembered NICHOLAS and MARIGOLD, bro. and sister, but not their Greek last name.) They came to my parties. When and if I find pics of Laurelton and my friends I will upload. BTW, does anyone remember Capt. Engerer's circus on Merrick Rd. Or Ensler's Drug Store. Or Pfeffer's and three-cent sodas? And what about Jake the Gyp, and Mansley's Radio Shop? God! I could stay up all night with what this site has started! Thanks again for letting me reminisce. What a BD present!
Website: www.smugglersghost.com

DiPaola, Albert - aldi52@aol.com - St. John's Prep - Class of 1940
Currently living in Rosedale , NY

Dworkin, Maxine (Bernstein) - Maggiedoc@aol.com - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1948
Currently living in Buskirk, NY. Some wonderful childhood memories. I moved to California in 1948, returned east a lot of years ago. I have 3 sons and 3 grandchildren. I am particularly looking for my FRHS best friend, Naomi Gang.

Frommer, Paul - frommerclu@comcast.net - Stuyvesant H.S. -  PS 156 Class of 1949
Currently living in Alexandria, VA.  My twin brother Alan lives in Wellesly, MA and is retired.  My older brother Herbert (PS-156: 1946) lives in Manahattan and is a professor at NYU Dental School.  I'm here in Alexandria after retiring from the US Navy "many years ago".

Gertler, Gene - Gene@Gertler.com - Stuyvesant H.S. - Prescott, AZ

Goldstein, Doris (Gross) - degross@bellsouth.net - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1948
Currently living in Jacksonville, FL.

Haves, Stuart - shaves9789@aol.com - James Madison H.S. - Class of 1949
Currently living in Hallandale Beach, FL

Henkin, Sena Blatman - sgammab@optonline.net - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1946
Currently living in North Bellmore, NY. Came to Laurelton at 3 years old -- and loved every minute of it. I remember chasing fireflies at night -- PS 156 -- most of the teachers and all my friends too numerous to mention.

Kandel, Patricia - patriciakandel@gmail.com - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1948
Hi Helen and Far Rockaway HS Friends and PS 156... it's Pat, FRHS '48 and PS 156 '44!!! I am so happy to find this website and see what you are all up to. Recently moved East again after 8 years north of Denver in Colorado near my son and his extended family; now living south of Boston a few miles near another son and his family and my daughter and her family. Please call or write me at: 235 Pond St., Apt. 112 S.Weymouth, MA 02190. I would love to catch up - great to see all the memories we shared here!! I'm 80 tomorrow - weren't we just 18???? XO Pat PS: Hellos and love to Phyllis Green and Jackie & David Schwartz too!!! I'm on FB too - friend me. I go down to NYC all the time and would love to meet anyone who is interested in getting together.

Katz, Adrienne (Greenstein) - agreencar@aol.com - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1948
Currently living in New York, NY and wintering in Boynton Beach, FL.
I lived on 234 St and 135 Ave. I am looking for Lois Charnoff. Her father was a dentist in town. Also a neighbor, Eleanor Wheatly, and Buddy Gross.

Katz, Howard - katz4bike1@aol.com - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1944
Currently living in New York, NY.  Has been a personal connection to my past and the collective memories of a place of grace and uncommon joy to grow up.

Kirschner, Bert - lobekirsch@earthlink.net - Brooklyn Tech - Class of 1946
Currently living in Prescott, AZ

Levy, Jan - jannyc81@hotmail.com - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1944
Hi P.S. 132 Class of January 1940 - last double class - 8A/8B. and hi Far Rockaway H.S. Class of January 1944!
Do you remember Bohack's - Merrick Rd. 227th St. Good Will Market - 228th St. Merrick Rd. Yes, I remember "The Itch" I had to take the soda bottles back and use the return nickels to pay for my ticket. To FRHS on the LIRR in the smoking car, or, of course, many mornings with Dr. Joyce Brothers (nee Bauer). I have many more memories, but I'd love to hear from any other survivors. And thanks, Skip!

Lipson, Norman- nalipson@verizon.net - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1945
Currently living in Sarasota, FL.

Lubow, Sarajane (Jane) (Schutz) - jane841@nyc.rr.com - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1947
Currently living in New York City. Wonderful to find this site and people who remember the "itch" and the Valencia
theater. Great to share memories.

Maggio, Leon - lucello@optonline.net - P.S. 156, Class of 1946 - Bordentown Military Inst.
Living in Shoreham, NY. I am a graduate of PS 156, Class, 1946. I was informed of the website by a cousin of mine. After getting his note, I went in search of my 1946 class photo. I was amazed at how many class members I can still name, after more than 60 years.

Margolish-Wodiska, Marcia (Neiman) - marcianeiman@earthlink.net - Forest Hills H.S. - Class of 1948
Currently living in Boynton Beach, FL.The site gets better all the time.  I will try to dig up some old pictures.

McCue, John - mperfect@naples.net - Holy Cross, Dunkirk, NY. - Class of 1947
Currently living in Naples, FL. I lived in Laurelton for only one year; 1938-1939, but the memories are indelible! For example, P.S. 156 (to which we walked, of course) and I believe my 4th or 5th grade teacher was (something like) Ms. White or Ms. Wichel, who taught the school assembly to sing "God Bless America," with such enthusiasm and verve that it opened a whole singing career for me, among other things! I'm 86 now and living in Florida. There's a lot more, but I'm just introducing myself. Whoa, Concord, CA? At least we're pretty well spread out! Yeah, I'll be glad to contribute!

Rosenburg, Audrey (Hartman) - APHart88@aol.com - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1947
Currently living in Boynton Beach, FL. What a wonderful idea -- the Brunch last week at the Woodbury Country Club was a huge success and everybody had a blast!! Unfortunately, I did not meet many people, but I hope this blog will bring in some people from my past life in Laurelton.

Rosenberg, Lilyan (Levine) - lilyanrwl@aol.com - Forest Hills H.S. - Class of 1948
Currently living in Pittsboro, NC. I graduated from PS 156 in 1944 and went to Far Rockaway for 2 1/2 years, graduated from Forest Hills HS.

Saks, Alan - ajsaks24@hotmail.com - Rhodes School - Class of 1949
My family moved to Laurelton in 1939, when I was 6. We first lived at 137-49- 232 Street. At age 8, I started going to the Laurelton Theater on Saturday mornings. For 10 cents, we got a show that lasted several hours- two features plus shorts, cartoons, serials, news, etc. My mother give me 40 cents, with 25 cents for the Chinese luncheon special and 5 cents for the tip. Lunch included: eggdrop soup,chicken chow mein with egg roll, unlimited tea, and for dessert either almond cookie or ice cream. All public 'phone calls were a nickel, within NYC. Public transit was also a nickel until around 1948. Public school kids who had to use iit got a free pass. Private/parochial schoolers bought a punch card for $1, for 40 rides, i.e., 2.5cents per ride. Entrance to the bleachers for a Dodgers game at Ebbetts Field was a quarter.

In 1945, we moved to 134-43 230 Street. That year, I transferred out of P.S. 156 to a private school in Flushing. Doing so cost me 1/2 year, because in those days the public schools had two grades per year, an A grade and a B grade. One had to be promoted from A to B to matriculate. And, you could start either A or B in September or February.  But private schools had only one grade per year, which began in September. I had already passed 7a at the Spring term at P.S.156 but had to start 7th grade in September. But I ultimately graduated from high school at 16-1/2. Then I spent four years at Queens College and three at Cornell Law School. I married in 1956, on the day the Dodgers (my team) lost the perfect game to Don Larsen and the Yankees. For about a year my wife and I lived with my parents in Laurelton. After that, starting in 1957, we have lived in The Bronx. I have many vivid memories of P.S.156, some good, others not so good. My 2A teacher,Mrs. Emberton, felt I needed more nourishment, so she tried to force me to drink the free milk that was delivered to the school. But, because it was not kept refrigerated, it was turning green by the time it got to the classroom. She would chase me all over the room with the milk. I would even resort to climbing atop the high radiators to escape her. But she was a good soul. Sometimes I feel guilty for having crawled under her desk and tickled her legs! I also remember Mrs. Bernstein from 2B. One of my later teachers was the odd Mrs. Wenhold, always clad in purple. She had started teaching in the City of Brooklyn system before Brooklyn merged into N.Y. C. in 1898! Perhaps my most vivid memory of 156 is of Monday, 12/8/41, when we were called into the hallway to hear, over the loudspeaker, President Roosevelt's speech declaring war on Japan. Does any one out there remember me or any of what I remember? Alan Saks

Update from Alan -  I began attending P.S.156 in the Spring of 1939 in Grade 1A. The next Spring we had to start going to the annual Arbor Day ritual, which had a rather extensive morning program at the school garden, a fenced in area near the large playground area on the school block. I can still sing the opening lines of the song we sang, "Again we come this day to greet, Arbor Day dear Arbor Day,with willing hands and nimble feet,Arbor Day dear Arbor Day...." Tradionally I started wearing short pants around this time of year. One cold and blustery day, I recall squirming during the celebration as the wind reached parts of my body where it was very unwelcome. But, I have a rather fond memory of that particular ceremony.  Like other American secular devotional days, Arbor Day has not only survived ( for almost a century and a half), it has been adopted in scores of other nations and has spun off Earth Day. Maybe it has roots in Medieval May Day, where the tree was symbolized by a beribboned pole.  By the way, the above song was written by Seymour S. Short, but I have been unable to google his bio other than to pick up that someone with that name was a member of the Union Army. Can anyone help me out with that?
 

Schafer, Emil - Emil.Schafer@gmail.com - Brooklyn Technical H.S. - Class of 1941
Hopefully my comments get published....having a hard time with the website.  I graduated from PS 132 in 1937......have a photo of the entire graduation class with names.....please contact if interested.  I lived in Springfield Gardens from1930 until I went to California in 1951. I attended PS 132 (now Ralph Bunch I believe). There were several boys and girls from Laurelton in my classes at PS 132 and some friends in Laurelton. Went to the Laurelton Jewish Center until my bar mitzvah. One of my friends in PS 132 was Melvin Stern from Laurelton; he was one of the first killed in WWII. In my college days, I was very much in love with a girl who lived on 135th Avenue, near 226th St. Her first name was Marian. I certainly remember going to the Laurelton theater and the Bingo nights there. Zuckerman' Hardware and several other shops on Merrick Road. I went to college at Brooklyn College, commuting on the LIRR. Later to grad school at Columbia where I lived in the grad dorm.   My family moved to Springfield Gardens in 1930 and I lived at 220-01-135th Ave. until I left New York in 1951. I went to PS 132 in Springfield, graduated in 1937, then attended Brooklyn Tech 1937-1941. In the US Army Air Force 1942-1945 serving in India. Then Brooklyn Colleg, 1946-1949 major in physics. Then Columbia University in NY, degree in MLS, 1949-1950.Worked at Oak Ridge National Lab, O.R., TN for several years, then at Westinghouse Atomic Power in Pittsburg, 1955-59. Moved to San Diego, General Atomics in La Jolla, Hughes Aircraft in Culver City, CA, head of the Elecronic Properties Information Center. Programmer and systems analyst at University of So. Calif., seven years, then to Kaiser Hospitals in Los Angeles at Data Base Administrator. Last job was with ITT in Van Nuys, Ca, also as Data Base Administrator. Retired in 1988 and living presently in Upland, CA.

While I grew up in Springfield Gardens, I knew many friends in Laurelton; my family being one of two Jewish families in Springfield. Went to the Laurelton Jewish Center until Bar Mitzvah. Remember Melvin Stern of my PS 132 days-- one of the first boys killed in WWII. Was very much in love with a girl who lived on 135th Ave, near 226th St. Remember many of the shops on Merrick Road...esp Zuckerman's Hardware, the Itch theater and bingo nights there... movies were 10 cents, later increased to 15 cents. Very little to spend on a date with 50 cents a week allowance!

Schmidt, Elaine (Rigsby) - dulane2000@aol.com - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of Jan. 1947
Currently living in Largo, FL.  I guess this will carry Rosedale news also. I grew up on 228 st. in Laurelton but lived on 136 Ave in Rosedale while my four children were growing up. My husband Douglas owned a sign business on Merrick Road near Twin Ponds Bakery.  Congrats on the new site, Skip.

Shapiro, Betty (Brass) - bbnlen@aol.com - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1949
Currently living in Santa Clarita, CA. Lucky to be married for 57 years to the guy I took to the prom. We have 4 children, a boy, a girl and twin girls and 5 grandchildren. Would love to hear from any old friends who are still around!

Shapiro, Marjorie (Shields) - marjorie116@juno.com - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1942
Currently living in Boca Raton, FL.

Skapley, Evelyn (Sendecke) - sendevelyn@verizon.net - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1945
Currently living in North Andover, MA.  Lived at 130-52-226th St. from 1933 to 1953. P.S. 132 until 1941; Andrew Jackson Class of 1945. Looking for other "old-timers" from those years.

Sofarelli, John - jsof@tampabay.rr.com - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1972
Currently living in Largo, FL. I lived in Laurelton in 1936. I graduated from PS 156 in 1937. I was an original member of the Jones Boys Football Team. Maj. Bob Fitzgerald, former "Thunderbird" Pilot was a friend and classmate of mine in Andrew Jackson HS. I have been married to Joan Sofarelli (Carine) for 6o years. She moved to Laurelton in 1929, Attended 156, Shimer JHS and Andrew Jackson HS, We have several really old pictures from that era that we will gather and send at a later date. PS Are you aware that Doctor Joyce Brothers (Bauer) also lived in Laurelton in our timeframe?

Stein, Stuart - sws8@cornell.edu - Brooklyn Tech - Class of 1947
Currently living in Ithaca, NY. I lived on the corner of 228thSt and137th Ave. across from the Laurelton Jewish Center. I went to MIT (1947-54) after Brooklyn Tech and have lived In Ithaca for 45 years. Now retired from Cornell where I was a professor. Married with 4 kids and 5 grandchildren. My father owned Steinboro Lumber on Merrick Road in Springfield Gardens.

Sternlicht, Lenore "Lee" (Lerner) - frankleetoo@adelphia.net - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1945
Currently living in West Palm Beach FL. I moved to Laurelton in 1940 and left after marrying another Laureltonion Frank Lerner in 1949. I went to Mills College in Manhattan and taught school for a few years. I remember some of my old PS 156 teachers, Wenhold, Krantz, Cross and Valient. Fond memories of riding my bike to Valley Stream State Park with my girlfriends, riding horses at Whitey's stables. I remember being able to walk at night to club meetings and dances without fear. Those were the good old days.

Surnamer, Honi (LeVine) - zaydasan@aol.com  - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1947
Looking for classmates in the Boynton Beach area. Please contact me.  Looking for Bobbi Neizer Cohen, also class of '47

Tasman, Marilyn (Mazarin) - maz410@aol.com - Forest Hills H.S. - Class of 1948
Currently living in Kennesaw, GA.

Vogel, Lois (Safran) - bagel95@aol.com - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1949
Currently living in Tucson, Arizona and I would love to find classmates from 156 and/or Far Rockaway. There are several living in Tucson including my husband, Richard; Stan Matlick and Iris Spatz.

Wasserman, Harriet (Feinglass) - miasenior@bellsouth.net - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1948
Currently living in Jacksonville, FL.

Zellner, Phyllis (Grotell) - marvtell@aol.com - Far Rockaway H.S. - Class of 1949
Currently living in Jericho, NY. Nice to read on a cold winter's day - to remember our Laurelton. We moved to Laurelton in 1934. The milk was delivered by horse and wagon...a beautiful sound to hear. We moved from Laurelton in 1968. The jets were flying right above the house; not such a great sound.

Zuckerman, Carole (Schachter) - budajuda@aol.com - Andrew Jackson H.S. - Class of 1949
Currently living in Boynton Beach, FL. I lived at 13165 226St and loved living there. Lost contact with a lot of people, stayed in contact with a few.
 

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