The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 129

A Marriage, a Publication, a Coincidence, a Correction, a Video, and Lots of Great Photos, Etc.

Dear Wheatley Wildcats and Other Interested Persons,

Welcome to The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 129.

According to Substack, in the first 24 hours after publication, Newsletter # 128 was viewed 3,045 times, was “liked” 27 times, and received seven comments. In all, 4,702 email addresses received Newsletter # 128.

All underlined text is a link-to-a-link (or, occasionally, an email address). Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then clicking on the link that pops up, will get you to your on-line destination (or address an email).

The Usual Words of Wisdom

Thanks to our fabulous Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale yourself with the first 128 Newsletters (and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at

Wheatley School Alumni Association Website

Also, thanks to Keith is our search engine, prominently displayed on our home page: type in a word or phrase and, wow!, you’ll find every place it exists in all previous Newsletters and other on-site material. I use it all the time; it (usually) works!

I edit all submissions, even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication thereof.  I do not vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me.

We welcome any and all text and photos relevant to The Wheatley School, 11 Bacon Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, and the people who administered, taught and/or studied there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967

Corrections

Writes John “Monk” Moncure (1960) - “Hi, Art, two mistakes on my part. First, Perlin’s (1958) name was “Stephen,” not “Richard.” Steve was the football team quarterback. He died in 1967 when the marine jet fighter he was piloting crashed on a training mission. I took a lot of heat for that mistake—he was a ‘Hero Figure’ to those of us who tried to play football with him—a giant of a man.

Second, the “mooning” was done from a Weigand Brothers Funeral Home (Williston Park) vehicle. I played baseball with Bill Weigand, a great guy.”

District and ‘Hood History

Writes James Paley (1964) - “I thank Michael Sullivan for his narrative in the previous issue (# 128) of the Newsletter. I had totally forgotten about the situation in Prince Edward County that was so much a part of our emerging political consciousness in the 1950s and 1960s. Thank you, Michael, for refreshing our memory and also for the values that you and your family brought to life, helping us to achieve a more equitable and just society. Those are the values that we should all respect and cherish.”

Writes Brian Stone (1964) - “Newsletters 126 – 128 contained comments and questions about segregation in the East Williston School District (“EWSD”).  While we may think of post-Civil War America as a great melting pot, its history included substantial segregation based upon race, religion and national origin.  While some of that resulted from private, individual prejudices, e.g., the exclusion of Jews from the Wheatley Hills Golf Club, a great amount of segregation resulted from local, state and federal government action.  Not only were segregation laws prevalent in the South, but often federal agencies promoted segregation throughout the country.  The Federal Housing Administration (“FHA”) and Veterans Administration (“VA”) often required mass-produced builders to sell only to whites, and to have restrictive covenants to continue to exclude non-Caucasians.

One interesting story involved master-builder William Levitt, who built the homes in the Roslyn Country Club (“RCC”) as well as the huge Levittown sub-division.  Levitt used Robert Mereday’s trucking company to deliver the heavy concrete blocks used in the cesspools in the RCC development, and later Mereday’s trucking company hauled drywall to Levittown.  Vince Mereday, a Black World War II veteran who drove for his uncle, Robert Mereday, applied to purchase a home in Levittown.  William Levitt, who said that as a Jew, he had no room in his heart for discrimination, nonetheless felt compelled to reject the application to purchase a Levittown home for several reasons including the fact that Levitt would lose FHA and VA funding.  (Rothstein, R. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History Of How Our Government Segregated America. Liveright, 2017, pp. 68-70.)

            My response to Ken Gallard’s inquiry in Newsletter 127 is that there were areas in the country, including metropolitan New York, where deed restrictions prohibited the sale of real property to people of color. Far too slowly courts held that those barriers were against public policy and unenforceable.  I have not researched if such restrictions applied to homes in the RCC, but in light of the funding through the FHA and VA, it would not surprise me if it did.

            I greatly appreciated the brief historical background and personal perspective provided by Michael Sullivan concerning some of what our former Superintendent, Dr. Neil Sullivan, and his family experienced after leaving the EWSD.  If you missed Michael’s account of this, it is well worth going back to Newsletter 128 to read it.” Wheatley Alumni Newsletter # 128

Writes Tim Boland (1967) - “Great story about Michael Sullivan's (1963) father Neil.  So many Wildcat students' parents were so distinguished and set the bar high for the generations that followed.”

Writes Ilene “Cookie” Levine (1968) - “I just read Ken Gallard’s comment in Newsletter # 127 about discrimination in membership at the Wheatley Hills Golf Club. Every time my mother and I passed the golf club, my mother would make a comment about how they didn’t allow Jews there. She was clearly upset by this. I guess it was hard for me to understand, because I had never personally experienced discrimination. And yet there it was, right in my own backyard.”

Writes James Wallach (1969) - “Hi, Art, Before I graduated from the Willets Road School, a number of my closest neighbors moved out: Richard Messmer, The Naylor family, The Seiler family, Larry Garvin, and The McGinty family. Coincidence?”

Graduates

1958 - Julien Hennefeld - “I seem to have a thing about psychotherapists. In addition to my YouTube video, "Yiddish Hack," featuring a computer psychotherapist, I have made an audio drama entitled, "Nobody Is Above The Law,” in which the protagonist is an actual human therapist.  “Nobody Is Above the Law”  is available on many podcast platforms, such as Spotify, iHeart and Apple. Here is the Spotify link:

 

1960 - Ken Martin - Small World Story

Writes Ken - “Recently I was in Orlando, FL participating in a military exhibition. One of the events was a lecture given by a woman named Suzanne Schneider, who survived the Holocaust as a young girl. She told her story full of harrowing experiences. She eventually emigrated to the states and landed in Great Neck, NY. I spoke to her after her lecture, and I found out that her second husband was Mo Schneider, who was the tennis coach at Wheatley - for 30 years! According to Suzanne and her daughter, the tennis courts at Wheatley are named after Mo. Suzanne now lives in Orlando, after spending twenty years in New Smyrna Beach, where I live. BTW, both of her husbands were proud US Marines! Her grandson is a graduate of West Point and is currently on active duty.

Ken Martin and Suzanne Schneider

1960 - John “Monk” Moncure - Writes Bill Meyn (1974) - “If John Moncure hasn't written a book or movie script, he should.  I'm sure that we were all reminded of our own anecdotes - but I doubt that many would equal John's stories.  Thanks for the memories, John!”

1965 - Writes Cory E. Friedman to Jeff Orling - “Jeff -- I was in your class until I left after sophomore year. I remember you, Roddy Nierenberg, Norman Resnicow, Alison Bernstein, Wendy Weiss, and maybe some others. I spend a fair amount of time in Manhattan if anyone wants a mini-reunion. Contact information available upon request to Art.”

1967 + 1970 + 1973 - Art, Frank, and Dan Engoron

L-R - Art, Frank, Dan - November 23, 2023

1967 - Scott Frishman - GO BLUE!

Writes Scott - “I just got back from Detroit where my wife Linda and I were visiting our son Michael and his family for Thanksgiving. We went to ‘The Game’: Number 3 ranked Michigan vs Number 2 ranked Ohio State. I had gone two years ago when Michigan beat Ohio State for the first time in 20 years. Fortunately, Michigan won again, 30-24. What an incredible experience to be there with my son and granddaughter. GO  BLUE!!!”

1969 - Susan Roth - Pictures from Back in the Day

Writes Susan - “Hi, Art, I hope you had a good holiday. I’m sending a blast from the past for your next newsletter.

The first image is of me, classmate Hazel Sparks, and Mr. Bentley.  I no longer recall the topic that brought us all together that day, but whatever it was seems unimportant compared to the collaborative and collegial relationship it shows between Wheatley’s administration, faculty, and students. I found Wheatley to be a magical place, and I look back upon my years there with very fond memories.

L-R - Hazel Sparks, Assistant Principal Colin Bentley, Susan Roth

The second photo is of me (OMG, those rollers!) with classmate Jill Greenberg -- another “S” Section native who sadly passed away many years ago.

L-R - Susan Roth, Jill Greenberg

The next shot shows Billy Pastarnack (1969) horsing around for the camera; his sister, Amy Pastarnack Hughes (1967), most likely took the photo.

Front to Back - Susan Roth, Billy Pastarnack

The next photo shows Dennis Newman (1967) and me dressed to the 9’s for his Senior Prom

Next comes a prom table photo (for those who may have missed it in Issue # 52).

L-R – Sitting – Barbara Loizzo (1968), Robert Scandurra (1967), Dennis Newman (1967), Susan Roth (1969)

Standing - Fred Amato (1967), Patricia Coletti (1968), Paula Panzeca (1969), Dominick Foresto (1967), Marian Edwab (1969), Phil Celella (1967), Joanne Frankel (1969), John Warde (1967)

The final (undated) photo is of John Stedman (muscles and cigarettes?) and me at Jones Beach

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE!

Take care and happy Holidays, Susan”

1973 - Charles Nash - Classy, no Matter Which Class

Writes Charlie - “Good Afternoon, Art, Although I graduated from Wheatley more than 50 years ago, the Newsletter causes me to take a trip down Memory Lane, which includes the time I spent at your parents’ home on Bengeyfield Drive playing table tennis with your youngest (twin) brothers, 1973 classmates Danny and Gerry; playing sports up at Devlin Field with Danny, Gerry, Peter and Gary Simel, Richie Semble, Jeff Kirsch, and others; and the other shenanigans into which we found ourselves!

Although I did well academically, and ultimately spent eight years after high school attending institutions of higher learning, I never really enjoyed attending school.  That may account for why I graduated high school a year early (1972, instead of 1973).

Wheatley was a fantastic high school and helped prepare me for college and the professional schools that followed.  But I do not feel all that attached to my time there.  Moreover, that so many of the people who lived in the Long Island area were more concerned with social status and things (fancy cars, country clubs, etc.) than with humanity, I decided to attend college in rural Iowa, rather than in the Northeastern part of the US.  Let me tell you, it was refreshing to go to the Midwest and experience that culture.  It definitely influenced my attitudes going forward in life.

I do sometimes think about friends and acquaintances from grade school (North Side), middle school (Willets Road), and high school (obviously Wheatley) who are no longer with us, such as Gigi Poulos, Tucker Geery, Betty Schilling, Nina Venezia, Mark Milana (all 1973) and others, and it saddens me that those individuals left this world too early.

I thought about attending the 50^th reunion of the Class of 1973 (to which you assigned me, though I actually graduated in 1972), but because of other travel commitments and the difficulty of getting there from Montana, where I spend almost six months of the year, I did not attend.  Despite having been somewhat of the class clown, I was a fairly shy person in high school, preferring to connect with a small group of fellow students (some in my grade, some older and some younger).

I hope that all of us who had the opportunity to attend Wheatley use the smarts which were imparted to us by our very talented teachers to make our world a better place. 

In closing, I again wish to thank you for the time and energy you put in to enabling the individuals who attend Wheatley to connect with one another and still learn from one another. Best regards, Charlie Nash, Class of 1972 (or is it Class of 1973?), Email:  Charlie@n-klaw.com”

1980 - Andrew Pessin - Author Extraordinaire

Though heart is heavy and the world seemingly hurtling toward its end, one somehow slogs forward … I am pleased to announce my newest novel, Bright College Years (or, If That’s Not Life)—perhaps a brief respite from the darkness. 

Fast and funny, Bright College Years brings you back, in the words of one reviewer, ‘to those simultaneously halcyon and turbulent days, with that delicious mixture of nostalgia, promise, and regret,’ and, in the words of another, ‘is smart, funny, sweet, bittersweet, heartwarming, heartbreaking, and most of all meaningful—everything college typically is, in short, as well as the life in the “real world” that typically follows.’

What's not to like? Pre-order available here.

Here's a brief description of the story: 

When a former close friend and rival is murdered, world-weary but still aspiring optimist Jeffrey goes back to the beginning, to those fraught college years and to her, to make sense of what happened—only to discover that what needs most making sense of is himself. By turns smart, funny, and heart-wrenching, Bright College Years tracks Jeff and an ensemble cast as they navigate the shortest, gladdest, most complex years of life—and then the rest of it. Coming of age doesn’t only happen to the young.

Full info and loads of endorsements at the website, but here’s another reviewer:

‘Hilarious, moving, richly-written, thought-provoking and replete with wisdom. A must read.’

Andrew Pessin
Professor of Philosophy, Connecticut College
Campus Bureau Editor, The Algemeiner

www.andrewpessin.com

@AndrewPessin

Bright College Years (new novel! Available for pre-order!)

Nevergreen (novel: satire of campus cancel culture!)

Poisoning the Wells: Antisemitism in Contemporary America

The Jewish God Question: Jewish Thinkers On God, the Book, the People, and the Land

Anti-Zionism on Campus: The University, Free Speech, BDS

The Irrationalist (novel: historical murder mystery based on the tragic life and mysterious death of the famous philosopher, René Descartes)

The Study of Philosophy: A Text With Readings (7th edition, 2015)

Uncommon Sense: The Strangest Ideas From the Smartest Philosophers

The Second Daughter (novel under the pen name ‘J. Jeffrey’)

The Philosophy of Mind (Audio Course and Book)

The God Question: What Famous Thinkers From Plato to Dawkins Have Said About the Divine

The 60-Second Philosopher: Expand Your Mind on a Minute or so a Day!

2009 - Amanda (Hartman) Ryan - Wedding

Writes Amanda, “On July 22, 2023 Patrick Ryan of Springfield, Illinois and I got married at Bond Chapel at the University of Chicago, surrounded by family and friends, including a handful of Wheatleyites (sister Julie (2011) & brother-in-law Ellison (2009) Kandler, bridesmaid Sara Landers (2009) & Dan Mageau (2009), Lauren Keller (2009) and Sharif Vakili (2009)).

Fan Mail

Faculty (Georgette Macrina) - “Another great Newsletter! Thanks, Art!”❤️

1962 (Lois Kass Kleinberg) - ❤️

1962 (Karen Strumpfler Tucker) - ❤️

1963 (James Friedland) - ❤️

1964 (Elvira “Vivi” Cilmi Kunz) - “As usual, the newsletter is wonderful. So many wonderful teachers and experiences!”

1965 (Cory E. Friedman) - “Keep up the good work.”

1965 (Bob Gregory) - “Hi Art - I appreciate your hard work in keeping us informed.  It amazes me that so many Wheatley students became successes after graduation.  I enjoyed reading John “Monk” Moncure's anecdotes and pranks.  Although a bit lengthy, I stuck with it.  Best regards - Bob Gregory, 1965"

1965 (Clifford Montgomery) - “Another great edition Art. Thank you.” ❤️

1965 (Liz Zoob) - “Art, thanks for all you do for us alumni. And what an amazing story Michael Sullivan had to tell about his courageous family!” ❤️

1967 (Timothy Boland) - “As always, Art, a masterful job.”

1967 (Scott Frishman) - “Hey Art, Great Newsletter, as usual.”

1968 (Shelley “Sheli Nan” Hershcopf) - “The Newsletters are amazing! Monk Moncure had me laughing as I remembered some of my own pranks as well. ❣️❣️Sheli Nan”

1969 (Maddy Nathanson) - ❤️

1969 (Paula Panzeca Foresto) - ❤️

1969 (Sarah “Sookey” Rosenberg Aldag) - ❤️

1969 (Susan Roth) - “A million thanks for your hard work and dogged diligence on the Newsletter. Your efforts are most appreciated.”

1973 (Charlie Nash) - I greatly appreciate all of the work you do in putting together the Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter!

1975 (Andy Schwartz) - “Thanks for publishing the Newsletters.”

1975 (Michael Silber) - ❤️

1977 (Peter Fitzpatrick) - ❤️

1980 (Thomas Valicenti) - ❤️

1983 (Monique Lazar Ruane) - ❤️

2021 (Aarushi Jain) - “ I appreciate the incredible work you do with the Alumni Association Newsletters. To me, they are not just Newsletters; they're time capsules preserving the memories and spirit of Wheatley. It's been fascinating to read and reconnect with the school’s history through your efforts. In fact, I've been sharing the Newsletters with friends my own age, hoping to ignite the same spark of connection in our generation. I read the Newsletters avidly. Thank you for your dedication to preserving Wheatley’s legacy.”

Closing

That’s it for The Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletter # 129.  Please send me your autobiography before someone else sends me your obituary.

Art

Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967

WHEATLEYALUMNI@AOL.COM

ARTENGORON@GMAIL.COM

WWW.WHEATLEYALUMNI.ORG

646-872-4833