• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CENTRAL JERSEY Spring 2008 NEWSLETTER AdarII/Nissan REMEMBERING HELENE HANDALY Helene, for many years, people’s reactions when they re- was one of the guiding ceive this type of news. People forces of our Society. She were especially shocked when was a Board Member, serv- they heard about Helene, even ing for a long time as our though they knew that she was Publicity Director and as not young, and they knew that Editor of our newsletter. In she had been ill. I think the rea- fact, she was the person son for their shock was that they who first convinced me to were aware of the vigor and the become involved. degree of involvement with which Helene had lived, and was During most of her years still living her life. She still had with the Jewish Historical a lot left to offer, and she was Society, she carried on her not yet prepared to stop. activities together with her husband, Al. After Al The Jewish Historical Society of passed away a few years Central Jersey extends its deep- ago, she continued doing est condolences to Helene’s fam- them on her own. ily. Nathan Reiss Helene had strong convic- tions as to when and how ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ things should be done, and she never hesitated to pro- Focused, dedicated, and sincere vide constructive input on are some words that come to every subject with which the Society was involved. In see- mind when I think of Helene. She was also generous, sweet, ing her in action as the editor of our newsletter, I sometimes kind, and thoughtful, so she shall be missed by many. Helene wondered what it would have been like if she had been edi- Handaly was a good friend of mine. She listed her “Jewels” tor of the New York Times. If a reporter for the Times had in my B’nai B’rith Journal in 1963 as Amy Denise Handaly turned in a story that was incomplete, Helene might well and Lori Miriam Handaly. Helene enjoyed the fact that I had have jetted off to London or Moscow herself to straighten it kept that little pamphlet all these years. We shared many good out. times together as well as unpleasant times, but details are not important now. I remember when Al was seriously ill and in the hospital, Helene’s dedication to the printing of this Newsletter was truly she was a constant and vigorous advocate for him, making out of the ordinary! She started collecting material and infor- sure that no aspect of his treatment and medication was over- mation as soon as she dropped the printed ones off at the Post looked. Even during her own recent illness, she never handed Office. This was, I think, truly a labor of love. The eulogies over responsibility for her treatment to her doctors or to that our President, Nat Reiss, and Rabbi Bassous gave at her anyone else. funeral were descriptive of her involvements. I, fortunately, For some years, as a member of Congregation Etz Ahaim, I was able to enjoy volunteering with Helene, starting with was the person in charge of informing our members when theBand Mother’s Club of North Brunswick High School, all someone died. So I’ve had a lot of experience in seeing (Continued on page 7) Jewish Historical Society of Central Jersey 222 Livingston Avenue New Brunswick NJ 08901 (732) 249-4894 1 President’s Message We Are Bereft My message to you begins on a sad note again. The Jewish Historical Society of Central Jersey has been We recently lost two more of our Society’s most able to record and publish the history of Jewish life in cen- active and involved members — Helene Handaly, tral Jersey, and to maintain an archive of its documents, who was a Board Member and Editor of this News- photos, and artifacts, through the work of a devoted group of volunteers. Alas, those volunteers themselves are be- letter, and Seymour Kamp, also a Board Member. coming part of our history and few are coming forward to We will most certainly miss their longstanding replace them. contributions to this Society. As a relative newcomer to this area I can recall the passing of many of them: our scholarly archivist, Ron Axelrad, I mentioned in our last Newsletter that we had and more recently, Judy Moroz; treasurers Al Handaly and begun transcribing a large set of oral history au- Joan Neuwirth; past presidents Eliot Bartner, Sandy Siegel, diotapes that were recorded by the Society, some and Moshe Moskowitz, and most recently, Seymour Kamp as long as 30 years (about one generation) ago. and our newsletter editor, Helene Handaly. I miss each On many of the tapes, members of Central New and every one of them. More important, JHSCJ misses them.They were part of an active, involved group who con- Jersey’s Jewish community give interesting and tributed time, effort, and knowledge, who became friends, enlightening recollections of their childhoods and and who made JHSCJ not only an organization but also a of other aspects of their lives. The idea has been community. That era is ending. suggested that, not only should we be doing simi- Common knowledge has it that this generation is too busy lar interviews now to leave a similar repository of with work and family and other interests to support the knowledge for the next generation, but that we longstanding institutions that rely upon volunteers, and that should be collecting oral histories on a continuing they have no interest in nor knowledge of history. That is basis. This makes a lot of sense. Therefore, as a very sad, if true. Someday some youngster, blessed with first step, I would like to invite anyone who intellectual curiosity, will ask, “What did Grandpa do?” or, “What was New Brunswick like when he was my age?” wishes to have their oral history recorded, to and no answer will be forthcoming. give us a call, and we’ll arrange to do it! We know that many of our members have interesting What has characterized and maintained Jews throughout stories to tell, and are waiting for someone to centuries of oppression and wandering is devotion to their faith and memorializing their history. I hope that ancient whom to tell them. We’ll provide a copy of the tradition is not dead and that new members will come forth oral history to you, so that you can retain it for to renew JHSCJ and further its mission. Do it for the your own family’s archives. Also, if you’re inter- memory of those mourned here and for the benefit of your ested in volunteering to help with obtaining oral children and grandchildren. histories, we’d be pleased to hear from you. Nathan Reiss Edith Neimark Jewish Historical Society of Central New Jersey continues to build its collection of original photographs, documents, and artifacts relating to Jewish life in Central New Jersey. We also accept letters, diaries, clothing, and original works of art and music with a local connection. The Jewish Historical Society assumes full responsibility for its long-term care and storage and commits itself to making this material accessible to the community. Please call Debbie Cohn at 732-249-4894 if you have something that you think we might be interested in for our collection. CONTENTS EDITORIAL STAFF Archives Corner ......................Page 4 JHSCJ OFFICERS Editor Helene Handaly Donations/Tributes...................Page 6 Editorial Page..........................Page 2 Contributors Susan Dessel President Nathan M. Reiss Jamaica’s Jewish Cemetery ....Page 3 Deborah Cohn Vice President Harvey Hauptman Jewish Governor of Utah .......Page 5 Susan Marchand Secretary Marcia H. Spears JHSCJ Officers..................... .. ... ..Page 2 Edith Neimark Treasurer Susan Marchand Lecture Series Schedule...........Page 4 Nathan Reiss Membership News...................Page 4 Marcia Hopp Spears Speakers Bureau ......... ...........Page 4 Tribute to Helene Handaly......Page 1 Graphic Artist Deborah Cohn Tribute to Seymour Kamp.......Page 7 Jewish Historical Society of Central Jersey 222 Livingston Avenue New Brunswick NJ 08901 (732) 249-4894 2 Hunt’s Bay: Jamaica’s Jewish Cemetery ~ by Susan Dessel ~ I recently returned from a week in Kingston, Jamaica, where helping to restore and preserve the centuries-old gravestones; I was one of eight volunteers from Arizona, Connecticut and Andree Aeilon Brooks, author, lecturer and creator of a new New York gathered under the aegis of Caribbean Volunteer curriculum package on Sephardic history and culture (Stahl Expeditions (CVE).* Our goal was to inventory the over- and Brooks had participated with Frankel in a similar effort grown, 17th century Hunt’s Bay Jewish Cemetery with the in Suriname in 1998); artist Susan C. Dessel, who was espe- prospect that our week-long efforts would add to the knowl- cially drawn to the imagery and symbols of the sepulchral edge of Jewish history and genealogy while contributing to art; Jacqueline Rokhsar, an educator with careers in both the the diminishing, yet vital, Jewish community of Jamaica. Be- NYC Board of Education and at the Yad Vashem Education fore leaving we were to witness the cemetery’s links to the Center in Israel; Michael Nosonovsky, an assistant professor present. of engineering whose avocation is Hebrew epitaphs and in- scriptions, particularly from Ukraine and the former Soviet The site, declared a national monument by the Jamaica Na- Union; social worker Rebecca Crowe; and John Crowe, re- tional Heritage Trust in 1993, is the oldest cemetery in Ja- tired academic and immigration lawyer who volunteered with maica and one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in the New Frankel at Jamaica’s Falmouth Jewish Cemetery in 2007.

Load more

  7

Copy Link