Holocaust
Survivor Interviews; Mr. Wathey; Piano Performances; Name Changes; Banner
Day; Before and After Photos; 2016 Anniversary Celebration Photos ; and More
Welcome to The Wheatley
School Alumni Association Newsletter # 237.
Wheatley Students Interview Holocaust Survivors
The April 2025 issue of
the Tower Times, a newspaper published within and for North Shore Towers,
there is an article about Wheatley students interviewing Holocaust survivors.
A user-friendly recap is printed below.
“The Wheatley School interviews NST
Holocaust Survivors”
Photo caption on the left
- “Eva Kessner and Suzanne Chemtob With a Wheatley School Student”
Photo caption on the
right - “Vera Frankel with students from The Wheatley School”
Photo caption on the
bottom - “Students learn the stories of the Holocaust”
Article - “Who will tell
‘The Never Again Stories’ when the last Holocaust Survivor is gone? The new
generations who are exhibiting an interest are listening to them now.
NST residents Julie
Jacobson and Marcia Truland, both former educators, ran a Hadassah event,
hosting a group of students and teachers from the Wheatley School in Old
Westbury. The students came to the Coleridge Lounge to interview ten of the
Holocaust survivors living at North Shore Towers. The school provided a bagel
lunch, which everyone enjoyed together. Students had the opportunity to
interview the survivors and create posters to take back to their school for
display.
On the bus ride back to
school, the students were sharing with each other the stories they had
learned. Both students and Holocaust survivors found it to be a rewarding and
important educational experience.
The North Shore Towers
participating survivors were Suzanne Chemtob, Vera Frankel, Peri Hirsch,
Gustave Hirschhorn, Celia Kener, Kristine Karen, Eva Kessner, Rose Koren,
Daisy Nass, and Rosalie Simon. The Migdal Chapter of Hadassah thanks Julie
and Marsha for making this event a memorable, rewarding experience for
everyone involved. (Photos by Julie Jacobson)
Administration
Beth Davidson (1959) Writes - “I love reading all the stories about Mr. Wathey. He
was the Assistant Principal when I was a student at Wheatley. Dr. Norman
Boyan was the Principal when the school opened. We were such a small school,
and the administration was directly involved with the student body, which was
wonderful. I was involved in the formation of the student government, which
was so much fun. I feel so grateful to have had the experience of attending
Wheatley, particularly because of the fact that I attended it when it was
brand spanking new. The experience of choosing the school colors and choosing
the school mascot and hearing the school Alma Mater for the first time (I can
still sing it, word for word) are experiences. I will never forget.”
Elvira “Vivi” Cilmi Kunz (1964)
Writes - “Before he was our
Principal at Wheatley, Mr. Wathey was our principal at North Side. In this
smaller setting, he was even more personable and caring. I often assisted in
after-school activities, and he was always there to direct and make whatever
we were doing fun. Collating papers in the office or cleaning out classroom
turtle bowls (before those cute little critters were deemed bacteria pods)
were often our tasks.....and he was always right there to cheer us on. I
especially remember his gentle smile as he encouraged us to do the jobs.
When I got to Wheatley, I
again assisted in office work (mostly during the summers), and again he would
be present and helpful. I never heard him raise his voice to anyone, and that
made being with him so very inspiring. Because his example was so strong, I
looked toward a future in education. I retired at 75 after almost 50 years,
and his memory as I taught and administered was always strong. He was a great
example of a respected and respectful educator.”
Malcolm McNeill (1965) Writes - “Further about Wes Wathey: Early in our senior year,
Mr. Wathey was driving our prom committee to various potential sites for
consideration. That was about the time a movie about D-Day called “The
Longest Day” hit the theaters. I mentioned to him that I had seen the movie
and thought it was very realistic. He then mentioned to me that he was
actually there, on June 6, 1944, on Omaha Beach! We were very lucky to have
him as a mentor, friend and principal.”
Claude Levy (1966) Writes - “I was impressed that I had a chance to meet with Mr.
Wathey (I wouldn’t have dared think of him as ‘Wes’) as an American Field
Service (“AFS”) foreign exchange student. I enjoyed reading several recent
stories about him. Thanks.”
Jill Simon Forte (1967) Writes - “I loved hearing the backstory of Mr. Wathey ……and nice
to know that he was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, just as my husband, Bob Forte
(1965), was back then.
Sara Beth Kalb (1971) Writes -
“Walter Wathey was my hero. In
1971, it was not ‘cool’ to go to your senior prom, and none of my close
friends were going. Nevertheless, I decided that when I looked back on my
life, I would want to be able to say that I had gone to my senior prom. I let
it be known through the Wheatley grapevine that I wanted to attend and
fortunately, the president of the class, David Kurman,
was looking for a date. (I think presidents of their class were expected to
attend.) David and I were not good friends, but we knew each other, and he
invited me to the prom. He picked me up with a lovely orchid corsage in hand,
and off we went. When we got to the venue, much to my chagrin, I was the only
girl wearing a short dress. Literally, the only one. I do remember the dress
was yellow. Needless to say, I felt quite awkward. I’m not sure how David
felt. Mr. Wathey, sensing my discomfort, decided that he should ask me to
dance very early on in the evening, and we did. He broke the ice for me.
Thereafter, David and I had a glorious evening of dancing and just having a
wonderful time together along with our classmates who felt it ‘cool’ enough
to attend. David and I spoke from time to time thereafter, but we never
became good friends. It was a magical moment in time. Mr. Wathey opened the
door and made me feel included, and the evening remains a great memory. Many
thanks to Mr. Wathey and, of course, to David.”
Amy Brumer (1977) Writes - “Hi Art, When I graduated in 1977, Mr. Wathey and Mr.
Nixon were there. Mr. Wathey did so much for Wheatley; thanks for mentioning
him. I didn’t know that he passed away. My condolences. Best, Amy Brumer”
UPCOMING WILDCAT PERFORMANCES
If you would like more
joy in your life (and who doesn’t ), Takemi Ueno 1983 will play Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony (with its famous “Ode to Joy”) with the New Amsterdam Symphony
Orchestra on Fri., Nov. 14, at 8 pm, at Symphony Space (Broadway & 95th St.). You can get general admission tickets (there is no assigned seating)
for $27 instead of $32 at the orchestra’s website (nasorch.org) until 3 pm the day of the
concert. Seniors and students can purchase $25 tickets at Symphony Space’s
box office.
Takemi will also perform
with the Doctors’ Orchestra on Thu., Dec. 18, at 7:30 PM, at the High School
for the Fashion Industries, 225 W. 24th St. (between
Seventh and Eighth Avenues). The Doctors’ Orchestra will play Tchaikovsky’s
Festival Overture, which is based on the Danish National Anthem (composed
because a Danish princess married an heir to the Russian throne); Mieczyslaw
Weinberg’s trumpet concerto (the soloist is principal trumpet at the
Baltimore Symphony); and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (orchestrated
by Ravel). Free admission (no tickets required), although donations are much
appreciated.
Graduates
1965 - Liz Zoob - “I have a bone to pick: the person my classmates knew
as ‘Gibb Geery’ changed his name to ‘Saleem Pernath.’ He was never “Gibb
‘Saleen Pernath’ Geery,” which makes it sound like ‘Saleem Pernath’ was
merely a nickname of some sort, similar to, for example, Ellen “Ellie” Senft,
or Ilene “Cookie” Levine.”
Art Engoron Responds -
Liz is correct; the person known as “Gibb Geery” at Wheatley changed his name
to “Saleem Pernath.” Many Wildcats change their names after graduation. In
such instances, my foremost goal is to use a name that classmates and other
Wheatley graduates will recognize. But I should not have trivialized Saleem’s
new name. I invite Liz and anyone/everyone to suggest how I should have
handled this and future instances. “Saleem Pernath, formerly known as ‘Gibb
Geery.’”? Saleem died in or about 2023. Incidentally, years ago, I correctly
guessed that “Gibb” was his mother’s surname at her birth.
Liz Zoob Replies - “I agree that ‘Saleem Pernath, formerly known as ‘Gibb
Geery,’ would have been appropriate.”
1967 - Jill Simon Forte - “In a recent Newsletter photo, Bob Forte
(1965) recognized the people from his graduation year …… and
he told me who he remembered as nice guys 😉. BTW, after reading about your daredevil rides on a
motorcycle, Art, I’m glad that I never went on one with you 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😁💙☮️.”
1967 - Art Engoron, Ben Ross, Dan
Silver, and Mitch Stephens - Banner Day Winners
Art (with everyone’s help) Writes - In August of 1964, in the midst
of that summer’s presidential campaigns, Ben Ross brilliantly one-upped the
Republican nominee, Barry Goldwater, parodying his famous (or infamous) July
convention speech with the slogan, “Extremism in Defense of the Mets is No
Vice.” He, Dan, and Mitch painted it on a shower curtain liner (lovingly
donated by Dan’s mother) so huge that it took three people (Dan, Mitch and
Art) to parade it unfurled around the field at Shea Stadium for the New York
Mets’s Second “Banner Day” (which was possibly the Second “Banner Day”
anywhere). They won the grand prize, portable black and white General
Electric television sets retailing for $100 for each of them.
Emerging math geniuses
that these callow youths were, and eager to share the loot with the author,
who could not be present that fateful day, Dan, Ben, and Mitch each kept a TV
set and paid Art $25. Ben claimed that a $100 TV set was not worth $100 to him,
as he was not about to purchase a TV set; but Art pointed out that these were
not ordinary TV sets, they were “Banner Day TV Sets” Art’s argument carried
the day, and Ben eventually ponied up.
Recently, journalist Josh
Levin turned the saga into the first of two related topics of his inaugural
sports and history podcast (the other being the enigmatic tale of Wilbur
Huckle’s baseball and political careers). Mitch and Art add spicy commentary.
Ben Ross Responds to the
last link - “I don’t think that history is correct at all. Banners were not
banned from Mets games (maybe for a very short time, I might have forgotten
that). I recall lots of banners at every game.
Art Replies - As the son
of a son of the Bronx, thus a Yankee fan like my dad, I never followed the
Mets that closely, so I can’t say whether Ben is correct. Maybe so. But the
photos in that article are not to be missed.
1971 - Sara Beth Kalb and David
Kurman (see above under “Administration”)
1972 - Judith Oppenheim Darrah - “After seeing our class photograph from 2016, at
Wheatley’s 60th Year Reunion (see below), I thought it would be a great time
to update everyone on two big events in my life.
1-After a lot of work, I have finally returned to my high school weight of
120 pounds. It’s been a loss of 105 pounds! I feel fantastic and my health is
excellent.
Judith in 2018
Judith Now
(2025)
2-With newly found confidence, I did something that I had always secretly
wanted to try: I auditioned for a movie role. It’s for a part in a very
small, locally produced Canadian film. The audition was so much fun, and I
was so proud of myself. What a shock when I was offered the role! Shooting
begins in November, my scenes won’t be shot 2016until 2026. The role is a lot
bigger than I expected, but the table read and rehearsals are going great. I
play a 60-ish churchgoing, grandmotherly type (not typecast at all!). I will
keep you updated.”
From the Archives - Miscellaneous Classes in 2016 - Help
Wanted
Standing - Donna Kenton
(1963), ???, ???, ???, Jerry Mintz (1961) (?), ???, Tim Jerome (1961) (?),
???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, Liz Stone (1963), ???, ???, ???
From the Archives - Class of ‘65 In 2016 - New Names Added in
Bold
L-R - Sitting - Louise
Kampa Triano, Donna Hegyi Gillman, Sally
Jablon, Ellen “Ellie” Senft Kochek, Jane Goldenberg Fire
Standing - ???, Saleem
Pernath (then known as “Gibb Geery”), ???, ???, Neil Firetog, ???, Norman
Resnicow, ???, Lanning “Lanny” Schiller, Ken
Katz
From the Archives - Class of ‘72 in 2016 - Updated
Recent additions in bold.
Front Row - Elizabeth
Diamond, Donna Filler-Wilensky, Pam Arcuri, Arlene “Ally”
Acker, Jean Walsh, Richard Frishman, Bonnie Greenberg, Gloria
Zibaida, Ellen Kandell
Back Row - Paul
Celella, Judy Oppenheim Darrah, Jo Ann
Bregman Miles, David Resnicow, Jill Gaines,
Maris Dobrow, Seth Katz, Ilene Kent, James Vincze, Richard Weissman, Phil
Wild, Patricia “Tricia” Chock, Steven Krakauer
From the Archives - Class of ‘76 in 2016 - Identifications
Needed
L-R Standing -
???, Lori Paisner(?), ???, Larry Copeland, ???, Charley Cassely(?), Bruce
King, Robin Firetog Glanzberg, ???
Seated - ???, ???, ???,
???, ???, ???, ???
From the Archives - Class of ‘79 in 2016 - Identifications
Needed
L-R - Floor - ???, Barbara
Silber Signorelli, Janette Knowles
Standing - ???, ???, ???, ???, ???,
David Sigman, ???, Adam Abeshouse, ???, ???, ???, ???
Fan Mail
Faculty (Stephen Ehre) - ❤️
1960 (Jane Brody Baker) - ❤️
1960 (Raymond Roller) - ❤️❤️
1962 (Lois Kass Kleinberg) - ❤️
1963 (Mark Bond) - ❤️
1963 (Janet Dubin Ruyack) - ❤️
1963 (Marcia Friedman Mayer) - ❤️
1963 (Debby Krane Crane) - “Thank you, Art, for another excellent Newsletter. Your
story about your friendship with Mr. Walthey is very touching. Both of you
have given so much to our wonderful school. I am grateful. ❤️” [[[Thanks, but I
greatly pale in comparison to Mr. Wathey - Art]]]
1964 (Jerome Brownstein) - ❤️
1965 (Elvira “Vivi” Cilmi Kunz) - “Thanks for your work and time.”
1964 (Richard Ilsley) - ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
1964 (Steven Morris) - “Hi Art - thanks for the tremendous job you do in
bringing back so many good memories of our Wheatley years. Keep up the great
work.”
1965 (Louise Kampa Triano) - ❤️❤️
1965 (Sharon Neely Halm) - ❤️❤️
1965 (Jeffrey Orling) - ❤️❤️
1965 (Liz Zoob) - “Hi to all, and Art, thanks for all your ongoing labor!”
1966 (Claude Levy) - ❤️❤️❤️
1966 (Suzanne Stone) - ❤️
1966 (Karen Watell Arenson) - ❤️
1967 (Linda Caterino Kulhavy) - ❤️
1967 (Jill Simon Forte) - “I love the photos. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💙☮️”
1969 (Shelley “Sheli Nan”
Hershcopf) - ❤️
1969 (Lynn Greenbaum) - ❤️
1969 (Jay Hack) - ❤️
1969 (Jo Anne Newman Abraskin) - “The photographs of the 1965 Reunion (my sister,
Marjorie Newman’s, class) are awesome.”
1969 (Debra Segall) - ❤️
1969 (Ronni Seltzer) - ❤️
1970 (Jane Madison) - ❤️
1971 (Caroline “Cakky” Braun) - ❤️
1971 (Nancy “Nanci” Grindlinger
Stone) - ❤️
1971 (Merrie Sesskin) - ❤️
1971 (David Shapiro) - ❤️
1972 (Arlene “Ally” Acker) - ❤️
1972 (Paul Celella) - ❤️
1972 (Jeffrey Kargman) - ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
1972 (Lillian Marazzo Anderson) - ❤️
1972 (Robert Stevens) - “I continue to be amazed and delighted to be one of
the many beneficiaries of your tireless and joyful contributions to the lives
of Wheatley Alumni.”
1973 (William Farrington) - ❤️
1974 (Ellen Barnett Diana) - ❤️
1974 (Gail LaPasta Gannotti) - ❤️
1975 (Susie Lehrer Kartzmer) - “How much you enrich the Wheatley community is simply
astonishing!”
1975 (Daryl Rothman Malter (1975) - ❤️
1977 (Amy Brumer) - “Thank you for all that you do!”
1978 (Steven Kargman) - “Thanks very much for all of your great work keeping
the Wheatley community connected.”
1980 (Adam Goldstein) - ❤️
1981 (Stephen Bertalli) - ❤️
1982 (Paul Doliner) - ❤️
1985 (Melissa Caggiano Wright) - ❤️
1985 (Joanne Meltzer) - ❤️
1992 (Christine D’Elia Staricka) - ❤️
2004 (Faiza Mallick) - ❤️❤️
The Official Notices
All underlined text is a link-to-a-link or a
link-to-an-email-address. Clicking anywhere on underlined text, and then
clicking on the text that pops up, will get you to your on-line destination
or will address an email.
October
Statistics - 4,795 subscribers; 38,000 post reads.
The Usual Words of Wisdom
Thanks to our fabulous
Webmaster, Keith Aufhauser (Class of 1963), you can regale
yourself with the first 236 Wheatley School Alumni Association Newsletters
(and much other Wheatley data and arcana) at
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 edit all submissions,
even material in quotes, for clarity and concision, without any indication
thereof. I cannot and do not vouch for the accuracy of what people tell me,
as TWSAA does not have a New Yorker type fact-checking
department.
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, worked, and/or studied
there. Art Engoron, Class of 1967
Closing
That’s it for The Wheatley School
Alumni Association Newsletter # 237. Please send me your autobiography before
someone else sends me your obituary.
Arthur Fredericks Engoron, Class of 1967