Jerry Chonin

All of Florida is so welcoming. Again, we had such a good time with you all at Terri's. We did so well on our taxes this year as a married couple, we will be looking around next winter. When we get closer we will be letting you know dates and I hope to see you all again.

Lucy Gilbert (Rhoda)

Wow, Sunny... you should see if the Chamber of Commerce can use your promotional services.  You did a great job selling Bonita Springs!!  Naples, too.  I guess, we shall have to wait until next year to see what direction Jerry takes.  LOL.  Regards to you and John.

Sunny Ingber (Drohan)

Thanks Lucy. We just genuinely love it here. Funny, others have said the same thing. All is well here and hope you are doing well too.

Daniel Bronson

It's been a while since anyone posted a message. I suspect Spring has us out and about, thinking of other things. However, I'd hate to see this forum just slowly die out, and Tommy probably doesn't have that much to do besides reading these postings. So...

    Question of the day: What were you doing 50 years ago around this time? In retrospect, it was an important period for me. Within two weeks in early May I met in Boston the woman I would marry three years later, went home to Philly to have all my wisdom teeth removed (not a fun experience), then hopped on a plane with a still puffy face to a job I'd gotten as a waiter and bartender in Edinburgh, Scotland. That was not only the first time I had been out of the U.S., but also the first time outside of the D.C. to Boston corridor. And it was the first time in my life I wound up in a place where I didn't have relatives (my father was one of ten). Changes, lots of changes.

    Anyone want to tell us about what you were doing in 1965?

Janet Betesh (Selbst)

Hi All, 

First, I want to thank those of you called and emailed your condolences after my Mothers passing in early February. I flew back to Houston from Naples and once again missed the reunion that I initiated.  I really do want to see you all. So, Alan and I will return to Naples and we'll try once again to see many of you.  

We are currently on the road in our 46 foot luxury motor coach crossing the state of New Mexico going west. Yesterday we had lunch in an old cafe in Santa Fe NM that we frequented several years ago. It's called Harry's Roadhouse Cafe.  Harry was visiting the tables greeting his patrons and I recognized the Phila accent.  While chatting with him I asked "where in Phila are you from"?  With a look of surprise casually said " oh a suburb" while waving away the question. I pursued the issue and exasperated he says "Elkins Park".  I then, with a big smile said " you went to Cheltenham didn't you"? You should have seen his face  it was priceless.  Harry Shapiro from our neck of the woods is loving his life in Santa Fe. A bit of the hippy in him and a sweet guy.  

Jerry, to your question regarding 50 years ago, I was preparing to marry my high school sweet heart  we will be married 50 years on Memorial Day weekend. An exciting and wonderful beginning to a blessed like with the love of my life.  I hope we can see you all In January back in Florida.  

Regards to you all,

Jan

Janet Betesh (Selbst)

Daniel, so sorry for directing my answers to Jerry and for any typos. We're driving and I'm using my IPhone. 

Amy Shelanski

Dan - remembering 50 years ago. I was finishing my Sophmore year at Penn and getting ready to go on my first trip abroad. I've lost touch with my college friend Anne with whom I conspired to get our parents to send us to Europe for the whole summer. $5/day according to Frommer! I remember my mother taking us to the Rosenbluth Travel office and old Hal Rosenbluth planned out a fairly detailed itinerary which Anne and I scoffed about afterwards. We had a Eurorail Pass - first class! We'd do whatever we wanted. So this time of year was the time of anticipation. We had no idea what to expect but we were getting ready for ADVENTURE! We came back much more grown-up, and no doubt more obnoxious than when we left. Our itinerary was amazing: England, Holland, France, Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Italy again (Venice), Austria, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Scotland and Ireland. Not sure I realized how fortunate I was.

Constance Burak (Rubinstein)

Dan--Thanks for being the catalyst that has caused me to recall cherished memories. Fifty years ago this spring I was married and taking courses at the School of General Studies, Columbia University. It was Candyland because I was permitted to take undergraduate courses at any college in the entire school. Plus, through the employment agency there, I'd gotten a part-time job writing biographies for Whos's Who in the American Theater. Since it was B.C. (Before Computers), the publisher's offices included a room with a good 40 years worth of playbills that I got to rummage through daily. The staff was peopled with unemployed actors and underemployed writers and editors. Manhattan still had real neighborhoods with trees and very local restaurants. It was indeed a sweet time for this 19 year-old.

Carol Kutner (Winig)

50 years ago I was already Married a year, and living my parents idea of what I was suppose to do.

9 years and three children I divorced and started to go forward with my vision of my life.  I don't regret anything as it all brought me to where and who I am today.  That is happy.

Sandra Allison (Carrier)

Sunny Ingber (Drohan)

I guess some of us had the same dream. I too got married 50 years ago, July 18th. It's been the best years of my life. I have been a very lucky girl. So far this has been the best years living in Bonita Springs, FL. Wouldn't trade it for anything. One never knows what tomorrow brings, so we must enjoy every day. 

Jerry Chonin

50 years ago, wow. My sister, class of 1961, just sent me a picture of myself from that year, 1965.  I was just out of the army active duty and starting my stint in the reserves. Of course life changes daily. A broken engagement, beginning drug use and coming out. All of these things too made me the wonderful person I am today. We all have out losses and achievements and are so lucky to have the past high school memories and this forum in which to express. I only hope the current cheltonians will have what we had. 

Michael Shore

Dan 1965 was also my first trip outside the dc to Phila corridor. I got to see Ft Jackson, SC, Ft Gordon, Ga, Ft Knox Kentucky, and Ft Sill Ok over the next 2 years before returning to Cheltemham.

Amy when is the next Philadelphia meetup?

Carol Kutner (Winig)

Allison

sorry for yur loss and i sounds like you have made the best of the rest of life. So many of us r now in Florida and we hav been having mini reunions, so give me your info for next winters get together.

David Fertik

DAN,  what a great idea!  1965 found me at Penn studying Architecture.  I really wanted to go to art school but my parents wouldn't support that because artists could'nt make a living for a wife and chidren.  We all now know how ironic that was, although as a Nice Jewish Boy I let my folks tell me how to conduct my life.  ( As Ram Das, Dr. Richard Alpert said, "We were all in 'Somebody' training.")   We were raised to be "Somebody" at CHS. 

My passion was with art and architecture seemed like a good compromise.  In '65 we architect majors had a freehand drawing class learning style and perspective which was "art" and I took my first Art History class which I loved.  But in subjects which were much more academic I wasn't going to study much - "f*ck you mom and dad".  That was the year I did something that I think had never been done before in the 225 years history of Penn!  I received a report card with the grades :  A, B, C, D, F.  The trifecta or is it the quinfecta?  Fortunately the prof who gave me the F ( he hated incompletes) used a threat so I would get my missing term paper in faster and he then changed my grade to a C.

Most memorable in 1965 was also the Beatles "Rubber Soul",  rock as art.

Marsha Dishler

In 1965 I was at Boston University. It was an amazing experience for me. I was never part of the popular in crowd at Cheltenham but for some reason I was very popular at B.U.

I also was volunteering at the Fernauld School, a large residental  institution for the handicapped, where residents were treated totally inhumanely . This helped determine my future as I decided  to be a special education teacher. The State Boys Rebellion by Michael D'Antonio is a book that covers that time about Fernauld and is hard but interesting reading.

I had not  quite yet discovered sex or drugs but rock and roll figured heavily in my life. It was a very good year and I found the second real romantic love of my life. We got engaged after we graduated but he went to Vietnam and stepped on a hidden land mine. My first love was when i was 16 and that was Eddie Schaffer. He went to a  school in Philla and had a huge D.A. hairdo.  My third love was my husband  and we created two amazing sons together and remain friends.  My final love is my wife.She is well worth the wait.

I guess I am blessed in many ways.

  Thanks for stirring up these meomories .

Carol Ratcliffe (Gairo)

Well Dan in 1965 I was married to Jim, my high school sweetheart.  We had one son named John, two weeks short of our first anniversary.  We purchased our first home in Oxford Circle and I was expecting our second son Joseph. My husband started working for the Phila. Police Department and I kissed him "good-bye" everyday never knowing if he would make it back to me alive.  His first assignment out of the Police Academy was to work the Girard College walls because of all the demonstrating.  He was attacked his second night, but thankfully only received minor injuries. The cops wore black bands over their badges when a fellow officer was killed in the line of duty.  I believe Jim wore that black badge more days than not during his ten years of service.  He finally left the force after shooting someone who was trying to kill him and the car thief was so high on drugs that he didn't even fall with a gun shot wound only a couple inches from his heart.  It took a half a dozen medical professional to hold him down, while trying to remove the bullet.  When bullets don't stop them . . . it is time to consider changing jobs.  Additionally we didn't want our children attending junior high or high schools in Philly.

After having our third son Anthony, we moved to the Pocono Mts. and Jim got a job with Nationwide Insurance.  He did an excellent job and earned us numerous trips from Hawaii to the Caribbean on cruises.

Jim and I will be celebrating our 52nd Wedding Anniversary on July 27th.  We love living in AZ and sharing each new day together.  What ever happens from now on . . . is just the icing on a life's cake filled with love and excitement.

Carole Grossman (Chasen)

1965...I had transferred to Temple U in my sophmore year and met Barry, who would later become my husband in 1967.  While it was a wonderful year at Temple, it was also the year that I watched my mom die and then was responsible for doing all the packing as my father and I moved from my home on Spring Ave. to a 1 bed apt. at the Bromley House...I had to give my beloved dog, Bonnie, awaybecause dogs weren't allowed in an apt.  I think my dad would have been happy if I went away, too.  So, it was a hard year but life moves on and so did I.   

Lucy Gilbert (Rhoda)

Gosh.... I suddenly realized that you are all referring to Spring 1965!  As for me, my life event was finishing up my courses for graduation in June at Endicott Junior College.  Now it is a four-year college and graduate school.  In fact, I am attending my 50th Reunion there in June.  Endicott gave me the boost I needed and a change in my life's direction..  My two years there gave me the confident that I could do anything, if I put my mind to it.  From there, I went to American University for two years for my BA and later to Drexel and Arcadia University for post-graduate degrees.  Gosh... 50 years!!

George Trapp

Am watching Pa State T&F Championships on PCN. Cheltenham girls 4x100 relay are the  state champs .04 off the state record. They were second at the final baton pass but the girl who ran anchor, ran down and passed the leader with 30 -40 meters to go. Loving sport as I always have, that charge was a thing of beauty to me. -------- In the summer of '65 I was on the road for 7 weeks traveling/camping my way around the US with Jim Sloan and a frat brother of his from Westminster College. Then in '66 Jim and I were in Europe for 5-6 weeks doing the same thing. Have not traveled much since. ----- On the beach in Monoco I saw a beautiful dark haired girl who I told Jim reminded me greatly of a girl at West Chester. Suddenly my then girlfriend began to fade in importance. Though it took until January of '67, I started to date that WC girl. June 10 will be 48 years with Jan. still a dark haired , dark eyed beauty.

George Trapp

Cheltenham Girls T&F    PIAA AAA Team Champions  YOU GO GIRLS !!!!   CHS Boys 4x400 Relay Champs CHS Lewis 800 Meter Champion

Nancy Eisenberg (Einhorn)

It was so nice having a very mini reunion with Susan Brumfeld and Nancy Cunningham!!! Catching up on the many past years!!!

Marilyn Ford (Evans)

AMY

Do you have the meet up dates for the rest of this year taking place at the Reading Terminal,

or will they take place the last Friday of each month.  I will be home in Sept. and would

like to attend. It sounds like everyone is well and I was preparing to get married during the

spring of 1965.

Amy Shelanski

Hi Marilyn,

Tell me what dates you'll be here in September and we''ll schedule the September get together!

David Fertik

In 1961, Mr. Ashcom  looked at me and in his nasally mid-western voice asked, "Mr. Fertik, what can you tell me about the Nancys?"  I quickly flashed through Nancy Ernst, Nancy Falik, Shapiro, Cunningham; we're they all Breck girls?  I replied with his twang, " The Nancys?"  Now I should known something was amiss, Louis Bolono broke out in histerical laughter which even made the calm cool Carole Kutner join in.

Mr. Ashcom  was annoyed with me and exploded, The Nancys, Nancy Germany, Hitler!

Early June 2015, Arnold and I are on a personal tour with our guide in Mitte Berlin, Unter den Linden and The Brandenberg Gate giving us the tragic history as portrayed by this War shocked area, 80% had been destroyed by bombing, 1944-45.  He had a 3-ring binder of photos from 1930-1990 and always from the same angles at which we were standing.  Arnold, born 1933, the year Hitler took power was in heaven and tears, seeing the places he had read about, heard on the radio or seen in newsreel at the movie.  I was in hell, depressed and horrified.  TMI! TMI! 

Since I was a chiild I would run away from depression or shock by making a joke of the  situation.  So every time our guide said the word "Nazis" I would scream in my head, "Nancys!"

However, The Holacaust Memorial near The Brandenburg Gate was one of the most powerful pieces of public art I have ever seen.  Two football fields wide filled with 2707  concrete "headstones" like a cemetery.  The  2X6' dark gray markers in grids started as 6" to 15" high, like caskets, but got taller as we walked toward the center.  A 25 foot depression lin the center like a drain in the middle of this "cemetery".   The headstones were now 15-20' high. This felt like prison or concentration camp. I turned around to look at Arnold who was following me, the narrow alley/canyon behind me was empty.  Arnold had disappeared.  With hundres of "alleys" and no cellphone transmissions, I felt abandoned and worried about my spouse's wellbeing.   Could some hiding neo-Nazis kill an 82 year-old gay Jew?

Later we saw the ground above the bunker where Hitler committed suicide.  A few block away was a piece of the Berlin wall, and an excavated tunnel or jail next to the Albert Speer's designed Gehring"s headquarters, which still standing.  It was all too much for me.  So inside my head I sang an old Jewish summer camp song - (Do you remember stories around the campfires when our cousellors would try to scare us with stories about Nazi hicks who were out in the dark planning to kill us?)   I sang to the tune of "Col. Bogey's March", from "Bridge on the River Kwai"...

"Hitler he only had one ball, Ghering had two but very small, Himler was somewhat similar, bur then Goebels had no balls at all!"   (repeat 2X)  A paliative c.1961.