Unce Hy and PS 42

With the story on the Lee family and its connection to PS 42 on Hester Street, I'm posting here some 2006-7 stories related to the school from pseudo-intellectualism
I mentioned on 1/13/06, about a month before his passing, that my Uncle Hy attended PS 42. Many Sephardim, such as the tenement Museum Confinos also did. Here's an excerpt from a recent rememberance piece from the sephardiccouncil.org: "Hy Genee, the spiritual leader and president of Kehila Kedosha Janina, the Romaniote synagogue in New York City, passed away on February 13, 2006 at the age of 83 leaving the 100 year old congregation in tears. Kehila Kedosha Janina was founded by Greek Jewish immigrants in 1907, and named after the city of Janina (Ioannina), from where they came. The dignified old synagogue built in 1927 at 280 Broome Street remains, it is the only Romaniote synagogue in the Western Hemisphere. In addition, it stands as one of the last old synagogues on the Lower East Side of New York City, still in operation.Although it is often called Sephardic, the congregation that Hy led for many decades was made up of Romaniote Jews. These are neither Ashkenazic nor Sephardic Jews; they are Jews with their origins in ancient Greece, arriving there after the destruction of the first Beit HaMikdash (Temple) in Jerusalem. They have their own nusah (rite), an orthodox tradition similar but different than the Sephardic tradition. Similarities between the Romaniote and Sephardim indeed exist, because both groups spent hundreds of years together while Greece was under Ottoman Turkish rule. Yet, the Greeks are proud, and rightly so, of their unique traditions." I hope my Uncle can forgive me for being such a lapsed Jew, Actually, in his generosity of spirit he always did. Here's the full article

A Different Gang: Our Gang, Romaniotes In WW2

Our Gang

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from the kehila kedosha janina site

Our Gang in World War II
This exhibit will become a permanent part of our website. It can be seen in person from November 2, 2008 through November 2009.
The United States officially entered WWII on December 7, 1941. It would be a war that would affect everyone. Among the many who served was “Our Gang,” Greek Jews from the NYC area, most of whom were sons of recent immigrants.
There were those who were wounded in battle. Both Ralph Battino and Joseph Lafazan would receive the Purple Heart.
There were those who were taken as prisoners of war, including Isaac (Pat) Nachmias of 279 Broome Street, captured during the Battle of the Bulge and imprisoned in Stalag IVB until May of 1945.
And, finally, there were those who did not return. Hyman Barash died on Omaha Beach on D-Day during the landing at Normandy. Both Nissim Attas and Abraham Matza died during the Battle of the Bulge. Herbert Nachman, son of past Sisterhood President Rae Nachman, was shot down over Germany. Both Arthur Rubenstein and Hymie Atun were lost in the Pacific.
This exhibit is dedicated to “Our Gang,” Greek-Jews, most sons of immigrants from Ioannina, many from the Lower East Side, who proudly fought to defend their country. Jews by faith, Americans by nationality, Greeks by ethnicity, they would make us all proud.
The title for this exhibit was taken from a series of newsletters written in 1944 and 1945. “Our Gang,” written by Mildred Barouch (later to become Mildred Coffina), was intended to inform family and friends of what was happening during the war.
The actual exhibit includes photos and artifacts. We were pleasantly overwhelmed by the response to this exhibit and by the enthusiastic participation of the Greek Jewish community.
Our apologies to those whose stories were not included. It is not too late.
Send us your photos of Greek Jews who served in the United States Armed Forces during WWII and we will include them on our website.

Turkish Night Club On Allen Street: 1942

Turkish Night Club 2
The descriptions:

New York, New York. Turkish nightclub on Allen Street
Joe Levy, Jewish-Turkish-American owner of a nightclub on Allen Street
Turkish-American and his wife who own a nightclub on Allen Street. Their son is in the United States Army
Orchestra at a Turkish nightclub on Allen Street
Orchestra in a Turkish nightclub on Allen Street. The girl plays a tambourine between dances.
Guests get up and dance to the Oriental music whenever they please
Habitues of a Turkish nightclub on Allen Street drinking beer and eating hors d'oeuvres. Apparently women are left at home
CREATED/PUBLISHED: 1942 Dec.
CREATOR:
Collins, Marjory, 1912-1985, photographer.
PART OF: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)
REPOSITORY: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
DIGITAL ID: (digital file from intermediary roll film) fsa 8d24224 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8d24224

Our Gang In WW2, Part 3, Manny Levy

The Our Gang video was dedicated to Manny Levy who passed away just three weeks after being interviewed. My late father was very fond of Manny.
Here Manny talks about the anti-semitism he faced in the army and his frozen experiences as a prison guard and kitchen supervisor in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He also talks about being treated to a sumptuous passover dinner with two other G.I's in Dallas, Texas.

Our Gang In WW2, Part 2

The slide show version with photos from the Our Gang opening. Music: "Pios Plironi Ton Varkari (Who Pays The Ferryman) aka Zorba's Dance by the BOUZOUKI ENSEMBLE.
The congregant veterans pictured:

John Justin Colchamiro, Jacob Isaac Cohen, Max Mordecai, Jacob Cohen, Isaac Hametz, Albert Hametz, Ben Gessula, Aaron Matza, Nat Nachmias, Murray Solomon, Milton Ganis, Hyman Barouch, Joseph Lafazan, Garbriel Sabat, Herman Negrin, Hy Genee, Manny Levy, Ralph Matza, Milton Negrin, Leon Asser Colchamiro, Rebecca Moses Varon, Ralph Battino, Sam Eskonots, Isaac (Pat) Nachmias, Murray Eskonots, Irving Coffina, Hy (Elias) Eliasaf, Sam Ganis, Johnny Johanas and Max Varon

Our Gang In WW2

An interview with Andrew Marcus at the opening of a new exhibit at Kehila Kedosha Janina honoring congregants who were veteran's of World War II. Andrew and his father Marvin, a JHS 65 graduate and a "distant" Delancey Street fan of King Heroes, did an excellent job.
From the Kehila Kedosha Janina newsletter, written by Museum Director, Marcia Haddad-Ikonomopoulos.

When the United States officially entered World War II on December 7, 1941, of the 133,402,471 individuals living on the soil of the United States, under 5 million were Jews (less than 3% of the total population), but 550,000 would serve in the armed forces of the United States from 1941 to 1945 (4.3% of the total armed forces). About 11,000 would die in battle and more than 40,000 would return wounded. Among those brave men who served were many of our own. Many would be wounded. Ralph Battino would receive the Purple Heart for his injuries at Okinawa. There would be those who were taken as prisoners of war, including Isaac (Pat) Nachmias of 279 Broome Street (Max Nachmias’ older brother) and there would be those who would not return. Arthur Rubenstein, son of Stella David and Harry Rubenstein, would be shot down in the Pacific in 1944 at the age of 19. His body would never be recovered. Nissim Attas would die in Europe, buried in Henri-Chapelle Permanent Cemetery in Belgium. This exhibit is dedicated to “Our Gang,” Greek Jews, most sons of immigrants from Ioannina, many from the Lower East Side, who proudly fought to defend their country. Jews by faith, Americans by nationality, Greeks by ethnicity, they would make us all proud. Join us for the opening of this exhibit on November 2, 2008 at 1:00pm.