Sunday, March 31, 2013

Seders Reminisces at Bubbe and Zadie’s


Seders Reminisces at Bubbe and Zadie’s
Arthur L. Finkle

Waiting for my eight Aunts, Uncles and their families was an adventure. Because one of the participants lived in New York, we monitored the train schedule.

The smells of Passover wafted from the kitchen, whetting my appetite. However, my eight-year-old food desires and the reality of my desire fulfilled were worlds apart.

The Zayde began the Seder after sundown, usually about 8:30. Using the veteran Maxwell House Haggadah, with its wine stains impressed on the pages from prior years, seemed to be integral to the festivities. Not that I could read (or understand) the English, much less the Hebrew.

I had confidently learned the four questions at Hebrew School. When my Father came home at 7:00, he told me to recite a Yiddish phrase that I remember to this day, even with my short-lived confidence shot. We kids did not understand Yiddish. (Our patents’ generation used this arcane language to keep their secrets from us kids.)

“Zayde, I fer defregana de feir cashas.” I found out years later what it meant (Grandfather, I will ask the four questions).

Then the Seder droned on and on and on. I can empathize with Alex Haley when we heard the story of his native tribe and found Kinte Kunte about 3 hours into the native.

Meanwhile, my young teenaged cousins, without any food, got drunk on especially saccharine Manishewitz wine. (If you get drunk, DION’T do it on Manishewitz wine.)
We commenced eating about 11:00 pm, after pleadings from my Bubbe, Aunts and Uncles to opportune my Zaydie to shortcut some of the footnotes in the Passover story.
The food portion began at 11:00 pm. My Bube’s gefilte fish was excellent. My Zayde’s home-made wine wou ld have been bad even in prohibition days.

We ended the Seder at about 1:30 p[m, about four-five hours after my bedtimes.
Such were my recollections of my family’s Passover Seder.



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Friday, March 29, 2013

Trenton - Old Photos 5 from Dr. I. David Popkin's Collection of Picture Post Cards


Asbury Park Boardwalk


West State Street at Broad Street


Monmouth Park (new Columbus Park)




Junior High School #2

First Presbyterian Church - East State Street - Site of Revolutionary War





Monmouth Park - Note Civil War Artillery

State House


Soldier's and Sailor's War Memorial Building






Monday, March 25, 2013

South Trenton from Selma Litowitz and Mike Kuzma

         
        Solly Alexanders Drug Store and Spiegel's Funiture


Union North of Water St.

Union Reeta Across From New Street




Iconic Photo of North Broad from Factory Street



Fall Street facing Union Street
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Old Photos 6

 Arial View from Delaware River
 Cadwalader Park's Rock Garden
 Delaware River Boating Recreation with old Mill in background
 Bellevue Avenue Entrance to Cadwalader Park

 Trenton Central High School, 1932

 State St. West from Board Street


State Normal School
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Trenton Photos #8

 
 
 
 
Swamp Angel, Perry Street from Civil War
 
 
 
Old Post Office, East State Street
 
 
 
Original Mercer Hospital
 
 
Mercer Hospital with Added Wing
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