Dennis Bayer

Sandra-

      Your work is beautiful and your website is really well done!

Congratulations!

Dennis

James Weingart

stay healthy  jim weingart

Sande Gerth (Chernett)

I'm about to be featured in The Plain Dealer "inside Out" section on a Sunday this month. It will also be posted online at Cleveland.com complete with a slide show and video of myy project, my client and me being interviewed. I am quite proud of this project, a home in Auburn Lakes. I will try to post it online as well. I'm feeling great and am in Palm Desert at our winter home for a few weeks.

Edward Torchy Smith

Where were you 50 years ago from November 22nd 2013?

Any thoughts about that day?

Why can we remember that day in detail but have trouble remembering what we did last week?

Cookie Chesler (O'Neill)

Torchy - thank you so much for posting the mini reunions in SF and Scottsdale.  It was so much fun to see/hear all of you in attendance...wish I could have been there to join you.  So...November 22, 1963...Miss Politella's French class when the PA announcement came on, and while I don't remember every detail of the next few moments, I have vivid memories of the entire school out in the hallways as we were dismissed, trying to locate my friends and pretty much wandering around in disbelief and shock.  My next memories are being at home later that afternoon and sitting in front of the television with my family watching the news unfold from Dallas and no one talked.  I had a date planned for that night (don't ask me why because I think it was a school night), with Don Loveman...or maybe we talked on the phone that afternoon and made a last minute plan...and I recall agonizing about whether or not it was appropriate to go out...he and I must have discussed it, although I don't remember how/why we came to the decision to actually go to the movies, but we did go.  I think we probably just needed to be with a friend to share the grief we all felt that day.  I have no idea what the movie was, but I recall coming back home and continuing to watch the news with my parents and brother for days afterwards as we progressed through Kennedy's funeral and beyond.  Does anyone else remember being in Politella's class with me?   Would love to hear your memories.  Cookie (Chesler) O'Neill

Nancy Malevan (Levy)

I was in Earl Seidman's English class and I remember after the announcement of Kennedy's death, Mr. Seidman slamming his book on his desk. My memory blurrs after that regarding the announcement, but I do remember the silence in the halls when we were all packing up to go home...not your normal Friday afternoon sound. Also, I was at a Chinese restaurant with Cookie Rubin and DeeDee Davis on Sunday watching t.v. when Oswald was shot. The sadness of the week continued when we  heard on Thursday night...Thanksgiving...that Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver had died of a heart attack...what a week that was...

Elizabeth (Betsy) Hennig (Davis)

I was in Robert Hansen's American Lit. class (we were juniors) when Mr. Senf's voice came over the PA. For many years afterwards I could recall clearly in my mind both the words and the timbre of his voice as he made that announcement.

I believe that the next period was the last of the day. I had French that period with Mr. O'Rourke, who was crying. Teachers had the option of taking their classes to the auditorium where there was a TV set up; of course, we went.

I believe I remember that weekend pretty accurately, almost minute by minute. On Monday I believe was the funeral and no school. On Tuesday, Mr. O'Rourke, almost as shaken as he had been on Friday, berated us because none of us had done the homework. He was quite livid that we were not "honoring his memory" by being good students. We had of course, just like the rest of country, been watching television steadily over the long weekend. 

One memory that bemuses me was the half staff flags everywhere. Because it was a uniquely traumatizing event for the country, they remained at half staff for an entire month - a hugely dramatic gesture at the time. Since then -- as with so many things -- there has been a sort of "mourning inflation" and flags seem to be flying half staff, at least around here (Chicago) more often than not. 

Barbara Horovitz (Brown)

Nancy, we must have been in the same English class, as I recall being in Mr. Seidman's class when the announcement was made. But rather than recalling his slamming the book, I recall his putting his head down on his desk(maybe he did that after he slammed the book). His doing that was symbolic to me of how this major event/tragedy was such an aberration and the sadness permeated everywhere.  Barbara

Ellen Kaufman

I was in study hall in the cafeteria; I think someone came on the PA. It was 6th period.  We stumbled out to the next class - English with Mr. Randall for me.  Unlike Mr. Seidman, he said something like, "I know we all have had a great shock today, but it IS Friday and that's the day we have spelling tests so open your books."  And he proceeded with dictating the words of the week.  At the time, I was shocked.  In retrospect, I suppose that the only way for him to cope with the magnitude of it was to cling to some shred of normalcy.

Leslie Kelvin

Some of you may know me as a guy who liked to have fun and often I got in trouble in class.  It was "normal" for me to be punished for one thing or another.  

Anyway the one thing I remember is I was talking during class and I was asked to go out to the hall.  I heard that Kennedy was shot and I was so shocked and excited I ran back to the class screaming Kennedy had been shot.

The teacher thought there goes les Kelvin again trying to disrupt the class and acting up so he threw me out to the hall again.

When the news of kennedy being shot came over the school speakers into the classroom The teacher and students realized I was not joking. Not this time.

I remember that very clearly.

Andrew Hibshman

I believe I was in chemistry(Mr. Lata?).  My recollection is that he started talking without making much sense as, of course, we were in such a state of shock.  Then I went to French(Mr. Warnement?).   Soon after we were dismissed.

On Sunday after watching Oswald get murdered, I went to the Browns game against, ironically, the Dallas Cowboys.  The stadium was about 2/3 full and the Browns won.  I guess we figured that if the NFL decided to go ahead with the games, it was OK for us to go and it was a good way to do something normal on such a bizarre and surreal weekend.  

Sande Gerth (Chernett)

I remember 50 years ago tomorrow as it was the first time I drove to school! I had just gotten my license as I didn't turn 16 until October of our junior year. I was in the French lab when the announcement came over the PA. I barely kept it together long enough to drive home and burst into tears in my garage. Fifty Years!!! 

Sande Gerth (Chernett)

Cookie,

Were you in the lab with me? I had Miss Politella as well.

xo Sande

David Weber

   My recollection of those three years at Shaker has dimmed and I now recall only snipets: a few close friendships, struggling to exceed academically, and cheering on the football team on Saturday afternoons. I do however clearly recall sitting in study hall that fateful afternoon of November 22nd (and keeping a running count of the number of times we were being told to be quiet by the proctor, a number which exceeded a thousand that year) when we heard the news of the assassination.  Like me, many of those surrounding me were devastated and in shock. School was by comparison, inconsequential and classes were over for the day.  Sadly, I also recall a small group who were overjoyed by the event, saying (incorrectly as it turned out) that this would improve the prospects for the Republicans in ’64.  It was all I could do to keep from striking out at them.  The attitude of those few insensitive bastards remains in my memory. I’m sure Edward and Cookie can assure us that none of them will be coming to the reunion.

       Dave Weber

Marcia Kessler

I remember having study hall, which I usually spent in the library cruising books and magazines, and doing a bit of homework.  I was sitting at one of the round tables in the center of the room reading, when someone came running in telling us that the President had been shot. Then the announcement came over the PA that he was dead. I was stunned, shocked and started looking around to others in disbelief, hoping that this was not true. We all gasped and some started crying. I left the library, went to my locker to get my stuff, it was all a blurr. My next memory was talking with my mom on the pay phone outside the girls gym, she could not believe that this was happening either and told me that she was coming to pick me up. TV the rest of that weekend with my family, lots of tears, even my Republican father was grieving. The day of his funeral I never left the TV, cried a lot with sorrow and rage at who could do this to Kennedy and our country. I am still enamered with the mystique of Camlot, but that day, my idealism got dented.

Leah Ferstman (Barry)

I remember being in Mr. Hawthorne's geometry class. I think that was his name. He was old and just sat at the front of his room at a table and did what he called teaching. When the news came over the PA, we were all shocked, mortified, and silenced by the news.We really didn't know how to react or what to do because this was so unique to all of us. Mr. Hawthorne just said that there was nothing we could do and continued.In retrospect, he probably didn't know what to do or say either. I had a date with Larry Terkel that night and he called early that evening and we both decided that we needed to be home with family to watch TV. A day never to forget.

Judith Davidson (Waller)

I was sitting in Study hall when the announcement came over the PA system. Everyone was in shock and the silence was deafening. I also recall that the Junior dance was cancelled for that weekend. 

Karen Linden (Desberg)

I was home sick that day, and was watching The Mike Douglas Show on TV when someone from his staff walked onto his set and interrupted the show to announce that President Kennedy had been shot.  Thank goodness my Mom was home, as we comforted each other while glued to the TV while the dreadful news grew worse.  

On Sunday, I volunteered at Mt. Sinai Hospital where we were assigned different departments to assist each week.  That Sunday, I was volunteering in the Snack Bar where a wall mounted TV was on so everyone could continue to watch the nightmare unfold.  I watched Oswald get shot by Jack Ruby live.  It was shocking.  Those memories are vivid, but for the life of me I cannot remember any of the other girls I volunteered with that day....except Marilyn Isroff.  Sande Gerth and Ellen Krantz, were you there too?  

Jules Steinberg

I was home sick with a cold the day Kennedy was assassinated.  I recall my late Father saying the week before " he is too friendly someone is going to take a shot at him". How prophetic!!  He heard the news in Toledo at a Howard Johnson 's.  And immediately drove home.  He later said "only news of his Father's passing" was more traumatic.  We had a Kennedy library in our home.  And in later years we expanded the library.  I still have most of the collection.  Where were you on 9-11?  Quoting from my children  38 years from now!   Jules Steinberg

Barbara Horovitz (Brown)

Math teacher you described, Leah, might be Dr. Hammond? He fits the description. He was old, couldn't hear well, and was the worst math teacher ever. 

Metta Lansdale

I also remember sitting in Mr Seidman's English class.  I don't recall the slamming book or head down on the table but I remember his sitting on the front corner of his desk, looking off into the middle distance trying to find the words to discuss this event. I remember his cordoroy jacket with the arm patches.   I recall looking up at the wood box high on the wall behind the teacher's desk that was the PA speaker.  Those memories have stayed with me all these years.

Harland London

For some random reason I was walking past the office and saw everyone inside gathered around a TV mounted on an av cart.   Clearly something was going on.  I don't remember if I walked in or just observed through the glass partition to the office, but I clearly knew the President was shot.  I walked back to my classroom located on the second floor thinking with each step "what would I say when I got there?".  I walked in. The the teacher ( who remembers who  that was) looked at me with one of those "where in the hell have you been'  looks.  That was nothing new.  I put up my hand and simply said, " President Kennedy was shot, I saw it on the TV in the office. "  I don't remember the response.  I sat down in my chair.  As I remember the room had tiers, I sat in the second row closest to the door.  I stared up at the clock and in the dimness of 50 years remember it to have read 2:16.  Several moments later the announcement came over the intercom.

Harland London