Great memories of Joel. We used to call him Gator, which he found amusing. He had some kind of skin condition which caused his skin to be dry. Remember riding in his 1970 orange Dodge Challenger, and goofing off on the track team with him. Brought us all t-shirts from Yale when he came back after freshman year. Always had a certain style about him. I know he passed a number of years ago, but figured I'd post on his page.
joel and i were great friends early on. He was one of my first friends i hung out with in 5th and 6th grades. Fond memories of him, linda felton, allison rudolph, and others. He was one of the first guys to drive in 10grade, so we went lots of places with tina sol and sherry engler. I wonder if linda remembers all of us going to her house on beverly dr and playing "spin the bottle" in her tower?? Shush!! don't tell any one-Ha. Anyway, yes , sadly many years ago he passed away. Terrible loss at such a young age. I have thought of him over the years.
Although I did not graduate from Beverly, I attended school with Joel (and Scott, et al) from first grade at Beverly Vista ( Mrs Stumpus!) through tenth grade. We ran varsity track and cross-country and were also close friends. His Mom was dear and a wonderful philanthropist (environmentalist). Loved visiting the family and celebrating his Bar Mitzvah at their beautiful home at Bedford and Sunset. Years later I thought I would contact my old friend, and was heartbroken to find his obituary instead. My heart still goes out to his family.
Seeing Bob, Scott and Danny's recollections of Joel, brings me back so many years. Though I think you're right that Joel was in the "other" first grade class at Beverly Vista, I do recall Joel quite clearly going back even to kindergarten with Mrs. Walker. Though we were never close, there was always a warm friendly smile. I never really hung out with Joel, and to tell you the truth, it's probably because I was always a little intimitdated by him. He really did act like a regular guy, but I was always aware of how Joel was highly developed soul, one of those super-achievers: (I also remember his leathery skin, which in my naivete, thought it was pretty cool. Now, in retrospect, as a physician I recognize that it was probably a manifestation of depletion, what we call in Chinese Medicine, Yin vacuity). I remember that even early on, he was the fastest kid in the class, throughout grade school he always excelled in sports, and academically, he was brilliant, a straight A student. As you may remember, during my senior year, I made the decision to become an orthodox Jew. It was quite a surprise to me that sometime in the 80s I ran into Joel at a banquet to benefit an organization that he became involved with, Aish Hatorah, and, to my surprise, he too had decided to became an observant Jew. When we met, he was genuinely glad to see me, and was very interested in hearing about my journey, and sharing his, though we both expressed interest in reconnecting, we never did. Joel was a bright comet, intensely excelling in all that he did, leaving an indelible impression. May his memory be a blessing.
Well said, Leo... Joel definitely was a "good soul." I knew him not only as a friend but also a cousin who went out of his way to help me get over the hurdles a ten-year-old kid just transplanted from Philadelphia would have. In addition to his ability to focus, I recall his impish side as well... like cramming himself into the dumbwaiter at their house and pulling himself up to the 3rd floor. He passed in 2002 from a previously undiagnosed heart condition just short of his 51st birthday and was the father of 4 children who made him very proud. I'm not really a believer in heaven, but still hold hope that rewards for deeds in this life are served up in some final reckoning. Whenever I pour myself a Jack Daniels, I think of him -- another story for another day.
Those of us who grew up with Joel can attest there was no one else like him. He had that special persona, larger than life, evoking a personal magnetism that attracted and touched each and every one of us in those early formative years of our lives: a prince amongst us whom we all tried to befriend and emulate. Joel left such a lasting impact on me that it is even felt today. From the earliest memories as my first friend at Beverly Vista in Mrs. Stumpas’s 1st grade class, he appeared and disappeared in my life for the next 12 years. It was obvious there was just not enough of him to go around with everybody else. I share the sentiments expressed by Bob, Scott, Danny, Leo, and Mitch, all of whom are also inscribed in my memories from years past. It is very sobering to hear of past classmates who have passed on, for they were so vital in our collective consciousness. It is a reminder for us all to cherish the fortuitous life we were gifted. So, I tip my hat to “Goldilocks” from Jackson Heights. N.Y. , an irreplaceable presence in our lives, even in absentia.
Robert Stein
Great memories of Joel. We used to call him Gator, which he found amusing. He had some kind of skin condition which caused his skin to be dry. Remember riding in his 1970 orange Dodge Challenger, and goofing off on the track team with him. Brought us all t-shirts from Yale when he came back after freshman year. Always had a certain style about him. I know he passed a number of years ago, but figured I'd post on his page.
Scott Chandler (Chandler)
joel and i were great friends early on. He was one of my first friends i hung out with in 5th and 6th grades. Fond memories of him, linda felton, allison rudolph, and others. He was one of the first guys to drive in 10grade, so we went lots of places with tina sol and sherry engler. I wonder if linda remembers all of us going to her house on beverly dr and playing "spin the bottle" in her tower?? Shush!! don't tell any one-Ha. Anyway, yes , sadly many years ago he passed away. Terrible loss at such a young age. I have thought of him over the years.
Daniel Kahane
Although I did not graduate from Beverly, I attended school with Joel (and Scott, et al) from first grade at Beverly Vista ( Mrs Stumpus!) through tenth grade. We ran varsity track and cross-country and were also close friends. His Mom was dear and a wonderful philanthropist (environmentalist). Loved visiting the family and celebrating his Bar Mitzvah at their beautiful home at Bedford and Sunset. Years later I thought I would contact my old friend, and was heartbroken to find his obituary instead. My heart still goes out to his family.
Leo(Yehuda) Frischman
Seeing Bob, Scott and Danny's recollections of Joel, brings me back so many years. Though I think you're right that Joel was in the "other" first grade class at Beverly Vista, I do recall Joel quite clearly going back even to kindergarten with Mrs. Walker. Though we were never close, there was always a warm friendly smile. I never really hung out with Joel, and to tell you the truth, it's probably because I was always a little intimitdated by him. He really did act like a regular guy, but I was always aware of how Joel was highly developed soul, one of those super-achievers: (I also remember his leathery skin, which in my naivete, thought it was pretty cool. Now, in retrospect, as a physician I recognize that it was probably a manifestation of depletion, what we call in Chinese Medicine, Yin vacuity). I remember that even early on, he was the fastest kid in the class, throughout grade school he always excelled in sports, and academically, he was brilliant, a straight A student. As you may remember, during my senior year, I made the decision to become an orthodox Jew. It was quite a surprise to me that sometime in the 80s I ran into Joel at a banquet to benefit an organization that he became involved with, Aish Hatorah, and, to my surprise, he too had decided to became an observant Jew. When we met, he was genuinely glad to see me, and was very interested in hearing about my journey, and sharing his, though we both expressed interest in reconnecting, we never did. Joel was a bright comet, intensely excelling in all that he did, leaving an indelible impression. May his memory be a blessing.
Mitch Saslow
Well said, Leo... Joel definitely was a "good soul." I knew him not only as a friend but also a cousin who went out of his way to help me get over the hurdles a ten-year-old kid just transplanted from Philadelphia would have. In addition to his ability to focus, I recall his impish side as well... like cramming himself into the dumbwaiter at their house and pulling himself up to the 3rd floor. He passed in 2002 from a previously undiagnosed heart condition just short of his 51st birthday and was the father of 4 children who made him very proud. I'm not really a believer in heaven, but still hold hope that rewards for deeds in this life are served up in some final reckoning. Whenever I pour myself a Jack Daniels, I think of him -- another story for another day.
Richard Phillips
Those of us who grew up with Joel can attest there was no one else like him. He had that special persona, larger than life, evoking a personal magnetism that attracted and touched each and every one of us in those early formative years of our lives: a prince amongst us whom we all tried to befriend and emulate. Joel left such a lasting impact on me that it is even felt today. From the earliest memories as my first friend at Beverly Vista in Mrs. Stumpas’s 1st grade class, he appeared and disappeared in my life for the next 12 years. It was obvious there was just not enough of him to go around with everybody else. I share the sentiments expressed by Bob, Scott, Danny, Leo, and Mitch, all of whom are also inscribed in my memories from years past. It is very sobering to hear of past classmates who have passed on, for they were so vital in our collective consciousness. It is a reminder for us all to cherish the fortuitous life we were gifted. So, I tip my hat to “Goldilocks” from Jackson Heights. N.Y. , an irreplaceable presence in our lives, even in absentia.