No. 22
January 4, 2007

Welcome to the 22nd issue of the Columbia College Class of 1963 eNewsletter.

What I thought was finally winter weather last month, has fizzled out, and we find ourselves basking (here in New York City) in a strange warm, snowless January. Take advantage of the weather next week and attend our Second Thursday lunch on January 11 at the Columbia Club!

I know some of you have explored our new Class of 1963 web site, www.cc63ers.com. Admittedly there is not much here yet, but I'm hoping that all of you will contribute your ideas and content -- stories, pictures, political polemics, whatever. I intend to add separate pages for each classmate, and will add these as I receive a contribution from you (or you attend one of our Class of 1963 lunches). You can always email me at pauln@helpauthors.com.

If this is your first visit here, I've added a link to an archives page, which in turn, will link you to the past issues of the Class of 1963 eNewsletter.

Next Lunch - Thursday, January 11

Every Second Thursday of the Month, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Columbia College Club - 15 West 43rd Street, NYC

Please join your classmates for an informal lunch at the Columbia Club every second Thursday of the month. It is our hope that these gatherings will renew old friendships and foster improved relationship with our class and the College. I hope you can all join us at the next lunch on Thursday, January 11. Let me know if you will attend so that we can reserve a big enough table; RSVP to Paul Neshamkin (pauln@helpauthors.com).

December Lunch Attended By Four Fortunate 63ers

A small but select group met last month, and found the gathering just the right size for fine conversation! The four who attended included returnees: Doron Gopstein, Paul Neshamkin, Larry Neuman, and first-timer Jan Breslow. Jan spoke modestly of his research at Rockefeller University, and compared notes on China travel with Larry.

(From left to right) Doron Gopstein, Jan Breslow, Larry Neuman, and Paul Neshamkin.

Click here for some candid shots

Lunch Archives

If you like to see our previous lunches, click on the dates below:

December 9, 2004

January 13, 2005

February 10, 2005

March 10. 2005

For information and inquiries call Paul Neshamkin at 201-714-4881 or email at pauln@helpauthors.com.

Latest News from the Class of 63

The holidays have kept you all busy, I trust. So busy that you have not been able to send me any news. I will continue last month's experiment, and add notes as I receive them, so come back and visit this page to check for new additions. Send in your notes and pictures, and I will add them immediately.

As soon as I had sent out the announcement of the January eNewsletter, I received the following missive from David Alpern, "I am very happy to report that I've become engaged again after more than 20 years divorced. My fiance is Sylvia Clark of Pittsburgh, PA, and Southampton, NY, who runs the charitable foundation of NEC--the Japanese electronics giant--which she has devoted primarily to aiding non-profits that focus on technology to help people with disabilities (which now seems to include practically all of us, sooner or later). We share an interest in tennis (or what passes for it when we get on the court), the songs of Kern, Porter, Mercer, Gershwin, Rodgers and their ilk (she plays piano; i crucify the verse) and one another. Neither of our sets of friends thought either of us would ever venture down this path again, but as one of them said: 'Two hard nuts cracked one another.' "

Congratulations, David! As soon as I had finished reading David's message (and congratulating him), I received a note from Richard Tuerk, "My latest book, Oz in Perspective: Magic and Myth in the L. Frank Baum Books, is due out soon from McFarland Press. I am semi-retired, teaching one course per year at Texas A&M University-Commerce." Rich, very intriguing. We want to know more about you.

Next, I received some follow-up news from Patrick Cary-Barnard, he writes, "We are having a greenhouse winter up here...Not seen in living memory and -- I think -- probably not experienced in millennia....we will see...All the Best!" He added an article that he has written about his activities saving the grass in a park in suburban Montreal that we mentioned in last month's eNewsletter. Click here for the full text. Good luck, Patrick!

Then I found a nice, long email from Elliott Greher, "Just an update of what is happening to me.

I spend about 7 hours each week in formal classes on my Jewish heritage. I "teach" 2 of those hours. If I am doing it right, each hour of class involves about 2 hours of review work plus prep work for the teaching. I had great intentions of learning on my own, but this has not come about yet.

I just completed a five month project to catalog my library. In the process I decided to rid myself of several hundred books and videos. I also used the opportunity to assess where I needed more material. The easiest is to complete sets of books I already have in my collection. I have about 40 books to buy. Then, there are the videos (i.e., more ballets and operas) I want to complete for a comprehensive collection. I currently have a buy list of over 100 items. I have done the same thing for the several book collections I have: books on book illustrators, illustrated books, synagogue architecture and history, passover hagadas (mainly current versions in languages other than english and/or hebrew), and jewish communities (mainly at the country level). I have a list of over 400 books to buy for these collections. Then, there are the general interest books I want to buy; my list for these, which I maintain at amazon.com, is just over 600 books long.

I recently joined Netflix and finally have a method for seeing the movies I am interested in. I have lined up my viewing schedule for the next year and a half (and that does not include the movies listed in New York Times greatest 1000 movies book).

Unfortunately, health issues, mine and others, preclude much travel at this time. But perhaps that can resume in a few years. In the meantime, we are doing many long-needed modifications to the nearly 70 year old house we have lived in for more than 25 years. It is a great house in a beautiful neighborhood, close to the cultural wonders of Washington D.C. But who knew that a vertical house - we have 4 floors - was not the best investment for long-term retirement.

My children are fine. One daughter has 8 children, lives in a strange place called Brooklyn, and is in remission from lymphoma. Another daughter has 5 children, lives in Far Rockaway/Five Towns, and is a special education teacher when time allows. A third daughter has 2 children and lives in the Washington D.C. area. She works full time as an electrical engineer for a company/location I am not allowed to reveal in print. My son, who is 27, still lives with us. He has Down Syndrome. He is happily part-time employed in a mail room and is considering being part-time self-employed in the vending machine business. He would be his own best customer, which is why we think this would be a good business for him. He devotes much of his free time to playing the keyboard, the drums, and the guitar.

My wife, Rosa, is busily involved as a metalsmith, enamelist, and glass craftsperson. She belongs to several crafts cooperatives and also sells on a self-employed basis. No big money for a solo producer in the craft business, but she really enjoys the work."

By the way, as a follow-up to Jeff Parson's notes about his new CD last month, his Web site is now "live" at www.porchswingmusic.com.

When you send your notes in, please indicate if you would like to share your email address(or web site) with your classmates. Always great to hear from you all.

Share your news and views with your classmates. Contact your Class Correspondent, and let him know what you would like posted here or in Columbia College Today (CCT).