Carving buddies Irving Stepak, Louis Cahn, Sam Zafron, Abe Yamin, Joe Math and Zwi Golinbursky.

Carving Friendships

The Senior Wood Carvers at JPM
have crafted more than artwork
through their hobby.

RICHARD PEARL

Staff Writer

ou want to know what it
was?" growls Abe Yamin
as he looks up from his
work. 'I'll tell you what it
was.
"In 1981, I walk in here and I see
all these old guys sitting around
woodcarving and I think, `Ah, that's
silly, what are they wasting their
time, carving wood?'
"Then Irving Stepak over here
gives me a piece of wood and tells me
to try it. So I sat down and I did some
pieces. All of a sudden, it's not so sil-
ly and me, a guy who was in the
drycleaning business in Cincinnati
and a salesman in dinette sets, I'm
carving wood.

ly

8 2., FRIDAY, MARCH 3,:1989

"But the enjoyment I've had at 81
from just being here is better than
anything else I would have been do-
ing. We're out here every morning,
two, three hours, working and talking.
"And you know what? We all
became brothers, not just friends, and
we enjoy it better than watching TV.
Rain or snow, nothing keeps us from
coming here in the mornings."
The other members of the Senior
Wood Carvers Club at the Jimmy
Prentis Morris Jewish Community
Center silently agree. An unofficial
club formed 30 years ago by Harry
Goldbaum, today it has a dozen
members, retirees from all walks of
life. Betty Bayer, a 15-year member,
is the only woman.
The woodcarvers meet each week-
day 9 a.m. to noon, with a few

Stepak works on a figure's beard.