metro >> personal essay
Getting Reacquainted!
Long-ago students reunite at old elementary school in northwest Detroit.
Carole H. Field
Special to the
Jewish News
V
WELCOME
VANDENBERff
ALUMNI
andenberg
Elementary
School (now
Jalen Rose Leadership
Academy), near Eight Mile
Road and Greenfield in
northwest Detroit, opened
its doors on Aug. 25 to 350
alumni. They attended the
Julie Pelton of Bloomfield Hills takes a group photo of
school from its inception
classmates Bruce Kaczander of West Bloomfield, Dale
in 1954 to approximately
Jaslove of Troy, Janice Haron Kaplan of Coral Springs,
Karen Natow Disner of West Bloomfield addresses
1970.
Fla., Marc Fagenson of Huntington Woods, Bruce
the gathering in the gym. She helped organize the
The reunion was initiated Former students head into
Manchel of San Diego, Calif., Jerry Pelton of Bloomfield
event.
1 1/2 years ago when Cheryle
Hills and Janet Anbender Gold of Coral Springs.
the building.
Klein (maiden names here-
Pr,r-PAR ,GoovItKG - PROTO'Eo4
with used), now of Florida,
1:61Elk , 7-0?;30Rtc
suggested on the Vandenberg Facebook page
a reunion of our beloved institution. The
irrepressible angel Karen Natow picked up on
the suggestion, shortly after being joined by
Sue Shifman, Linda Fagenson and Richard
Green. Richard's brother, Howard Green,
now of Los Angeles, joined in and bent over
backwards to find the hundreds of alumni.
With the date in place, the school secured
as the venue, the ensuing event spread like
wildfire in a desiccated forest, thanks to the
committee and Facebook.
I flew in from Los Angeles and my broth-
er, Philip, did so from San Diego. Madalyn
Bird and Richard Gartner traipsed in from
Vicki Honeyman of Ann Arbor is reunited with
David Lubin of Ann Arbor watches
Kathy Krammer from Honolulu and
northern Michigan, as did Ilene Lisker from
Carole Field of Los Angeles.
as Norm Nickin of Livonia looks over
Jim Schelberg of Farmington Hills
Florida, Lisa Burnstein from Philly, Marilyn
his transcripts from when he went to
have their picture taken in a photo
Kepes from Colorado, Dana Shultz from
unearthed our "yellow sheets" from the '50s
Vandenberg.
booth that was at the event. They
northern California, Kathy Krammer from
and '60s ! These sacred documents had our
were each other's first boyfriend
Honolulu, Bernie "I would not have missed
grades on the front and our less-than-perfect focused reunion committee.
and girlfriend at age 12.
this for the world" Utchenik from Singapore
behavior on the back. After all these years,
Mostly, I wish to acknowledge whomever
and Tommy Silver from Minnesota — to
these yellow sheets, being so intact, further
and whatever it was that contributed to our
name just a few of the out-of-town attendees. staggered the already staggered crowd.
growing-up years at this special institution.
As we approached our school, its lights
Some of the other heavy contributors were I can now disagree with vaunted novelist
brightened the street as it used to at nightfall.
Carol Eichenhorn (who oversaw the beauti-
Thomas Wolfe: You can go home again.
The lockers were painted bright colors and
ful memory book), Eileen Miller, Jackie
Perhaps years and details shift, but the
the floors were newly shellacked. The appeal- Kress, Margie Silver, Jay Mellin, Jeff Michlin,
unbroken love and the uncompetitive solace
ing school stood coruscating — uncondi-
Mike Zaks, Rita Fink and Roz Rosenberg.
we Vandenbergers share, as evidenced by
tionally accepting as it always stood, in loco
Music teacher and opera singer Shirley
this reunion, disprove Mr. Wolfe's postulate.
parentis, stalwart yet friendly.
Benyas, art teacher and art aficionado Shirley
For a brief second as I exited the awesome
With admirable Jane Schelberg having
Michelotti, and mathematics/social studies
and heartfelt event, I felt time had stopped,
collected our fees, we had fill run of the
teacher Ray Pommerville graced us with
nothing significant had changed and being
institution. The principal's office was alit and
their presence for the entire event.
10 years old was an eternal state.
immaculate. The gym was superbly deco-
New acquaintances ignited, old ones joy-
I certainly don't understand time on an
rated with candy strewn around tables and
ously rekindled and tears were de rigueur.
Einstein continuum. But I do realize one cer-
Shirley Michelotti, the Vandenberg
good dinner fare, welcoming hundreds of us.
I want to thank Marilyn Bird and Vicky
tain point: that I had a pretty rigorous spell-
art
teacher, is introduced to one of
The auditorium summoned us with mem-
Honeyman for their thunderous screams
ing test coming up on Monday . . . that I had
her
old students, David Krammer
ories of radio scripts and holiday festivals.
when seeing me; Cathy Schwartz and Gail
better scurry on home now to study, at least
of
Livonia,
by his sister Kathy
The ominous basement, utilized for air raid
Eisen for their vice-like grips when hugging
before curfew ... that maybe Mom had some
Krammer.
drills, was clean and unaltered. Curiously, in
me; Carol Weinstein for bringing pictures
leftover Sanders hot fudge. And oh, maybe
the basement, Karen Natow and committee
of my brother's bar mitzvah; and the very
Michelle could sleep over tonight ... ❑
10 September 13 • 2012