22 July 25 • 2019
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NANCY MAGNUS IRWIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Oak Park High class of 1969 rocks their 50th reunion.
A
lot happened the summer of
1969, including the first man on
the moon, a little music festival
called Woodstock … Also, a wonderful
class graduated from Oak Park High
School. More than 280 guests out of a
class that numbered about 500 came
together for their 50th reunion July 4-6.
Ken Korotkin led the Reunion
Committee with help from Lenie
Bershard, Sherryl Moss Anctil, Janice
Cherkasky, Rob Leider and dozens of
others.
The reunion kicked off with a literal
bang on July 4th at a
reunion committee/out-
of-towners’
party hosted
at the Birmingham
home of Korotkin.
Guests came from as
far away as Australia
(Lisa Goodman
Pomeroy) and Israel
(Joel Dzodin with wife,
Susanne, and Linda
Beitner Dagan). The
class exchange student,
Astrid Lindbergh, came
in from Sweden along
with former Oak Parkers
from Pennsylvania,
Tennessee, the Carolinas, Nevada,
Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Florida and
several from California.
David Wiener and Larry Kantor
organized a reunion golf tournament at
Salem Hills Golf Course in Northville.
World-renowned photographer Todd
Weinstein of New York captured the
event in stills and video.
Friday night parties were held all
over town including a gathering at
the Franklin home of Russ and Mary
Barnett, followed by a class-wide open
house at the home of Janice and Richard
Cherkasky.
Saturday morning, 50 people hopped
on the Feet on the Street bus for class-
mate Linda Yellen Wish’
s popular tour
of Detroit. Then, docent and classmate
Judge Gerald Rosen, known as the
judge who helped save Detroit from
bankruptcy, led a tour of the Detroit
Institute of Arts.
A Shabbat kiddush lunch was shared
at the hotel’
s hospitality suite, which
became a popular place to catch up with
friends from across the country.
The Detroit Marriott Troy ballroom
was decked out with fresh red roses
and OPHS centerpieces dreamed up
by Janice Cherkasky, a local top party
planner. Specialty chocolates were
created for the event by Judy Pollack
Moss, owner of Dinstuhl’
s Fine Candy
Company of Memphis.
The reunion enter-
tainment included
a live set by Detroit
rock legend Mitch
Ryder. His appear-
ance was funded
by one of the class’
most famous alumni,
Geoffrey Fieger, who
introduced the band
to raucous applause.
Ryder was the perfect
choice because he
had played at several
class members’
bar
mitzvahs.
The reunion
weekend continued at Drake Sports
Park in West Bloomfield with the 10th
annual Oak Park Old Timers Softball
Tournament, spearheaded by Sheldon
Rosenberg. Four teams from OPHS
classes from 1967 to 1975 slugged it out
on the ballfield. The winning team cap-
tain was David Wiener, who took home
the coveted Joel Noble trophy, named
after a much beloved classmate.
The ballgame was followed by an
all-you-can-eat family picnic and, later,
dinner at Buddy’
s Pizza, arranged by
Sheldon and Debbie Rosenberg. It was
an epic four days with memories made
to last a lifetime.
The Oak Park High School Class of
1969 rocks. Always has. Always will! ■
Nancy Magnus Irwin is a member of the Oak Park
High School class of 1969.
jews d
in
the
50
1969-2019
YEARS
1. Ken Korotkin of Birmingham and Nancy Magnus Irwin of La Jolla, Calif. 2. Decoration
setup squad: Minda Werner Parrish, Sherryl Moss Anctil, Helen Kaye, Judy Pollack Moss,
Suzi Wiener, Laurie Brandt Goldman, Nancy Irwin, Laurie Stern Singer, Michael Silverstein,
Janice Cherkasky and Barb DeNike. 3. Anita and Joe Goldberg of West Bloomfield. 4.
Mitchell Merzon, Howard Ball, Geoffrey Fieger and Sheldon Singer. 5. Key Elementary
School alumni. 6. Naomi and Blake Casher of East Lansing. 7. Nancy Irwin, Suzi Wiener,
Rona Sheridan and Elaine Blumenfeld. 8. Janice Cherkasky and Ken Korotkin.
Lovefest!
6.
6.
ngham and Nancy Magnus Irwin of
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
8.
7.
COURTESY OF NANCY MAGNUS IRWIN
Suzi Wiener of Oak Park, Rona Sheridan of Jacksonville, Fla., Barbara Kranitz of
Farmington Hills Janice Cherkasky of Franklin, Helen Kaye of West Bloomfield
and Nancy Magnus Irwin of La Jolla, Calif., cheer at the ball game.