East Bronx History Forum highlights
Poster bill for A Day In Harmony, An Evening at the Palace, East Bronx
History Films.
Temple Hatikva to hold Tu Bishvat Shabbot Service
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J BTR ANUARY 11-17, 2019 37
BY TONY SALIMBENE
Happy New Year all and
yet another reminder: the 3rd
Sunday, January 20, we have
our regular Post 253 meeting
at ATNY, the Turner Club,
748 Clarence Avenue. Starts
at 10:30 a.m. for coffee, buns
and greetings. Meeting starts
at 11 a.m. and ends at noon
with a buffet and cash bar
at the Turner’s Club Room,
overlooking our Eastchester
Bay.
We hope you can make it,
bring a potential new member,
give a ride to someone
having diffi culty getting
there, please.
And don’t forget our
County meeting, 1st Wednesday,
7:30 p.m. at Post 620. All
posts should send a rep.
Until next time: Sometimes
I make jokes here, but
what we do is no joke! Let’s
make a successful 2018 an
even better 2019. On behalf
of Commander Guy, Vice
Commander Kevin and staff,
again, thank you, and a happy
and healthy New Year to all.
Happy New Year to all !
The blood drive on the third,
in Jason’s name, brought so
many donors that some had
to be turned away because
of time constraints. On behalf
of Greg, Irene and Jason
we wish to express thanks to
those that came to give life.
There is another blood drive
set for the near future, time
and date to be announced.
Bill Vigger is home and resting
up to get back in action,
glad your out Bill.
I mentioned in the last
column that there are many
city jobs out there, the Chief,
a newspaper publication, can
be purchased at any place
you pick up your coffee in the
morning.
On Wednesday, January
16, from 2:30 - 4 p.m. the Manhattan
Veterans Center is offering
an information session
on a civil service career, contact
Ronald Sampson (212)
951-6866 ext. 5057. For all boys
in their third year of high
school, admission is open for
the Boys State Legion Program.
This program is run
by the American Legion to
teach young men on their
way to college the way our
government is run and an opportunity
to spend some time
learning how to live on there
own for a week. Successfully
completing the program results
in points to attend any
one of the military academy,
either way it looks outstanding
on a college resume no
matter where the young man
decides to go.
For more information you
can look it up online, call the
post at (718) 822 8873 or you
can reach Joe Goonan, the
man in charge, at the City
Island Hawkin’s Post 156 at
(718) 885-0639.
We are stronger as one,
let’s work together.
God bless America.
BY RICHARD VITACCO
The East Bronx History
Forum announces its 135th
meeting. Due to heating system
concerns at the Huntington
Free Library, this
month’s meeting will take
place in Westchester Square
at the Chippewa Democratic
Club. The meeting will take
place on Wednesday, January
16 at 7:30 p.m. This month’s
topic will be a documentary
fi lm about Parkchester called
A Day In Harmony, An Evening
at the Palace.
The East Bronx History
Forum is no stranger to documenting
history via fi lm. The
forum has documented many
talks such as Anne Hutchinson
and walks such as Downings
Brook on either DVD or
through our Facebook page.
This month’s documentary
was a number of years in the
making starting back in July
2015.
The focus is on one particular
block of Parkchester,
known in the city records as
Block 3952, which is bound by
East Tremont Avenue, White
Plains and Unionport Road
and Guerlain Street.
This block is the future
home of a multi-story dwelling
known as Parkchester
Crossing.
The motivation for the documentary
was sparked by the
knowledge that it has been a
staple of the Parkchester community
with its vibrant and
colorful past from the former
Golden Note, Palace Theatre,
Harmony Records and Leonard’s
Bakery all having their
start in the 1940s with Harmony
Records commencing
in 1956 by its founder Nat Israel.
Prior to the completion
of the former building, the
Unionport Road side of the
building where Harmony Records
was located was home
to the Hollow Tavern.
Parkchester Crossing
when completed will coincide,
hopefully with the expected
arrival of the new
Metro-North train station,
Parkchester-Van Nest on
East Tremont Avenue. The
saying, history repeats itself
is apt here.
We can be certain the former
Hollow Tavern patrons
bemoaned their watering
hole’s closing the same way
today we bemoan the loss of
the once artful and majestic
Palace Theatre, the pleasing
smells of Leonard’s Bakery
and the rich and the vibrant
sounds which emanated from
Harmony Records.
Although the location has
changed, this month’s meeting
is as always free and open
to the public. The Chippewa
is located at 1450 Commerce
Avenue, street parking is
free after 7 p.m.
Temple Hatikva will kick
off 2019 with a Shabbat Service
in honor of Tu Bishvat,
a Jewish celebration of
a new harvest time for fruits
in Israel. Monthly Shabbat
services, held one Friday a
month, starting at 7:30 p.m.,
and are always followed by
a festive Oneg Shabbat with
light refreshments. This
month’s Oneg will be supplemented
with dried fruits for
the holiday.
“This winter has been
rainy and dismal,” said Cantor
Kyle Cherry,”…certainly
nothing to celebrate… except
the promise of a fruitful season!
Now, as the fruit bearing
trees of Israel are renewed
for a new harvest, we can celebrate
Tu Bishvat, our “new
year of the trees,” and rejoice
together in the knowledge
that the rains and storms we
have weathered through will
bring forth a promising harvest
for our future, just as the
trials and tribulations that
we have faced together as a
people and a community will
bring forth a fruitful tomorrow.”
Temple Hatikva welcomes
all those of the Jewish faith
for our traditional, yet modern
services, offering a meaningful
experience to all, even
those with no synagogue
background.
Temple Hatikva is located
at Bronx House, 990 Pelham
Parkway South. All Friday
evening services begin at 7:30
p.m. Every service is followed
by an Oneg Shabbat, an opportunity
to unwind from the
fast pace of your work week
and commence the Shabbat
with some challah, wine and
other refreshments, while relaxing
with your area neighbors.
Shabbat services will
resume next month on Friday
evening, February 15.
The synagogue’s Adult Education
sessions are on hiatus
for the winter, and will
resume on Sunday, March 24,
starting with a delicious bagel
breakfast at 10 a.m. The
theme for this year’s Adult
Ed series is an exploration of
Jewish traditions and practices
for important life events,
led by Cantor Kyle. Following
Novembers discussion of
‘Birth’, the topic for discussion
in March will be the Bar
Mitzvah. Adult Education
breakfasts are sponsored by
Shalom Funeral Home in the
Bronx.
For further information,
the synagogue can be reached
at (917) 819-2456, by email at
TempleHatikva@aol.com, or
on the web at www.TempleHatikva.
com.
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