-------------------------------------------------------------------- Reading #29 Co-op History Reading/Discussion Club Feb 5, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------- [The following two articles were written for the 50th Anniversary Journal in 1977. They are reprinted in the 75th Anniversary Journal: "Story of a Coo-op: The First 75 Years" in Part IV pages 44 to 47. These articles document the cultural activities provided for the cooperative community under the sponsorship of the JCAC (Joint Community Activities Committee) or its predecessors during the first 50 years. Bill Woolfson was the chairman of the JCAC for more than 12 years and an important supporter of art and culture in the Bronx. Herman Liebman was the well loved Education Director for our co-ops officially from 1930-1972 but even in 1977 he was the editor of the 50th Anniversary Journal.] ======================================================================== Decades of Community Activities - A Brief Overview - by Dr. William C. Woolfson, Chairman Joint Community Activities Committee It all began fifty years ago [in 1927] when the "pioneers" decided that housing was not their only concern. A better life for themselves and their children was equally important, they insisted. Even before our perennial Herman Liebman was named Education Director by Abraham E. Kazan in 1930, the greenings of a unique brand of cooperative social and cultural life began to sprout. From Liebman's fertile mind and inexhaustible energy flowed a Niagara of programs of music, art poetry, and Sunday forums on every '-ism' existing at the time. Cooperators opted to contribute $1.00 per family per month to maintain these activities, reduced to 50 cents during the depth of the Depression, but never abandoned. A Nursery School and Drama and Dance Classes for children began to flourish. A splendid summer day camp (Circle Pines), utilized the then virgin splendors of Van Cortlandt Park and a pool at Broadway, eventually replaced by Tibbetts Brook pool in nearby Yonkers. A Yiddish choral group and two dramatic groups (English and Yiddish) came into being. Clubs for all age groups -teens, young married, and, later, clubs for senior citizens -proliferated over the years. The local bi-lingual Bulletin, published regularly by the Education Committee, reflected the spirit as well as the events and controversies, too. The record at the end of the first 25 years is most impressive. An Education Committee elected by the Cooperators was meeting regularly and functioning successfully, in fruitful accord with the Administration. Occasionally in fruitful discord, as well. The 1950's Summer Day Camp served 400 children! The Day Nursery had 80 children in attendance in two sessions. The Dance Classes had an enrollment of over 100 and the Dramatic Classes nearly 50. (See story of children's dramatics in the 1950's and 60's by Bernard Kaplan in the Nostalgia Chapter of the 50th Anniversary Journal.) After WW II, a Music School was operating most efficiently for 15 years in cooperation with Bronx House. The Thirtieth Anniversary was celebrated with a gala Musical "KO-OP KAPERS', written, staged and performed by our own talent at DeWitt Clinton High School, followed by a buffet supper. The success of this endeavor was talked about for months. For several years new "KAPERS' were composed and performed to S.R.O. audiences at Clinton. A Play Group was formed recently to supervise their pre-nursery-age children in the new playground, now the "Israel Ostroff Plaza," that was established at Gale Place and Orloff Avenue. In inclement weather they moved to the beautiful solarium in Building 8. ENTER R.A.I. In September 1955, the Community Activities Committee was reorganized as a separate corporation to be known as Recreational Activities, Inc. financed through a regular subsidy of 10 cents per room per month, approved annually by the State Division of Housing. Subsequently the R.A.I, became a joint committee that included Mutual and Park Reservoir Housing as they were completed (1955 and 1957, respectively) and their families began to participate in our activities. Both new cooperators contributed their proportionate share of the education budget. J.C.A.C. TAKEOVER In 1968 when the 10 cents per room subsidy fell short of meeting expenses, the R.A.I. was disbanded and its functions taken over by the Joint Community Activities Committee (J.C.A.C), composed of members of the Board of Directors of the three cooperatives, and financed on a proportionate basis. The J.C.A.C. has been functioning successfully ever since. It meets with the Education Director Herman Liebman who, though semi-retired and not in perfect health, still works endless hours a day, editing, writing, arranging art exhibits, superb concert series, consumer forums, and keeping an eagle's eye on the various community group activities. This GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY JOURNAL is Herman's creation, as were the Festival Journals of 1947 and 1967. From presidents Abraham Kazan, to Dr. Sol Shaviro, to Hyman Bass and succeeding Boards of Directors, as well as our present manager, Abe Bluestein, the educational-cultural programs for all age groups have ever been inseparable from the business administration of our housing cooperative. Kazan has tuned our community 'Violin' perfectly, from the very beginning, and Herman Liebman, an old Julliard hand himself, has been playing it 'in tune' ever since. VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP As in all other aspects of life in our community, it is volunteerism that distinguishes a cooperative from any other type of housing. Throughout the decades, hundreds of men and women have been elected and re-elected to serve on the educational and various Boards and committees. For many years Mutual and Park Reservoir nearby never lagged behind 'Mother Amalgamated' in supplying creative leadership power to guide the programs. Leonard Stoller of the one, and Harmon Zapakin of the other, have preceded the writer as Chairmen of our joint educational and cultural programs. The record would not be complete without mention of the just retired Mrs. Gertrude Gang ("Gert" or "G.G."), Liebman's alter ego for 15 years, whose tireless and devoted service to the Director and to the Committee have been invaluable. Our cooperative space ship "Amalgamated" launched 50 years ago, and "Park Reservoir", 20 years ago, motivated by a never-ending search for more civilized living, still circle the social-cultural skies over KAZAN-VILLE. May it continue to circle this cooperative orbit into the next 50 years. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Where Music, Art and Scholarship Flourish A Tribute to a Remarkable Community by Herman Liebman Education Director JCAC Chairman William Woolfson has asked me to add some supplementary statistics and observations on our cultural activities. But I must first "Seize the Moment' to pay a long-owed personal tribute to a dedicated volunteer leader, a member of the second massive 'invasion' of the 700 newcomers in 1950. Like many of his pioneer predecessors a quarter of a century earlier, Bill Woolfson plunged headlong into community activities, even before unpacking all of his and Edith's belongings. Since then Bill has been elected and re-elected every three years to the Amalgamated Board of Directors, now also a Vice President, and served loyally and effectively as its representative on the JCAC, and for more than a decade now, as its Chairman. I am deeply indebted to Dr. Woolfson (as I am to his predecessors Len Stoller and Harmon Zapakin) for his wise and patient guidance throughout the years and for his shared devotion to our community programs. The physical isolation of Amalgamated from the traffic assault, landscaped by Van Cortlandt Park and Jerome Reservoir, has, from the first, attracted a flock of painters, sculptors, poets, musicians and authors to this working class community. Their active participation and influence has increased with each decade and generation. A dozen art studios, ceramics and woodcraft shops hum with creativity of dozens of professional and amateur artists and craftsmen producing and exhibiting their creations annually in our beautiful Vladeck Hall, occasionally outdoors. Concerts by noted musicians, chamber and choral groups, operatic ensembles - all free offerings at free admission -performed to capacity audience. Julliard graduate instrumentalists and Philharmonic men eagerly accept invitations to appear because they find our audiences warmly responsive, the acoustics near-perfect, a superb Steinway Grand purchased with contributions of some 300 music lovers ranging from one dollar to fifty. These gifted young artists are additionally grateful for absolute freedom of repertory - since no 'box office' syndrome restricts their choices. Here is a partial listing of the wide variety of musical events in the past decade alone: SOLO RECITALS 19 Piano; 2 Duo Piano; 12 Violin; 3 Cello; 3 Flute; 3 Song Recitals. CHAMBER GROUPS 2 String Quartets; 1 String Trio; 1 Woodwind Quintet; 4 Choral Concerts; 2 Operas; 53 musical events of highest artistic merit. MUSIC SCHOOL For 15 years, the famous Bronx House Music School conducted a branch in our community with student recitals in Vladeck Hall. AND GIANTS PLAYED FOR US- The standard of musical excellence was set early in 1932 -'33 when the world renowned violinist Toscha Seidel, a fellow-student of Mischa Ellman, Efrem Zimbalist and Yasha Heifetz at the old Leningrad Conservatory, all pupils of the legendary Leopold Auer, performed in our Vladeck Hall. Mr. Seidel was so moved by the reaction of 'shop workers' in the needle trades who acclaimed him that he, in turn, was moved to write: ------------------------------------------------------ Dear Mr. Liebman: I am in receipt of your very kind letter of May 10, for which please accept my thanks. I was more than delighted to appear before your organization, and have remarked ever since to all my friends that to play before an audience of workers is preferable even to playing before kings. I want also to convey to your community my sincere thanks and appreciation for the magnificent reception which they accorded me. Very sincerely yours, Toscha Seidel ------------------------------------------------------- The other world-famous violinist - teacher, the late Louis Persinger, head of the Julliard Violin department and teacher of Yehudi Menuhin and Ruggiero Ricci, to name but two of his prodigies, also honored us, in 1932, with a Recital never to be forgotten by the old timers who were fortunate to find a standing spot in our Vladeck Hall. DANCING SCHOOL, TOO With the famous Dennis-Shawn School within five blocks of Amalgamated, dozens of pioneer children, under star dancer-teacher Klarna Pinska was one of the most delightful and creative community activities. The enrollment grew ID over 150 students after WWII, when the community increased from 303 to 1,900 families, with another well-known dancer-instructor-cooperator, Leah Gelenter, in (charge. Until recent years Leah's annual student dance re-cital taxed the capacity of Vladeck hall to SRO dimensions. ANNUAL ART EXHIBITS Art Shows became a fixed institution within weeks of the first wave of 'immigrants' in 1927 and continue to this day, and never an admission fee. Recognized resident artists share the spacious walls of Vladeck Hall or the outdoor play-grounds with 'Sunday painters' as communal experience and encouragement to take up sketching or sculpting as a hobby. Lectures and symposia on Art, by participating exhibitors, always accompany these annual shows and attract capacity audiences. (Note the two articles by Judah Goldstein and Bernard Olshan, both resident artists). CERAMICS STUDIO BUSY For the past 14 years a well-equipped Ceramics Workshop (two kilns, 5 electric wheels) has been organized on a cooperative basis and serving some 35 members, from beginning to advance potters. Their creations, too, are shown at the community art shows and often contribute their products at fund-raising affairs, such as Nursery School. POETRY READINGS ALSO A dozen Poetry Readings in recent years featured repeat performances by such resident published poets as Ruth Lisa Schecter and Peretz Kaminsky, in addition to a number of invited young guest poets. Stimulating discussions over coffee often lasted until midnight. (Ruth's moving tribute to the community, "Two Pine Trees," appears elsewhere in the Journal). RECORD SCHOLARSHIP The traditional aspirations for education and scholastic achievement among immigrants and their descendants, found ample expression in the Amalgamated Park Reservoir working class community. Over 70% of our High School graduates are college bound, many on scholarships, and dozens have reached extraordinary levels in all disciplines. Please note story of "Four Professors" elsewhere in these pages. Similar "success stories" have appeared in our local periodicals over the years. HEALTH AND CONSUMER FORUMS A dozen lectures on health by Montefiore specialists, and as many consumer information meetings, always attracted large audiences and lively discussion. During the past 18 months, while our Vladeck Hall was undergoing complete renovation, the nearby Workmen's Circle Community House extended its warm hospitality for these and other Amalgamated events. Whether the next generation of Sabras and new arrivals to our cooperative shores continue to maintain and widen these cultural horizons as we enter the next half-century, remains to be seen. One can only wish, hope and utter a soft prayer.... ================================================================