Block’s Luncheonette: vintage postcard from the library of Les Block
Les Block remembrances:
This is a picture of my families business. sometime in the 1950’s. They had boardwalk vendors selling the Drink You Eat With A Spoon.
And yes if you have ever been on a boardwalk when there was hustle and bustle the picture makes you smell the ocean and the boardwalk itself. Those were the days, no computers but I think we all had more fun interacting with one another.
What a wonderful photograph. All I know is boy do I want an Egg Cream.
These are family home movies from the collection of Max and William Schulkin, my uncles and Nathan Baumwoll my grandfather.
The big brown house is my families house on beach 38th street , Edgemere Long Island. Its still a dream to me that I was given this photo through Barbara Cooper. Her father Murray Cooper took it. Its true we can go home.
These are movies of my family when they lived on 407 Central Ave . My Uncles William Schulkin Max Schulkin And Lenny Balen ,My aunt Irene Schulkin Balen, Illana , Lynn and the baby Sandi Balen my cousins, My dear Grandmother Mollie Schulkin, And my beloved Aunt Martha Schulkin. They are on the side of the building right off central ave Far Rockaway. I also lived in this building went I when in to JH 198. My older brother Ira Baumwoll went to Far Rockaway High School and my younger brother Robert Baumwoll went to pubic school 215. My folks are Jack And Roslyn Baumwoll.
My Dad Jack Baumwoll, my brother Ira Baumwoll, My two cousins Illana And Lynn Balen, Sandi Balen. Ellen and Lois Rackoff all Graduated from Far Rockaway High I did not I went to 198 and graduated from there. The reason I did not graduate from Far Rockaway .While I was going in my 9th year at 198 .We were doing a play called Camelot. I was one of the actors to be in that show. All I can say was. One moment we were rehearsing, the cast and the two stars a young women and Billy Lipton. Billy lived on the fifth floor of our building with his family . On central ave.
When out of know where a young man came up on the stage look at all of us. Ran over and Stabbed Billy in the Chest right near his heart. What I remember is Billy looking over in my direction his eyes focused beyond us, and Began to fall down. The young man that stabbed him, look towards all of us. And then ran. Every thing was crazy the place was cleared out very fast. Billy was taken away and thank god lived after many hours of surgery. With in inchs of his heart.
I remember seeing the knife go in , him falling and the young man looking towards us. I know that I was with the police for a while. My parents came and got me. Being a very quite boy before this. Did not help me open up. I when back about a week later. Don’t remember what happen . But I could not relax. I stayed a short time. Ran out the building and got to the boardwalk and ran home. I did not go out of the house for the last three months of school. I was taken by my parents to my graduation at night and was taken away very fast. They had decided to move to Rockland County. That was when we left Far Rockaway and Edegmere.
Songs in the video:
“Everything Old is New Again” sung by Beth Fowler from the Original Broadway Cast Recording of The Boy From OZ
“Everything’s Coming Up Roses” sung by Ethel Merman from the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Gypsy
Henry Mancini’s “Sweetheart Tree” sung by Johnny Matthis
Special thanks to Carol Marston, Skip Weinstock,, They have taken us all home. They are a force, that have expanted our minds and we all can see home . Because of them.
I knew nothing about my grandfather’s life before he came to America. All he ever said was that he was from Belgium. I now know that my family lived in Warsaw Poland as far back at this point to 1740. To be able to say all there names and who they were is beyond any thing.
I had begun this journey just over one year ago. I started a blog, and just began. To date over 126,111 people have come to see it all. I am very humble. I had begun this, for I was in great despair .
I am a quiet man living a life mostly in the house. Due to my partner’s health and my health we do not get out much, we have been together now 31 years. Our days are filled with lots of pain. Andrew is very ill with two differant diseases Each one moving forward never leaving us in there inch toward trying to take him. I am often alone in the house due to large blocks of time when Andrew is resting; escaping the pain. So all of this has come to me.
Our house is a large old Victorian three blocks from Lake Erie in Cleveland Ohio. Our area is right out of downtown called the Gordon Art Square District in one of the oldest parts of town here. On one of those days I was walking around through the house and got to the main second hall way on the second floor. I stopped at the two photos of my great grand parents. I knew nothing about them except that I was named after my great grand mother Beile ( Bella) and my great Uncle Samuel. I did not know where they were buried or what happened to them. I had been crying thinking of my dear mother and brothers.
I could no longer take all the pain. Sixty years is enough to be the one that is always on the outside. To be a victim is hard enough but to allow it, all in the hopes that I would be loved just for myself and who I am was more than I could take any longer. We all have a voice. My family would just let me go. For I would not let them tell me my truth or the truth that they felt I was not seeing from their point of view. So in my hallway, at that moment I realized with all that I believe that I would not meet them when I leave this earth. The shock of that was almost too much for me. I broke down in that hallway and prayed to keep my faith. And then it came to me.
As I look at the photos of my great grand parents, I knew that I would see them. I would meet all the people that had come before me. And so the journey began. Through my blog two angels came to me and they found my great grandparents graves. I have found things out that I could have never seen. I am now putting together a little film on their times and places. Who were they? How did they live? I am very close now to all these souls.
Most of the Baumwoll men as far back to 1760 lived in Warsaw . Abram Baumwoll is my 4th great grand father, born in 1770. They lived in Warsaw with his wife Esther and their children, their first son Zelik and my 3rd great grandfather Josef born in 1794. The census of 1764 counted 2519 people, and that of 1778 testified to the presence of 3512 Jews residing mostly in the jurydykas little towns right out of the city. They constituted about 6 per cent of the entire population of Warsaw, and came from more than 200 localities all over the Polish Commonwealth. All the time, Jews strove to obtain the right to settle freely in Warsaw. Their actions gained impetus in the second half of the 18th c., and, in particular, during the “Four-Year Diet” (1788-1792) sessions.They change laws for the families that were born there before 1798. Those jewish families could live within the city limits.
My family was able to live in the city of Warsaw at the time. For they had been born their before 1798 . Jews that lived outside the city were given day passes to come in. I have also found out that I had a great-great-great-great-great grandfather who was a Rabbi there also was a cantor which makes total sense to me for both my father and I were singers . There are so many lives that have come forth. I have come to see that life is a circle . I am a man that can not live with out his family. I am will try and find a way to have them in my life.There is always Hope and Faith. I can feel all the souls around me filled with joy for there is nothing more inportant then famliy and love .
Block’s Luncheonette: vintage postcard from the library of Les Block
Rockaway Boardwalk, Queens, April 4, 1939: Credit Max Ulrich, New York City Parks Photo Archive
Storm Damage, Rockaway Beach, Queens, February 10, 1972: New York City Parks Photo Archive
