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NST072013

JUNE AND JACK SCHWARZ – An Ongoing Experiment On the City College Uptown campus in 1963, a handsome senior was questioning a pretty freshman co-ed as part of his experimental psychology project. At first the questions strictly followed the protocol of his experiment, but soon their conversation became more personal. A series of dates followed, including one that same afternoon. This ultimately led to their wedding in 1965 and their first apartment in Briarwood which they sublet in response to an ad in the New York Times. They’ve kept their lease in a safe place all these years later because it is signed in three places by the apartment’s tenant, the then fairly unknown singer, Neil Diamond. When their lease was up they purchased a house in Bayside Hills where their sons Jeffrey and William were born. Later they moved to Linden Towers. The Schwarz family now includes grandchildren, Avery and Madison. Their first experience with North Shore Towers began over 30 years ago when they discovered the NST movie theater. Two years ago they decided to downsize and enjoy the many amenities at North Shore Towers. They are in Building 3. As an 11 year old, June Birenbaum “was so impressed by my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Post at P.S. 92 the Bronx. I was determined to follow her example to become a teacher and foster the love of education.” She reached her goal by becoming a teacher and after obtaining a Master’s Degree in Library Science at CW Post. She worked at Forest Hills High School and later at Bayside High School as a School Library Media Specialist. Coincidentally, when June began working at Forest Hills HS in 1990, another new teacher, Linda Savid (of Building 1), also began her career, and a long-lasting friendship flourished. This young couple came from different continents. In the 1930s, in a world away, Jack Schwarz’s parents fled Germany and came to what was then called Palestine. Jack and his sister were born and grew up there. “The streets of Tel Aviv were unpaved and covered with sand. My father was lucky enough to get work in an orange grove. Money for clothing was scarce. He wore the same suit he wore to the office in Germany. For this reason he and the other German refugees were called Yekes, the German transliterated word for jacket. It took 15 years for our family to get a visa to the United States. We settled in Washington Heights where I attended P.S. 173 and then Brooklyn Tech.” “My parents wanted me to become an engineer. Upon graduation I entered a new industry called system analysis as a computer programmer on the IBM mainframes for the Bank of New York and Colgate Palmolive. I went on to computer management roles in the retail field for giants like Lane Bryant, Gertz and Stern’s departments stores,” Schwartz said. Later, as the retail industry sagged, Schwartz returned to school to earn an MA in education and became a high school teacher of ESL and Advanced Placement Accounting at Benjamin Cardozo High School. He then earned a post graduate degree in school administration and became the assistant principal of Organization at Flushing High School in Queens, of which coincidentally June is a graduate. After moving to the Towers, the pair jumped right in enjoying what NST has to offer. Including, the outdoor pool in the summer and the Tuesday night ballroom dance classes with Mary Grace in the Aerobics room. When they heard about the initiative originated by Marilyn Chris and Lee Wallace, also new residents, to start a short film festival, they volunteered their apartment for the committee to review and select short films to be shown on September 17 and October 3. Reflecting on their 47-year marriage and her first meeting as a subject for Jack’s experiment at CCNY, June says, “I’m still waiting for the results and hope the experiment never ends.” By FRED CHERNOW North Shore Towers Courier n July 2013 17 World-Class Vascular Surgical Care Close to Home Gregg S. Landis, MD, FACS has joined the North Shore-LIJ Health System as Vice Chairman, Surgery and Chief, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at our Long Island Jewish Medical Center. With over 18 years of experience, Dr. Landis, a board certified vascular surgeon, specializes in state-of-the-art treatments for prevention of stroke, peripheral arterial disease and minimally invasive vascular interventions, as well as comprehensive wellness care. As an Associate Professor of Surgery, North Shore-LIJ Hofstra School of Medicine, Dr. Landis is helping to advance medical education in vascular and endovascular healthcare. Now as part of the North Shore-LIJ Medical Group, Dr. Landis and his patients have access to the extensive resources of the North Shore-LIJ Health System and the experts at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. For an appointment, call (516) 233-3607. North Shore-LIJ Vascular Surgery 1999 Marcus Avenue, Suite 106B Lake Success, New York 11042 For more information on Dr. Landis and the North Shore-LIJ Medical Group, go to nslijdocs.com.


NST072013
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