Yeshiva University High School For Boys - Elchanite Yearbook (New York, NY)

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.:::':f::::'vfvss2':f::zv THE EL CHA NITE 1::::r:' The group immediafely began discussing fhe business on hand. Speeches were made, buf no consfrucfive plans were fhoughf of. The men who spoke, before fhey were half fhrough had losf fhemselves amidsf a hosf of confradicfions, uncerfainfies, and fumbling ideas, and fhis despife fhe lesson of organi- zafion which had been drilled info fheir heads af high-school by Mr. Asfrachan. This idle discussion might have gone on in- definifely had nof J. Gofflieb sfruck on a plan. To his mind, if was all very simple. Their parfy here was fo help fhe poor man, fhe man-on- fhe sfreef, now, why nof go fo him for cam- paign expenses? Go fo fhe people for expenses! The room suddenly became alive. If was breafhfakingl If had never been fried before! Would if work? Could a parfy succeed wifhouf big campaign funds? Sfraighfway fhey wenf fo find ouf. Excepf for fhe very regreffable incidenf of fhe Revisionisf group, fhe Dem-Rafs parfy had nof openly incurred any disfavor. They knew fhough fhaf fhere was progressing againsf fhem a campaign, fhe magnifude of which fhey had only lafely begun fo realize. They immediafely began fo work on fheir sfandby, fhe Civil Service. They made con- facfs wifh l. Feldman, edifor of fhe Bugle, fhe official Service organ. Feldman was a mil- ifanf edifor, a Fascisf and Revisionisf. They senf quesfionnaires fo every Civil Service man asking him fo define fheir parfy leanings. They organized picnics for fhe clerical sfaff, fhey fefed fhe sfreef cleaners and gave a bonus fo fhe police and firemen. Somefimes, fhere were obiecfions, fhere al- ways were. Buf on fhe whole, fhe Dem-Rafs were geffing along very nicely. Men were im- porfed from ofher cifies, and work was sud- denly found for hifherfo unemployed workers. And fhe gangs began fo dusf off fheir black- iacks on Fusionisfs' heads. Trucks, donafed by Krichewsky and Green- berg, prominenf business men, began fouring The neighborhoods wifh fheir blaring horns and leafher-lunged speakers. A Fusionisf sup- porfer, Winkler, nof fo be oufdone, confrib- ufed frucks fo his parfy. S. Perefz senf fhem a beaufiful giff of a radio because his wife had promised fo commif suicide, or, whaf was more probable and less fo be desired, move bag and baggage fo his mofher-in-law, if he didn'f gef rid of fhe damn fhing. Of course fhere are many ways fo gef cam- paign confribufions. The Dem-Rafs now pro- ceeded fo fry fhe oldesf. Fire inspecfors called one day af-, fhe flour- ishing buffer-and-egg sfore of Waldman and l-lurewifz, Inc. Affer poffering abouf a liffle, fhey, Harris and Lampner, regreffully had fo fell bofh Waldman and l-lurewifz lfhey were bofh wafching each ofher, hands on fhe cash regisferl fhaf fhere was a violafion in fhe sfore. They profesfed, argued, in vain. They even remained adamanf when Waldman made a mofion as if fo open fhe cash regisfer. How- ever, affer repeafed inquiries, Harris, af lasf lef fhem know fhaf, if fhey wished, fhey mighf see fhe disfricf leader, Walker, who was a well-known friend of fhe people. Wifhin a shorf while, Waldman, who had been consfifufed a delegafion of one by l-lurewifz, sfood embarrassedly before Walker, fhe club leader. l-le immediafely made known his wanfs fo him. l-le fold him, wifh many a sigh, of fhe bad fimes, slim pickings, and how fhis violafion would almosf ruin him. ln furn, Walker asked him if he were a club member. Upon receiving a reply in fhe negaifve, fhe disfricf leader affecfed surprise. l-le immedi- afely became his old iolly self, however, when he offered Waldman fwo fickefs, af five dol- lars per, for a dance which fhe sfreef clean- ers' union was sponsoring. You'Il have a good fime, he said, Bring your wife and kids. Good companionship, nice music, friendly, clean faces .... Buf how abouf my violafion? asked Waldman. 23

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Neufeld. Engel was doing a good iob. When he had reformed. so had his infimaifes, and fhe newly organized Fusionisfs had accepfed fhem wifh open arms af fhe requesf of fheir leader, Nafhan Levinson, who was convinced of fheir sincerify. . . The law firm of Sapersfein, Lewis and Levin- son had from The beginning of fhe Fusion movemenf furnecl info a verifable beehive. The sfaff had been increased by fwo men, namely l-l. l-lurwifz and Daniel Peikes. They had sef fo work wifh quief concenfrafiong fhings were now running in a smoofh and well ordered fashion. Businessmen, lawyers, and working men, all mef here for one common goal, fhe defeaf of fhe Dem-Rafs Parfy. l-lowever, fhere was one fly in fhe oinf- menf. lf was all well and good fo know fhaf af lasf opposifion fo fhe misrule of fhe cify was developing. Buf how were fhe plans for fhe campaign fo be made? Who would be fhe campaign manager? Levinson had fold fhem of Engel's experience in polifics and fhe laffer was fherefore fhe mosf logical man for fhe iob, buf cash was lacking. The Fusionisf leaders were in a quandary, and fhey knew if. Therefore, N. Levinson decided if wifh his cusfomary dash and decision. Lef's call a conference, he said. Evenfs were fo occur quickly in fhe nexf few weeks. To one less polifically asfufe fhan l-lerberf Ribner, fhe rapid rise of public indig- nafion would have spelf disasfer. Buf Ribner knew his onions. Already, he had begun fo rally his fasf disappearing forces. l-le ap- peared af banquefs, dinners, and business men's luncheons. l-le had imporfanf confer- ences wifh I. Lasfer, fhe big chain-sfore mag- nafe, and he had even confrived fo gef him- self inferviewed by S. Gorensfein, fhe Broadway columnisf of Breezy Glimpses. lf is a human failing fo make misfakes. And Ribner was soon fo make one fhaf was almosf fo spell disasfer. To some, fhe incidenf may appear laughable. To ofhers who know fhe facfs and realize how fhe pride and feel- ing of fhe inferesfed parfies were fouched, if seems miraculous fhaf fhey ever survived if. One evening, fhree men, B. Sincoff, l. Lasfer, and H. Ribner, were invifed fo affend and speak before fhe Revisionisf group of fhe Zionisf organizafion. Rabbi Walden, fhe chairman of fhe affair, had iusf finished his brief speech of infroducfion. Sincoff arose fo speak. The former shyness of his high school years had disappeared. l-le spoke well, even brillianfly. He noficed as he looked around, fhaf he was creafing a disfincf impression. l-le had iusf uffered a parficularly good sen- fence when if happened. You of 'rhe l-lisfadrufh, he had said, will besf appreciafe fhe posifion, our mufual friend, Mr. Ribner is in. You who have seen your brefhren persecufed by The hafed and hafeful Revisionisfs, realize, I am sure, 'rhe un- warranfedness of fhe Fusion affackf' l-le sfopped. Somefhing was decidedly wrong. There had been no handclapping, no cheers. In facf his lasf pronouncemenfs had been received in ominous silence. l-le did nof undersfand if. lf was unusual. Sincoff fried fo remember, whaf, if any- fhing, he had said had displeased fhem. Sud- denly, his lasf few words repeafed fhemselves dully in his mind. You who have seen your brefhren persecufed by fhe hafed and hafeful Revisionisfs .... And all fhe fime he had been addressing a Revisionisf group. Bofh he and Lasfer sfarfed fo gef up 'ro make fheir apologies. Already fhey were foo lafe. Rabbi Walden, no longer fhe good-na- fured chairman, reenforced by Rabbi Tannen- baum, were on fheir feef. They demanded an apology. Buf fhey did nof waif for a reply. They were urging fheir comrades fo avenge fhe insulf, when Ribner, followed by Sincoff and Lasfer, leff in hasfe. If is beffer fo refire in confusion, fhan fo be a broken-boned hero, n'esf-ce pas, Mr. Fried? Wifhin a shorf fime affer Levinson had de- cided fo call a conference, fhe brains of fhe new movemenf had foregafhered. J. Goff- lieb, H. l-lurwifz, Leeman, Cohn, lvlehler, and The fwo candidafes, Eisenberg and Neufeld, and of course, Sapersfein, Lewis and Levin-- son of fhe well-known firm of Sapersfein, Lewis and Levinson, lnc., were fhere. 22

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JusT as Walker was abouT To answer, Lip- schuTz, his secreTary, came in wiThouT knock- ing, and announced ThaT There was a cerTain Dr. Gold To see him. Show him righT in, said Walker, and Once again he Turned Towards Waldman. Again he was inTerrupTed. BuT This Time iT was Dr. Gold and Dr. KabakoTT who sTOod be- Tore him. ATTer Taking one look aT Them, Walker sud- denly remembered Their case. They were Two promising medicos aT The l-leighTs l-lospiTal who had oTTended one OT The ciTy's leading poliTicians. They were boTh ready To operaTe on one OT The many chariTy cases in The hos- piTal. All was ready when suddenly an orderly had bursT inTo The room. From his Tew inco- herenT babblings They gaThered ThaT one OT The ciTy's leading poliTicians, whom we shall call Mr. X., who was in an inToxicaTed condi- Tion, demanded To be examined by eiTher Dr. KabakOTT Or Dr. Gold. They reTusecl, and per- Tormed a successTul operaTiOn on Their pa- TienT. Mr. X. had sworn he'd geT Them. l-le had. Perhaps ThaT was why They were here. IT ThaT was The reason, he would cuT Them shOrT. Did you come TO see me abouT geTTing your pOsiTiOns back? he asked cuTTingly. SOmewhaT Taken aback, boTh Dr. KabakOTT and Dr. Gold, answered in The aTTirmaTive. l can'T help yOu, Walker announced and Turned away. To him, The inTerview was closed. BuT nOT so Tor Mr. Waldman. l-le had been a silenT specTaTOr To The proceedings. l-le, TOO, had heard OT Gold and KabakOTT, and, when he saw The summary dismissal OT These Two men, he saw red. However, even in mOmenTs OT anger, Wald- man could sTill Think clearly. l-le saw ThaT The case OT These Two medicos was hopeless, and as Tor his own, iT would probably resulT in would-be shakedown aTTer shakedown. Come onl he said TO KabakOTT and Gold, his mind made up. We'll go TO a group ThaT can really help us. JusT sTick around wiTh me and you'll Tind plenTy OT pOssibiliTies. Yes, sir! PlenTy OT possibiliTieS. 'Twas The nighT OT The elecTion. The campaign was over. All ThaT remained was The Tinal Taking and accounTing OT The voTes Trom The ciTy precincTs. The candidaTes, Eis- enberg and NeuTeld. saT aT The head OT The banqueT Table, ouTwardly calm, buT inside Their ThoughTs were in a TumulT OT uncerTainTy. Would They win? Would They come OuT ahead? And so They saT, smiles on Their lips only. Among Them were gaThered The TaiThTul.' These were The men who had done Their biT Toward helping The FusionisT movemenT. There was Winkler, who had renounced a prOTiTable sTage job To do his biT Toward The cause by sTreeT-corner speaking. There were Mehler, PereTz, Peikes, Margolis, Engel, and The indomifable N. Levinson, OT The Tirm Sap- ersTein, Lewis and Levinson, lnc., To name buT a Tew. The banqueT was noT a merry One, Though naTure, aided and abeTTed by Ten gallons OT vodka, Tried her besT To make This a gay one. OT course, There were speakers, and iusT aT This mOmenT we Tind Rabbi Roodman, OT Syracuse, holding The sTage. l-lowever, The Dem-RaTs, Too, were having Their banqueT. Around Them had gaThered Their candidaTes, BreslOTT and Kravchik, Rib- ner, LipshuTz, Walker, LasTer, and SincoTT. More used To The sTress OT elecTion nighT, Than Their OpponenTs, They were waxing quiTe merry. The game was OuT OT Their hands now. Why worry? The sTreeTs were Thickly populaTed. Times Square was in a Turmoil. The cenTer OT inTer- esT was The Times Building. From iTs brighTly liT sign would come The TirsT elecTion news. ThereTore, The crowd waiTed and iosTled each OTher good-naTuredly. Suddenly, words began To make Their ap- pearance on The sign. The crowd gazed 24