Princeton University Art Museum. 2013. Photo by Paul Goldfinger. Xerxes I was King of Persia around 470 BC. He was admitted to Princeton because he ruled an empire, was nice to the Jews, had great SAT’s, an impressive essay, and he played bassoon in the band.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Blogfinger.net, Ocean Grove, NJ, USA
Ironically, Persian kings (Cyrus the Great and Xerxes) beat the Babylonians (around 490 BC) and thus freed the Jews from slavery, granted them freedom of religion, and allowed them to return to Jerusalem and their home land of Israel (Judah and Israel) around 490 BC.
There are those who today say that President Trump is the most important person for Jewish survival since Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire .
Over the years since King David (1000 BC) the Jewish people fought many wars, winning some and losing others. Their opponents were not initially Muslims since Islam was created in the 7th century CE, and there was a golden age when Jews and Muslims worked well together in Spain from the 10th to the 13th centuries.
The Jewish nation fought Phoenicians, Egyptians, Canaanites, Greeks, Romans and many others. The ups and downs of Jewish survival continue to now with the war with Hamas, occupiers of Gaza.
Undoubtedly the name Trump will take its place on the pantheon of Jewish history which has so far lasted for over 3,000 years.
SLOVENIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA. “Xerxes, Act 1” The selection is Ombra mai fu George Frederic Handel.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor and first Ocean Grove mohel. (Schedule an appointment. Be the first in OG history.).
Corporal Herbert Blum, a Jewish soldier, sent this Purim postcard (issued by the Jewish Welfare Board) home to his parents in Jersey City. Blum worked for the Army Air Forces as a cryptographic technician during WWII. He served in Europe with the 327th Signal Company, 8th Air Force in 1944 and 1945.
We need to go back in history to understand this holiday, because Purim is a one day celebration of a historic event. The story is told in the Bible, but the Book of Esther doesn’t mention God, and it is not a religious holiday. The events having to do with Purim occurred about 430 BC.
Around 600 BC the Jewish nation was about done after some remarkable years under Kings David and Solomon. The Babylonians invaded in 586 BC, destroyed the first Temple, and deported most of the Jews to Mesopotamia.. It was the beginning of the worldwide Jewish Diaspora.
Then along came the Persians (from modern day Iran under Cyrus the Great —-about 540 BC. ) Jews were allowed to return to the land of Israel, but others remained scattered widely including those in Persia.
After Cyrus died, the king of Persia was Ahashverosh. His queen was Esther who was Jewish but who hid her real identity. When the king’s advisor Haman persuaded the king to allow him to exterminate the Jews, Esther persuaded the king to reverse that edict. She risked her life to do that.
So Purim is celebrated for one day each spring, usually in March. There are feasts, parades, costume parties and special triangular cakes called hamantashen which are eaten even now, and there are recipes to be Googled.
Hamentashen. The fillings vary. Internet photo.
There is a Jewish bakery in Deal (Nahum Challa. 268 Norwood Avenue, about 10 minutes from the Grove ) which probably won’t have authentic ones still available. Other bakeries may still have it now. Try the Macaroon Shop in Avon-By-The-Bagel. Part of the diaspora has been doing well at the Jersey Shore for many years. (Ever hear of “Bagel Beach?” i.e. Bradley Beach)
There are echoes of this biblical story occurring now, and the good will between Jews and Persians will be renewed. My friend surgeon Dr. Hormoz Minoui died last year. He was an immigrant from Iran. He married Evelyn here, so he became a Roman Catholic. But he remained in touch with his friends from Iran, and he always insisted that his origin was Persia and not Iran. He would have been so happy to see the current events.
Paul Goldfinger photograph. 2002. Asbury Park at The Rising.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor of Blogfinger.net
In 2004, a photography project was developed called America 24/7. More than 5,000 professional, amateur, and student photographers set about to “go out and shoot digital pictures that tell us about your life, your community, your state, and your country. ” Each state had a book published.
“More than a million images were taken for the project, and the best were selected by 36 of the nation’s leading photo editors.” The quotes here are from the book which was published in 2004.
New Jersey 24/7 wound up with 540 images “adding up to a panoramic view of life across the Garden State.” The editors of the New Jersey book were Rick Smolan and David Elliot Cohen from the New York Times. They said the book contained “extraordinary images of one week in New Jersey.”
The photograph that was chosen for the book’s cover was my image of lifeguards on the beach in Asbury Park on July 30, 2002 at the debut of Springsteen’s new album The Rising.
I used to walk over to Asbury Park from the Grove, and in those days, the beachfront was deserted, and there were concerns about crime.
But for the Springsteen event, the producers set up the beach as if it were a thriving resort. There was live music and large crowds. I went down on the beach where the “Morning Show” was being broadcast with Katy Couric who was being interviewed while standing in the surf while hot lights illuminated her.
Here is a link to the article on Blogfinger in 2013 which I posted using the same photograph and a few others taken that July day. There is a song from the album.
Joan (L), Ed, and Linda “porch sitting” at Tent Village, Ocean Grove, NJ.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.
Joan and Ed Poehlmann are from Ohio and they have been spending their summers in an Ocean Grove tent for the last 48 years. They must like it a lot.
Tenters come from all over the country. It’s like a village; sort of a mini-camp ground. The colony has about 100 tents and traces its roots all the way back to the founding of Ocean Grove. It was in Founders Park where a group of Methodist ministers met near Wesley Lake; and they stayed in tents. You can see tents in large numbers in the 1880 engraving which we recently posted .
I don’t think I have ever had a conversation with a tenter—until yesterday, when, while biking by, I saw some beautiful light filtering through the flags, and I asked three of them sitting on a porch if I could step into their space to take a photo.
They were friendly and chatty and they not only agreed, but they adjusted a flag that had gone topsy-turvy and they laughed at my jokes.
Their community has its own customs, rhythms, and life style. They like to sit on their porches and chat with neighbors, and their conversations often focus on tent life.
Ocean Grove, outside their boundaries, must seem almost like a foreign place to them. They told me that people driving by stop their cars, stare at them, roll down the windows, take a photo, and then ride on without a word.
But these tenters are used to gawking tourists. I told them who I was in the hopes that they would tell me some lascivious tenting secrets. They sort of rolled their eyes as if to say, “…if you only knew!” But mum’s the word when it comes to the tenting life.
One of their customs is to celebrate Christmas in July. I love that idea and we often emulate it with Yule-time music at odd times on Blogfinger.
Over the years we have posted many images of the tent village, and this summer we will be doing a progressive photo essay on the subject. The tents are the most photographed objects in town.
The most exciting thing tenters do is “porch sitting.” That is their quaint way of saying, “sitting on our porch.” From that vantage point they can keep an eye on the neighbors and the tourists and the kids.
They can also listen to Gordon Turk wail away on that giant Hope-Jones organ and they can hear 78 year old Neil Sedaka when he tears up this summer in the Great Auditorium and sings, “Breaking Up is Hard to Do.” Neil, at your age, waking up is hard to do. Another special moment is if they spot Ronald Naldi, the Metropolitan Opera star who stays in a tent each summer.
Sitting with Joan and Ed was Linda Nittoli from NY State. I asked if she was a relative. She said, “No, I’m a visitor.”
“Oh,” I said jokingly, “You’re a freeloader.”
“Yes,” she said, “and I’m very good at it. ”
You have to understand the context of this exchange. We were in the midst of joking about a variety of subjects, and these tenters love to laugh—thus the “freeloader” designation was greeted with good cheer. (actually, belly laughs); It seems that Linda has visited here before.
When I told them that I was Blogfinger, their reaction was very positive. They like to follow BF when they are home in Ohio. I said, “Why, oh why, oh why oh—- would you ever leave Ohio” (to paraphrase some lyrics from Wonderful Town.”*)
*”why, oh why, oh why, oh —
why did I ever leave Ohio?
why did I wander to find what lies yonder
when life was so cozy at home?
Joan told me about her grandson who “grew up in this tent” and repaired bicycles on the grass. Now he is a sailor on a huge US Navy aircraft carrier where he repairs ejection seats on jet planes.
So now I have a whole new perspective on the tenters’ life. One of those tenters should write a memoir about it.
And, to keep them entertained until Neil Sedaka shows up, here he is with this song that he released in 1962:
According to the NY Times, “to secede in Ocean Grove, a majority in both the community and the township must vote in favor of it in a referendum.”
“A bill that would permit such a referendum must first be passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor.”
Then, “within 7 months, the referendum must appear on the ballot in either a primary, general or special election.”
“Before the election, however, at least three mandatory public hearings must be held to discuss the consequences of secession”
“If secession is approved in the referendum by the require majority, the Governor would appoint community residents to a temporary borough council and office of mayor.”
“The appointed officials would run the borough until the January following the next general election, when the residents would choose their own government.”
The last time this was tried was in 1985 when State Senator Frank Pallone placed a referendum for the secession of OG on the Neptune ballot. Most Grovers voted yes, but unfortunately, a majority of Ocean Grovers could not be a deal maker, because Neptune Township residents voted it down, and those Neptuners have veto power over us. The same thing happened in 1980.
Back then, after governance control was given to Neptune in 1980 by the NJ Supreme Court, more and more Grovers became “disgruntled.” They complained of “a decline in the quality of life.” A citizens committee advocating secession was formed . They thought that the town was”going downhill” and they were mostly worried about crime. Some wanted a return to how it was under the CMA, with less noise, less arson, and less dogs running free. They blamed Neptune for what they said is “disruption of the tranquility and charm of Ocean Grove.”
At the time Senator Pallone said, “There are definitely precedents. If you go back far enough, almost every town in Monmouth County seceded at one time because thee were originally only four giant townships here.”
Back in the 19th century, when Ocean Grove was carved out of Ocean Township, it was grafted onto Neptune Township instead of being given the chance to go on its own.
Since it was typical for towns to be given their freedom back then, we can only conclude that deal making between Neptune and the CMA gave rise to that arrangement; but that is merely well founded speculation.
Since no economic projections were made in 1980 and 1985, no one could predict how secession would affect taxes in Neptune or Ocean Grove, and that uncertainty affected Neptune voters mostly.
Interestingly, in 1985 there was also a Historic Ordinance Committee that tried to convince Neptune to “issue ordinances that would only apply to Ocean Grove concerning parking, alcohol, animals, garbage collection , noise, mopeds, and building construction.” That Committee had 100 members and the endorsement of 16 community organizations “ranging from the hotel and homeowners’ associations to the fishing club.” So they weren’t seeking secession, only reform—which was rejected by the Neptuners.
The mayor then, Lawrence Lawson, said that “he was exasperated by the strained relations between Ocean Grove and the township.”
Well now in 2019 it’s worse—the Neptune negativity towards OG continues. Strained relations imply some discussion; now the Neptuners just ignore us
And how is it that we still have blue laws regarding alcohol, tobacco and beaching on Sunday mornings. That is because of the incestuous relationship between Neptune and the CMA, which continues to today; just look at the North End developers’ paradise.
Do not reelect the “do-nothing-for-the-Grove” incumbent Committeemen Lane and Rizzo.
Source: “Special to the NY Times” October 27, 1985: “A Historic Jersey Town Longs for the Old Days.” From the NYT Archives.
By Paul Goldfinger Blogfinger music and fashion editor.
The Avalon French Hot Jazz Band brings back music from the hot jazz scene in the 30’s and 40’s in Paris. It reminds me of the Gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt of that era.
Also, in 1998, Woody Allen made a film called Sweet and Lowdown, and Shawn Penn played a Reinhardt sort of musician. It’s geat fun
Cole Porter wrote “I Love Paris,” and in this video Tatiana Eva-Marie does a nice job with the band, but I have to say, “That dress is ugly–a genuine schmatta.” But I also have to say, “Tatiana would look good dressed in your mother’s table cloth.”
But, perhaps Tatiana might consider a wardrobe consultation with Storm Large who sings with Pink Martini.
——–Schmatta*: a Yiddish word meaning “rag.”
Storm Large with Pink Martini singing “Amado Mio” A link below from Blogfinger
Asbury Park Lifeguards. By Paul Goldfinger . This photo was chosen for the cover of the book. “New Jersey 24/7.” 7/30/2002.
On July 30, 2002, Bruce Springsteen kicked off his tour for his new album called The Rising. The AP boardwalk was the place, and the beachfront, which usually was empty, became full of people.
This photograph was taken that morning when the Today show broadcast from the beach. You can see the bright television lights. Katie Couric was there holding a microphone standing in the surf. Danny DeVito was there also, schmoozing with the crowd.
