The summer's almost over.

Things have heated up as the summer draws to a close.  And not just the weather.  The last two weeks have been incredibly busy and I've been out of town more than I've been at home.  I apologize for no new postings.  This will probably be the last entry until after Labor Day, as I anticipate another busy couple of weeks.

In the last blog entry, I published this picture sent in by Carol Harrison Knopf.  Mal Casway recognized the scene and sent this note.

I THINK THAT WAS THE ALLEY THAT LEAD UP TO BROAD STREET NEAR THE PALACE THEATER.
 WE USED TO LIVE ON BROAD ST OVER MY DADS BEAUTY SUPPLY WM J. FERSCHKE BEAUTY & BARBER SUPPLY  AT 157 S. BROAD ST.

My youngest son played baseball with Dave Blake's son this spring.  Dave and his father own Blake's Hardware on Olden Avenue in Trenton.  Dave's father remembers a fairly large concentration of Jews who lived near Clinton Avenue.  Although he's not Jewish, he told me that what stands out in his memory about the Jews who lived in that area, "Almost all of them worked hard and made sure that their kids went to college."  It's an observation that I've heard over and over again as I've spoken to people from area.  Speaking of hardware stores, the garage door decided to stop working for about a month.  Last weekend I took a ride up to Finkle's Hardware in Lambertville to look for a replacement part.

I found this painting online at a website called Wet Canvas.  The artist is Jeff G.  

If you've never been to Finkle's it's like stepping back in time.  Think back to the days before Home Depot and Lowe's.   The inventory is incredible here.  The store must be three times the size of a normal store.  Everytime you think you're at the back of the store, there's another store behind it.  Art Finkle, who has been a great supporter of the blog told me at our first meeting about a branch of his family that opened the store.  It really was a treat to go there and it was so hot that day that I almost wished it had been snowing.  Almost.

Not sure if you've driven by Clarksville Road recently, but last week I did see a couple of backhoes  at the site of the new JCC Campus.  After a long wait, work is finally taking place and the return of the JCC would be a great boon to the Greater Trenton Jewish Community.  It might not have the central location of the YMHA on Stockton Street, or the facilities (yet) of the JCC in Ewing, having a JCC is important to bringing together a widespread, far-flung community.

Keep a look out for news of a a meeting after the High Holidays.  As soon as we have a date, we'll get the word out.

Best of luck to Frank and Ruth Lubitz, who are going to be moving from the area to Florida. Adath Israel will be honoring them at services on Saturday, August 27th.For more information, please contact mcolflesh@adathisraelnj.org or call the Adath Israel office at 609.896.4977 and ask for Mira.  Frank,'s parent owned a bakery and Frank and his brother owned a fruit store in downtown Trenton for years.  His wife Ruth was saved by the Kindertransport during World War II.  We will miss you.


In the meantime, here's another old photo from the archives.

 Here's a photo from 1958.  I presume that this was at the site of the JCC in Ewing.  Anyone know who's in mid-air?  


Have a cool next couple of weeks.

Ed