Excellent narrative which adds dimension to the conversation. It exemplifies that many things can be true at the same time, which amplifies the need to present as many sides of an issue as possible. Clearly Bob Brody, the author of the Post article, intended to present only one side, which one could argue was to agitate and stir unsettling feelings. Then again, that particular publication is known to take a more sensationalized tone to a topic. A better story would have been one that presented a balanced perspective of the experiences of the Jewish community in Radburn, the good and the bad.
Often people mistake their own experience as true for everyone. No community has everyone exposed to events which were the same or perceived the same way. Thank you for demonstrating this was true in Radburn, Fair Lawn and surrounding areas. Prejudice, both real and imagined, is very personal for both the practitioners and the recipients.
A persuasive and well-argued rebuttal. And the issues remain timely. To this day a Jewish congregation in Montclair holds High Holy Days services at a Presbyterian church there because the synagogue across the street is too small to hold all the people who want to attend.
The realtor who sold more houses in Radburn than any other realtor in the 50s and 60s told me directly she wouldn't show Radburn houses to Jews (or Blacks or any minorities). And across the street from Radburn, on Alden Terrace and Greenwood Dr, every house was Jewish, and yet right next door, Howard Ave and B Park had no Jews. That doesn't just happen. And the Radburn Boy Scouts were all non-Jews. Of course it works both ways. When I got to Fair Lawn High School, my girlfriend was told by her parents to dump me because I wasn't Jewish.
Most of the Radburn boys went to Catholic schools and they were cruel toward the Jewish boys at Boy Scout camp who didn't live in Radburn, mercilessly hazing them, I was there, I saw it.
Excellent narrative which adds dimension to the conversation. It exemplifies that many things can be true at the same time, which amplifies the need to present as many sides of an issue as possible. Clearly Bob Brody, the author of the Post article, intended to present only one side, which one could argue was to agitate and stir unsettling feelings. Then again, that particular publication is known to take a more sensationalized tone to a topic. A better story would have been one that presented a balanced perspective of the experiences of the Jewish community in Radburn, the good and the bad.
Often people mistake their own experience as true for everyone. No community has everyone exposed to events which were the same or perceived the same way. Thank you for demonstrating this was true in Radburn, Fair Lawn and surrounding areas. Prejudice, both real and imagined, is very personal for both the practitioners and the recipients.
A persuasive and well-argued rebuttal. And the issues remain timely. To this day a Jewish congregation in Montclair holds High Holy Days services at a Presbyterian church there because the synagogue across the street is too small to hold all the people who want to attend.
The realtor who sold more houses in Radburn than any other realtor in the 50s and 60s told me directly she wouldn't show Radburn houses to Jews (or Blacks or any minorities). And across the street from Radburn, on Alden Terrace and Greenwood Dr, every house was Jewish, and yet right next door, Howard Ave and B Park had no Jews. That doesn't just happen. And the Radburn Boy Scouts were all non-Jews. Of course it works both ways. When I got to Fair Lawn High School, my girlfriend was told by her parents to dump me because I wasn't Jewish.
Hi Cornell, My brothers were cub scouts and my Dad was a troop leader in the 60s. We are Jewish and went to Radburn School.
Most of the Radburn boys went to Catholic schools and they were cruel toward the Jewish boys at Boy Scout camp who didn't live in Radburn, mercilessly hazing them, I was there, I saw it.
Interesting and important article in the era of “alternative facts”.
Thank you for setting the record straight!
This piece models what a good reporter does to verify facts before running with hearsay. I hope The Post will run a correction??