Thx for this Gerald. Your sstory reminds me of a similar one told by folks who lived directly across Radburn Rd -- outside the RA -- who were Jewish and told in the '50s they'd be more comfortable outside the association. I wonder if discrimination actually increased for a time after the war, as more Jews moved into Fair Lawn?
The Fair Lawn centennial is coming up, and i'll be sure to keep your father in mind. -- Rick
Thanks for your reply. I’m not sure it increased but it still existed. I personally had to “defend” my religion when 8 or 9 by kids who bullied me because of my religion. Anecdotally, family stories detail how my mother had a hard time because she didn’t drive and neighbors were unhelpful when she needed items from local stores. I was also told that our next door neighbor moved soon after we arrived because they did wish to live next to a Jewish family.
I appreciate you keeping my father in mind vis a vis the Fair Lawn Centennial. He did much for the community. The library at Thomas Jefferson Middle School is named or dedicated to him. I have a copy of the Paterson Evening News article about his death during the middle of a very heated Board of Education meeting in June, 1961. There was a controversy regarding communism in the high school because some students chose to not recite the Pledge of Allegiance. My father was in the midst of defending the students when he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistance. My direct email is
In the 1950s and 60s, Boy Scout Troop 53 was all Radburn boys and there were no Jews. But Radburn School was half Jewish kids who lived on Alden, Greenwood Dr and other street north.
Greenwood Drive is not part of Radburn. It was the border of the “ Brunetti” development. Radburn Road was one of the border streets of Radburn and parallel to Greenwood Drive. That whole development was started in 1950 and probably provided the greatest influx of families coming from New York getting out to the “suburbs”. Many of those families were Jewish!
I was a member of Troop 53 in Radburn. As my brother Gerry pointed out a number of our neighbors wanted to buy the house we lived in to keep us “out” but were unsuccessful. Also, we did have some good neighbors although we realized they were generally in the minority. The neighbor who moved away several months after we moved in moved to a community further north and west called Smoke Rise… that community had the welcoming sign at their entrance that said, “ No salesmen, Blacks, Jews, or other undesirables allowed.” I graduated from FairLawn High school and at our 50th reunion approached me and apologized for her parents who were among those who wanted to keep us out of Radburn.
I have many remembrances of growing up in Radburn as a wonderful place…. after I got past getting beat up by one of our neighbors son for being Jewish! He turned out to be a very disturbed kid who got into trouble a lot and thought so little of himself he took his fathers rifle and stood in front of a mirror and shot his own reflection through the mirror into the neighbors next door home.
I have lot of happier events living in Radburn… the theatrical presentations in the summer at the outdoor stage that allowed the audience to sit on the hill up from the stage and in the winter was a hill to use our sleds in the snow to go down. Suicide Cliff was another favorite place to use when it snowed for sledding until that land was used to “make” Alden Terrace.
My parents, Edgar and Evelyn Moss, moved to 2010 Radburn Rd in Radburn in 1950. I was two; my brother and sister were 10 and 6, respectively. According to their recollections from family stories, neighbors of the home tried to band together and purchase it to keep my parents from purchasing. Fortunately, it didn’t succeed. Yes, we were Jewish. My father ultimately became a pillar of the Fair Lawn community, serving many years on the school board and was instrumental in helping the Fair Lawn Jewish Center to develop and grow. There is now a road named after him in Fair Lawn; Moss Raod. At one point there was discussion of renaming Radburn School after him.
Thx for this Gerald. Your sstory reminds me of a similar one told by folks who lived directly across Radburn Rd -- outside the RA -- who were Jewish and told in the '50s they'd be more comfortable outside the association. I wonder if discrimination actually increased for a time after the war, as more Jews moved into Fair Lawn?
The Fair Lawn centennial is coming up, and i'll be sure to keep your father in mind. -- Rick
Thanks for your reply. I’m not sure it increased but it still existed. I personally had to “defend” my religion when 8 or 9 by kids who bullied me because of my religion. Anecdotally, family stories detail how my mother had a hard time because she didn’t drive and neighbors were unhelpful when she needed items from local stores. I was also told that our next door neighbor moved soon after we arrived because they did wish to live next to a Jewish family.
I appreciate you keeping my father in mind vis a vis the Fair Lawn Centennial. He did much for the community. The library at Thomas Jefferson Middle School is named or dedicated to him. I have a copy of the Paterson Evening News article about his death during the middle of a very heated Board of Education meeting in June, 1961. There was a controversy regarding communism in the high school because some students chose to not recite the Pledge of Allegiance. My father was in the midst of defending the students when he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistance. My direct email is
gaivmoss@gmail.com
The neighbor DID NOT wish to live next to a Jewish family.
In the 1950s and 60s, Boy Scout Troop 53 was all Radburn boys and there were no Jews. But Radburn School was half Jewish kids who lived on Alden, Greenwood Dr and other street north.
Greenwood Drive is not part of Radburn. It was the border of the “ Brunetti” development. Radburn Road was one of the border streets of Radburn and parallel to Greenwood Drive. That whole development was started in 1950 and probably provided the greatest influx of families coming from New York getting out to the “suburbs”. Many of those families were Jewish!
I was a member of Troop 53 in Radburn. As my brother Gerry pointed out a number of our neighbors wanted to buy the house we lived in to keep us “out” but were unsuccessful. Also, we did have some good neighbors although we realized they were generally in the minority. The neighbor who moved away several months after we moved in moved to a community further north and west called Smoke Rise… that community had the welcoming sign at their entrance that said, “ No salesmen, Blacks, Jews, or other undesirables allowed.” I graduated from FairLawn High school and at our 50th reunion approached me and apologized for her parents who were among those who wanted to keep us out of Radburn.
I have many remembrances of growing up in Radburn as a wonderful place…. after I got past getting beat up by one of our neighbors son for being Jewish! He turned out to be a very disturbed kid who got into trouble a lot and thought so little of himself he took his fathers rifle and stood in front of a mirror and shot his own reflection through the mirror into the neighbors next door home.
I have lot of happier events living in Radburn… the theatrical presentations in the summer at the outdoor stage that allowed the audience to sit on the hill up from the stage and in the winter was a hill to use our sleds in the snow to go down. Suicide Cliff was another favorite place to use when it snowed for sledding until that land was used to “make” Alden Terrace.
Larry Moss… the older brother of Gerry!
Very interesting article. Thank you for sharing!
My parents, Edgar and Evelyn Moss, moved to 2010 Radburn Rd in Radburn in 1950. I was two; my brother and sister were 10 and 6, respectively. According to their recollections from family stories, neighbors of the home tried to band together and purchase it to keep my parents from purchasing. Fortunately, it didn’t succeed. Yes, we were Jewish. My father ultimately became a pillar of the Fair Lawn community, serving many years on the school board and was instrumental in helping the Fair Lawn Jewish Center to develop and grow. There is now a road named after him in Fair Lawn; Moss Raod. At one point there was discussion of renaming Radburn School after him.