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We Have Never Forgotten Woodmont!

Mrs. Beverly Pava: Posted on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 11:27 AM

If you ever walked down Hillside Avenue in Woodmont, then you passed a white cottage on 133 with the sign "TA-KIT-EZ". It was in that cottage on the beach that I spent every summer from 1929 to the early 2000's. I recall my parents wheeling me in the carriage all the way to to the VILLA ROSA on Sunday evening for ice cream sundaes. During the week my dad was back in Springfield working, so this was our treat. Most days we swam and had"cookouts" on the beach in the evenings. All we needed to do was run over to Allinson's and buy the hotdogs and marshmallows! We did all our marketing at the three stores around Sloppy Joes. Sometimes, we would walk to the anchor to the general store and the library! I recall performing at the Milford Summer Theater when I was older. Who needed camp? We had our girlfriends and the neighbohood boys to hang out with. We had the Capitol Theater in Milford and Savin Rock for entertainment. When Sam and I started dating, he would come to Woodmont on Sundays with my sister Milly and her husband who were driving down for the day. It was on the rocks at the anchor that we got engaged. After we married and had our boys, they too enjoyed each summer, learning to swim, sail, motor boat, and best of all take long hikes with their dad on Saturday afternoon. Friday evening and Shabbos they all went to shul and it was in the Woodmont shul that they honed their skils at reading the Torah and davening. Sunday morning breakfast at shul was an experience. The women prepared while the men davenened and then all enjoyed breakfast together. Aaron Katzman, then President, awarded our son Jeremy a lovely plaque for his participation in shul activities! It still adorns his shelf. The yearly card parties were fun for kids and adults. I even remember when the shul had a yearly dinner! I wrote a history of the shul when we celebrated the 75th year. Moses and his wife Vivian tell us that they got engaged on the rocks at the anchor (shades of his parents). It was in Woodmont, twenty years ago this coming summer that our family got together to wish our oldest son and his wife and five children farewell, as they made Aliyah to Israel. The cottage on Hillside Avenue was a retreat for the Fein Family, the Kimball family and the Pavas. We hope you remember us, we have certainly never forgotten Woodmont. When we were happy, we wold dance around the dinner table. There were squabbles when three or four or five women tried to cook in the ktchen at once. We celebrated simchas and mourned losing family members. 

Comments: (2)

Martin Goldbaum on Saturday, September 01, 2012 1:30 PM

My mother(Sylvia) took me to the beach in Woodmont as a child. (i was approx. 8-11 yrs old) I remember the long woo row bldg used for changing into bathing suits. I used to play at the end of a large storm drain which I think is still there. It was alway trickling water. Some other friends of moms were there. One was Gerty Bettman. She made the best latkas I ever had to this day. One time I walked into the water and stepped on a broken bottle which caused me to jump onto my other foot. When I landed on the other foot I cut that one also. One of the cuts was very bad and they had to rush me to the hospital in New Haven to stitch me up. A friend (coco) of my dad(Herman) was there and he had a new powder blue convertible. They wrapped my foot up and tossed me into the car and took me to the hospital for stitches. The right of way entrance to the area is still there today near the pizza rest. I once found a playmate and somehow went home with him to his house and my family didn't know where I was. Somehow they were able to find me there. My mom was very angry with the woman for not notifying someone since she did't know who I was. She told my mom oh he's playing with my son. My mom was furious with her. That's my memory of "bagel beach".

Deb Balogh-Delaney on Monday, October 15, 2012 7:05 AM

My family owned 132 Hillside Ave. What a great way to spend summers growing up! We could never wait for school to be out to get to the beach and have fun with our summer friends. We used to hang with the Mascarello's, Schmitz, and Granoff's. We would frequently go to Friday night services at the little shul and have kiddush with a group of elderly men who enjoyed having us there. Great memories of Sloppy Joe's and Sandy Beach.

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