Author Archives: Bette

It all began in 1936 when  Mrs. Pauline Levin, Naomi’s mother, invited us to her home and suggested that we form a club. The purpose of the club would be to help children who were being cared for at the Cardiac Home in Caldwell.  All of us were in the second grade in Hillside Avenue School and most of us were seven years old. We all liked the idea and soon we were meeting at each other’s homes every Friday.  Dues were five cents a week. Fund raising activities began, and in April 1937 we presented a check for $25.00 to the Cardiac Home at a meeting of the Fidelity Lodge.

Mrs. Levin, our club mother, adviser and friend, taught us about club work, charity and friendship.  She kept us together during all our busy years.

This picture was taken by Bette’s cousin, Bill Rabinowitz, just before she moved to Newark. The cakes, served by Mrs. Hammer, were called “Victory Cakes” and had lots of whipped cream inside.

 Mrs. Levin was our devoted leader for twenty years and we looked forward to many more years with her.

We were all there to join Carol and Norman on the happy occasion of Robert’s Bar Mitzvah.

This picture was taken in the early 1970’s – exact date is unknown.

A needlepoint created by Lois was presented to Mrs. Levin in honor of our thirty-fifth anniversary. All our names were on it.

We had a wonderful time being together for a mini-vacation in 1978.

Our husbands joined us for this picture in front of the flowering trees.

This picture was taken in 1979

We enjoyed getting together out of doors in the summer of 1980.

Three of us in 1982.

Florence, Harriett and Lois – 1982.

This must have been at Bette’s house – judging from the shutters

We met at Harriett’s house for this meeting.

This party – in Bette’s backyard – was in honor of Don’s graduation from grad school.  We were all there.

Four of us sat down for this picture at one of our meetings in 1984.

We celebrated our anniversary with a brunch at the Parsippany Hilton Hotel. Our husbands and additional guests joined us.

We celebrated our fiftieth anniversary with a brunch at the Parsippany-Hilton Hotel on October 19, 1986.

Our husbands joined the celebration of our milestone anniversary in 1986.

We were glad that Sally’s mother was able to help us celebrate our fiftieth anniversary in 1986.

Left to right are: Bette, Mike, Lois and Norty.

Esther Gooen and Muriel Levin posed with Naomi at our fiftieth anniversary celebration.

One of the tables at our fiftieth anniversary party with Sally and Harold in the foreground.

Bette, Julian Levin and Naomi posed for this picture at our fiftieth.

Harriett and Herb moved to Florida in 1987.  A going away party was held at Bette’s house.

This was taken at the Bailins’ farewell party.

Herb, Harriett, Mike and Bette at the farewell party in 1987.

Sally, Marion, Florence and Bette at a meeting in Bette’s house.

We always enjoyed getting together for our meetings.

We had a get-together at Sally’s house with our husbands where we posed for this picture.

This picture was taken at Sally’s house in 1989.

We celebrated with a brunch on October 20, 1991 and posed again for a picture.

We celebrated our fifty-fifth anniversary at the Parsippany Hilton Hotel.

Bette. Janis and Lois at the party for our fifty-fifth.

We were all invited to the Bat Mitzvah of Harriett and Herb’s granddaughter.  This picture was taken in front of Robin and Chip’s house.

Sally, Janet and Arthur enjoying dinner with the club.

Norman, Harriett, Herb and Carol having a good time at one of our get togethers.

Herb, Norty and Mike.

We were in Florida for different reasons, but we managed to get together while there.  The year was 1994.

We always enjoyed our meetings at Carol’s with her lavish lunches.

Since we were all turning seventy years old, we decided to to the New Age Spa to celebrate all of our birthdays together.

Four of us went in Bette’s car and the rest were driven by Janis.

We enjoyed the healthy, but tasty, meals at the spa and all the activities we shared.

Our time at the New Age Spa was over.  It had been a unique and happy experience for us all.  Norman came to pick up Carol on their way to Canada and joined us for this picture.

The five of us met at Busch’s  for lunch. Marion and Harriett live in Florida. Naomi and Carol are “snowbirds”, and  Bette was there for a two week stay.

Marion invited us to dinner at her home in Florida.

This picture was taken at a meeting at Bette’s house in 1999.

Three of us posed for this picture.  Eventually, we would meet at a restaurant for lunch and a meeting.

Arthur read one of his special poems while Sally and Marty applauded.

Once again, we, who were in Florida, had dinner at Marion’s.  The year was 2001.

We gathered at the home of Marion and Marty for an evening of fun which included our husbands.

This is a picture of Harold and some of the “girls” having some wine before dinner.

This picture was taken in Carol’s dining room after our club meeting was over. Carol is the one on the left.

We  gathered on Bette’s porch one summer afternoon in 2004.

On a summer day in 1907, we met on Bette’s porch again.

Elaine passed away in 1981 at the age of fifty-two.  She was a creative artist – and a dear friend to each and every one of us.

After Mrs. Levin passed away in 1976, we renamed our club The Pauline Levin Memorial Club.  She kept our club together and enriched all our lives.

Sally passed away in 2008.  She was a teacher, a guidance counselor, a lawyer and so much more. She brightened our lives with her friendship.

Bette Hammer London

Carol Raphael Stromeyer

Elaine Gross Katcher

Florence Morris Steinberg

Harriett Kestenbaum Bailin

Janet Ribnik Thieberger

Janis Weinberg Shafarman

Lois Lessner Reiss

Marion Schnee Schwartzbach Alban

Minna Kaphan

Naomi Levin Jacoby Cohn

Sally Gooen Wovsaniker

CLUB MOTHER

Pauline Einhorn Levin

Cardiac Home in Caldwell

Foster Parents Plan

Save the Children

Nat’l Multiple Sclerosis Society

United Cerebral Palsey League

Diabetes Foundation, Inc.

Kennedy Child Study Center

The Lighthouse for the Blind

JFK Library