Ron Carner Class of 1957

Hey everyone, another Madisonian to be proud of indeed, Our graduate from Madison..RON CARNER, Class of 1957.. Played on the Varsity Basketball team at school. Now a practicing Attorney in NY.....and adding to his credit read the following,

I thought you might enjoy the great article, that follows......as it is always a pleasure to share good news with you. So turn on your TV set tomorrow the 19th check the time and watch the Dodger and Met game, you will see a familiar face throw out the first pitch. read on.

Way to go Ron

Regards to all
Sherry Gordon alagorf2@aol.com



Ron Carner has been selected to receive the Yakir Maccabi Award, the highest and most prestigious award given by Maccabi World Union, the organizers of the Maccabiah Games and the world's largest Jewish membership organization.



This award is given every four years to a maximum of 12 Maccabi leaders from around the world who have demonstrated extraordinary service to the Maccabi organization at the international level. The award will be bestowed upon Ron at a distinguished ceremony held during the 18th Maccabiah Games.



In the 77-year history of Maccabi World Union, only 5 Americans have been honored as Yakir recipients, including Nat Holman, Harold Zimman, Max Sheldon, Bob Spivak and Alan Sherman.



Ron has been involved with Maccabi since 1986 and is currently the General Chairman of the USA 18th Maccabiah Organizing Committee, First Vice President of Maccabi USA and Vice President of Maccabi World Union.

The night of May 19th (which happens to be Ron's birthday) has been declared "Maccabiah Night". At a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets in Los Angeles, Ron will be representing Maccabi USA and will throw out the first ball from the mound.



Mazel Tov and Happy Birthday, Ron!

STEPHEN VERONA

STEPHEN VERONA ....Class of 1958


Let me introduce you to Stephen Verona Graduate of James Madison ..class of 1958.....Needless to say what you read, and what you will see on his web site will surely amaze you as it did me, Here is a man who has such an amazing career..his love and energy he put into his work shows in all the awards he has won.

Read on and then go to his web site, many of you will remember the work he has done, I certainly do.

Stephens extensive resume can be found on this website: www.stephenverona.com - He has had success in many fields, most notably in the motion picture and video and more recently art worlds. You may know that he made (produced, co-wrote and directed), a movie about his youth titled: "The Lords of Flatbush." This is the film that gave Sylvester Stallone, Henry Winkler, Richard Gere and many others their start. He also made (Directed & Co-wrote) "Boardwalk" with Ruth Gordon, Lee Strasberg and Janet Leigh about his grandparents and the "old" neighborhood. I personally remember these very well, as I am sure many of you do as well.



He is also credited by People magazine as having been the grandfather of Music Video as he did the first two for the Beatles and then Streisand and about 250 other well known recording artists. All during this he always painted and photographed. The Getty Museum recently acquired his photography for their permanent collection.



His book on the Making of the Lords of Flatbush will be out in the Spring. Barnes & Noble just bought a slew so watch for it. He was nominated for an Academy Award as well as a hundred other awards. I could go on and on about Stephen, but I think you will enjoy his web site, It will give you an amazing insight of his talent that brought him such success.



Another Madison to make us proud.



Best to All and enjoy



Sherry alagorf2@aol.com

HYMAN KOPPELMAN

JAMES MADISON GRADUATE, OF 1938

Now known as CHAIM KOPPELMAN

Just turned 88 November 2008..Go to his web site, and enjoy his most lucrative career in art, a Master in his field indeed. Since his web site has such extensive information for you to read I thought it would be nice to send it off to you with all his art work and Bio

So everyone, enjoy his story

www.ChaimKoppelman.net

Sherry Gordon
alagorf2@aol.com

ALLEN SCHWALB ...Class of....1955

Allen has such an amazing career, it would take me forever to write about it in detail, that is why I have included his web sites for all to enjoy.

At present Allen resides in Orlando Florida,he has three wonderful, children, and three grand children to be proud of as well. His older son is CEO of the sports Museum of America, and of course so very proud of that as well.

His College, Polytechnic University in Brooklyn has acknowledged and recognized his accomplishments and success by choosing him for their Distinguished Alumni Award, the plaque which, hangs in the lobby of that institution in downtown Brooklyn. He has 5 masters degrees and his is success in the sports, entertainment, and the investment industries has made him a master in his career ..

Enjoy his web site as I did, you will be amazed at what he has accomplished in his lifetime...

Thanks Allen, for letting me share your wonderful career with all our Madisonians. I am sure they will agree with me that your accomplishments certainly do deserve recognition.

Sherry

Type into your search engine...enjoy

http://allenschwalb.com/
www.InvestinSports.com
www.TheSportsMuseum.com
www.ModernWomenInc.com
www.CheyenneME.com

ADRIAN HORN.....Class of.....1954

Adrian G. Horn, Director of the Finger Lakes Choral Festival, has had a lifetime of involvement in virtually every aspect of choral music. He sang with Robert Shaw for two years while still in high school, received a BS in vocal performance at SUNY Fredonia (where he was Captain of the baseball team and also played semi-pro football with the Fredonia Orioles) and a Masters Degree specializing in Choral Music from Columbia University. Adrian then entered the Navy and was appointed Director of the Naval Aviation Cadet Choir while undergoing training as a Naval Aviation Officer.

After completing his tour of duty, he became a professional chorister with the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Opera. Subsequently, he entered the doctoral program at Columbia University, but was sidetracked from completing a thesis on developing community choruses by the priority of putting his ideas into action. What followed was a remarkable adventure of choral activities, including:

Founding Director, San Francisco City Chorus, for which he was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the City of San Francisco for bringing great music to the people of the city
Director, Olympic Athletic Club of San Francisco Men's Chorus
Founding Director, Women's Chorus of San Francisco
Director, San Francisco State University Chorus, where he built the chorus from 35 to 225 members in five semesters
Founding Director, San Francisco Festival of Carols
Founding Director, San Francisco Choral Society, a 250 voice symphonic chorus, regularly performing before sold-out houses at Davies Symphony Hall

As a conductor, Adrian has an extraordinary ability to inspire singers to bring passion and meaning to their music. Singers stay on their toes because they don't want to miss any of his colorful comments or unique musical insights. At one rehearsal, before a chorus and orchestra of nearly 500 performing the Berlioz Requiem at the cavernous San Francisco Civic Auditorium he quipped, "All I wanted to do was get some people together to sing, and the whole thing got totally out of hand."

At the height of his success with the San Francisco Choral Society, after conducting three sold-out performances of Carmina Burana at Davies Symphony Hall in October 1992Adrian left San Francisco to pursue perhaps his most rewarding career, stay-at-home-Dad for his three young boys. But music always seemed to follow, as did the Directorship of the Sequim Community Chorus in Washington, and after relocating to New York, the Jamestown Choral Society.

The Finger Lakes Choral Festival, now entering its sixth season, is the current focus of his life-long obsession with bringing people together to sing great choral music.

Well done Adrian, You followed your dreams and you have proved that Madison has turned out another shining star.

PETER MARK..Class of...1957

Peter Mark a graduate of James Madison High class of 1957. A "Leader" indeed. A talent that almost everyone would love to have. I guess we all at one time or other as a child at bed time, laid on our backs in bed and conducted some sort of big band, or even perhaps a wonderful symphonic orchestra ...Waving our arms back and forth to the music only in our heads. Peter fulfilled his dreams, and went on to become "MAESTRO". world renown. He Has accomplished what many have not been able to in our young daydreams. For Peter's daydreaming became his wonderful reality. His bio is quite extensive. I would like to include a link for you to enjoy so you will see what he has accomplished in his career over the years. It will give you an idea of how strong his love and commitment to his music took him to where he is now. Here are some of his reviews for the new opening season
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The large orchestra, under the baton of Peter Mark and provided by the Virginia Symphony, was in fine form opening night, playing with passion and consummate sensitivity to the dialogue between pit and singers.
Maestro Peter Mark guides the over forty-piece orchestra with the lush, rich colors that define Tales of Hoffmann
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Musically, matters were at the same high level. Peter Mark conducted, and this too was one of his best performances in recent seasons. Tempos were sensible and dramatically apt. He maintained excellent balance between stage and pit, and coaxed some beautiful string and wind performances from the Virginia Symphony musicians.
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Virginia Opera started their season off with a bang. This production was absolutely amazing. I can’t imagine a better opener. This production had all the elements needed for a wonderful evening. I strongly urge everyone to see it. I promise you won’t be disappointed if you do.
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The Virginia Opera's orchestra, under the baton of longtime Artistic Director Peter Mark, produced a rich, romantic sound that underscored each singer's talents.
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Again, Peter Mark was outstanding as the conductor. He is the most giving of operatic conductors as he handles his singers with "kid gloves" throughout and yet he gently coaxes them into full intensity without overwhelming them with the music.
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Virginia should be very proud of this traveling opera company. The huge standing ovations for all of their operas at the George Mason U. Center for the Arts attest to the fact that they are loved for their professionalism and quality.
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This is a masterful production by the VOC, and kudos must go to maestro Mark for reviving it from the company's vault and putting it on display.
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Enjoy the following links, on the top of the first one click on each Opera.....Copy and paste them into your search engine...

http://www.vaopera.org/
http://www.vaopera.org/html/currentoperas/popup_castCrew.cfm?opera=1&castCrewMember=1094

I thank you Peter for sharing your accomplishments with me, and giving me the opportunity to share your amazing career with all our Madisonians as well.

You have mastered an amazing career "Maestro," and by doing so, have brought beautiful music to the ears of the world. Keep up your continued good work.

Another distinguished Madisonian to be proud of.

RUTH (GAMZER) GRUENER..A Survivor

Ruth (Gamzer) Gruener, Attended Madison for only one year . Her story is so incredible I thought it a perfect time to have her story told, especially this time of the year. I had the good fortune to be able to speak to Ruth many times, and we have been e-mailing since. Ruth stated that her one year at Madison was an especially wonderful and happy time of her life. She started classes there in 1949, she was in awe at how all the teachers and students welcomed her into their midst. Being fluent in German, and not so in English, some of the teachers suggested that she copy homework from other students,(can you imagine if we did that??) as to help her improve her English. Her friends always picked her up in the morning walked to school and walked her home as well..She felt so at home with all these wonderful kind things happening to her, she felt safe and she had new friends.

She was invited to become a member if a Social Club as well, the club was "Citiai" from the Latin word Friendship. Her best friend was Ruthie Kagen who I am trying to locate for her. Following is her story,
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Over sixty years ago, Joanna Zalucka hid a young Jewish girl in her bedroom for eight months, saving the child from the Nazi killing spree in their native Poland.

Ruth Gruener - was reunited with her old friend from Poland in 2005 finally returning a lifesaving favor by hosting her World War II benefactor for two weeks.

"It is just so wonderful that no words can describe how I felt," said Ruth, who was sobbing as she and Joanna now 81, hugged in their emotional meeting.. Although the two have corresponded over the decades, they hadn't seen one another since 1944. "Its a miracle" Joanna said in Polish

Ruth's survival in their hometown of Lvov, Poland, was a miracle as well; she and her parents were the only ones from an extended family of 300 who survived the Holocaust. "Luncia" her nickname in Poland was a cheerfull eight year old girl growing up in 1930's Poland. But then the Nazis arrived-and Luncia's world was shattered.

Her father smuggled her out of the ghetto under his overcoat and placed her with Joanna's family because he expected to be slaughtered.

Ukrainian nationalists had already begun ransacking Jewish homes at night. Families disappeared in waves, presumably taken away to concentration camps.

"I heard screams every evening," Ruth said. "To a child's ears, it was just horrible."

Ruth then spent most of her eight months at Joanna's home just sitting in a chair, afraid to even look out the window from Joanna's bedroom. Joanna, then 18, was in charge of keeping an eye on the girl.

When visitors came, Ruth would hide under Joanna's bed or duck into a trunk. She spent so much time silent and immobilized that she had to relearn how to walk and speak normally. After eight months, Ruth was brought to the home of another Christian family that hid her parents and was hidden for another two years.

Once World War II was over, Ruth and her family went to Munich and then to Brooklyn. Ruth eventually married another Holocaust survivor, Jack Gruener, and started a family.

Jack's path to freedom was more traumatic. His parents were murdered in the Krakow ghetto when he was 13. He then spent time in a series of concentration camps before being liberated at Dachau in 1945. None of his other relatives lived.

"To this day, I can't figure out how I survived," he said.

Joanna spent two weeks with Ruth and Jack Gruener and her family, a turnabout that was a long time coming.

Joanna would likely have faced the death penalty if she had been caught harboring a Jew during the war. The family was never found out, but Joanna herself was later imprisoned, first by the Germans, then by the Soviets, as a suspected member of the Polish underground.

The pair were reunited by The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, which was created in 1986 to provide assistance to non-Jews who risked their lives to rescue Jews during the Holocaust.

The foundation has been providing Joanna with a pension and helping her pay for medical care. So well deserved.
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Over time Ruth has become a docent at the Museum Of Jewish Heritage where she volunteers every Monday, Her Hubby Jack, a survivor of 10 concentration camps ,along with Ruth speak in public around the country to Hebrew and Catholic schools, where they tell the children their stories of survival. She has also completed her education in Interior Design, (which we found out we have in common) and she also teaches piano.
She has written a book "Destined To Live" by Ruth Gruener which should be in the book stores this year so do look for it and learn more about a brave little girl who survived a grueling time and grew into a loving and caring mother and wife. Such a splendid women.

. Thank you Ruth for befriending me, You are a joy and I shall treasure your friendship . God Bless You,and all who survived that horrible time.

Sherry Gordon