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I came to Far Rockaway at the ripe old age of one year, emigrating from Brooklyn.  As I grew up I realized that most of my friends traveled that same route to Rockaway...either from Brooklyn, Manhattan or The Bronx.  What we didn't see were multi-generational families whose parents and grandparents were Rockaway born and bred.   The Brody family is one exception to this rule and I am delighted to be able to bring you some of the rich history of this extremely talented and loving family.

The Rockaways at that time (early 40s) were considered "the" place to be and was that era's answer to today's urban flight.  Sadly, the area has changed and what it was it will never be again.  Because most of us left for other areas and few of us have any family still living there so not much reason to return, our former home has become enshrined in our memories, unchanged in its perfection.

Far Rockaway High School, our alma mater, celebrated its 100th anniversary with a gala reunion in New York in 1997, with over 3,000 people coming from all over the world.  Since that time the web sites of Skip Weinstock and myself have continued to grow and attract more and more alumni of FRHS.  One of my "jobs" is to host a chat on Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time in Talk City for our grads and friends of Rockaway.  I was for a while the oldest "chatter"...not a problem, but still, when I saw someone from a couple of years before me sign in, I was delighted NOT to have that honor anymore.  This person turned out to be Howard Brody, FRHS class of 1954.  I hope that you'll enjoy what I've done to show this remarkable family's rich history throughout the years.

This week features an introduction to the Goldstein family, which settled in Arverne.

Carol Marston, FRHS Class of 1956

CHAPTER ONE

Ezrail Goldstein came from Kiev, Russia in the very early 1900s, leaving behind a pregnant wife, Rose. As soon as he was settled in New York City he sent for his wife and six-month old son. There were four children, Morris, Gert, Hy and Tillie. In 1910 when Tillie was one year old they bought a house on Beach 74th Street. There the family stayed until the mid 50s.

Izzy, as he was always  called, had no trade, having been a conscript in the Russian Army and having fought in the Russia-Sino War. He became a self-taught plumber. For 40 years E. Goldstein Plumbing and Heating of Arverne was known from Neponsit to the Nassau border as Rockaway’s Master Plumber. (In those days, plumbers put round ventilation grates with their names on all buildings they worked on. There are still hundreds in existence with E. Goldstein on them in the Rockaways)

All four of the Goldstein children attended Far Rockaway High School. Morris (1923 or 1924) and Tillie (1929) did graduate. Hy followed his father into the plumbing business before graduating. Gert was a sickly young woman and was unable to attend FRHS for long.

The third generation of the Brody/Goldstein clan had three FRHS attendees. Howard Brody, class of 1954; Joseph Brody, class of 1957 who started FRHS, but graduated W. C. Bryant, and Joel Goldstein, class of 1956 or 1957.

The last of the Brody family was out of the Rockaways in the mid 50s and the Goldsteins were out in the early 70s.

"ROCKAWAY WILL ALWAYS BE WHERE THEY ARE FROM."

Next issue:  Joseph Brody, Musician Extraordinaire