Josh and I played together throughout elementary school - he was always the leader on the block and I recall him clearly claiming he was going to be President someday. He was my first and best friend.
Big hearted Josh. I did not really hang out with him much until after graduation. He talked about how much he loved his wife. How he just loved spending time with her and had drifted away from his Central friends some as he could not wait to see her. i was mezmorized by his story. how odd it was when i heard he passed on. rest in peace brother. Richard Schwartz
I knew him at Temple U. also. That red jewfro was unmistakeable on that tall frame. He was a vibrant person and interested in everything. Great to talk to. He will be missed.
I remember Josh from Wagner and Central. A natural leader and a guy with a kind nature. One thing stuck in my mind from 8th grade English at Wagner. The teacher - Mrs. Snyder - asked Josh how Alfred Hitchcock would respond to something (I don't recall the set-up). Without missing a beat, Josh replied in very Hitchcockian tone "Good Evening!" The class including the teacher cracked up. That was Josh. Sad - his light is missed but his memory is bright.
Josh and I lived right behind each other in East Oak Lane from 1st grade on. He was my best friend throughout all our childhood. We had an idyllic childhood in East Oak Lane. There were enough kids our age that we never really had to leave for anything, except maybe for a Lee's Hoagie, on Cheltenham Ave.
And he truly became the "gentle giant". We used to wrestle like Ray Fabiani's Mat Time in my TV room. And Josh was so strong in our football games (Church Lot and East Oak Lane and at the Op (Phila College of Optometry field on Godfrey Ave.), I hated to be on the other side. And there wasn't a neighborhood card game or a Risk game that Josh would miss.
Josh also went to Penn State his freshman year and became a radical that fall of 1969. While I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on in college, Josh had had the foresight and committment to join a "group" of students who were protesting the war in Vietnam. And he joined a sit-in at Old Main and was arrested when the "pigs' came on campus to remove the orderly student protesters. (editorial note: I am not sure how orderly they were, but that is what I recall today). Josh had a magnificent giant red afro at the time. After a few days in custody, when he got back to campus after the arrest, the "pigs" had shaved off the afro and left Josh with a crew cut. How could the police do that to Josh?! I remember that this was the single act that radicalized me to join the protests and the sit-ins full bore. After that tumultuous freshman year, Josh transferred to Beloit College.
As the years progressed, we kind of lost touch. I moved to Florida for law school and he came back to Philly and opened his psychology practice.
Maybe 7-8 years later, on a trip back to Philly, I looked Josh up. He had recently returned from a trip to India with a stomach issue that I don't think ever really went away. What I so clearly remember, (and clear remembering is no longer my strong suit, as I can imagine some of you guys understand), was that Josh and I hit it off as though we had never been a day apart. We had regained that same best-friend closeness instantly.
Now as an adult, his insights as to the human mind amazed me. His tolerance and wisdom were always present. And he had retained the calm demeanor and inner strength that he always had.
I am honored to say we stayed very close those short years before his passing. He was the first death of a friend for me. And I still have not really recovered from that.
I was with Josh at Penn State when he got arrested for resisting the Vietnam war, he was a rock, not afraid to stand by his beliefs, whatever the outcome, it has always inspired me to this day, blessed Josh......
Mark Cooper
That Red "Fro" made the sun god an intimidating line man in Church-Lot football. However,he was a pussy cat,sensitive and kind, we miss himCoop
Marc Anmuth
Wow- one of the guys from Ellwood, Wagner & Central. I spent my entire youth with him.Louis Gross
Josh and I played together throughout elementary school - he was always the leader on the block and I recall him clearly claiming he was going to be President someday. He was my first and best friend.Louis Linfante
Like Anmuth and Lou Gross I knew Josh from Ellwood days through high school. He was simply a nice guy.Lou
Richard Schwartz
Big hearted Josh. I did not really hang out with him much until after graduation. He talked about how much he loved his wife. How he just loved spending time with her and had drifted away from his Central friends some as he could not wait to see her. i was mezmorized by his story. how odd it was when i heard he passed on. rest in peace brother.Richard Schwartz
Bruce Edelman
I knew him at Temple U. also. That red jewfro was unmistakeable on that tall frame. He was a vibrant person and interested in everything. Great to talk to. He will be missed.Don Kellman
I remember Josh from Wagner and Central. He was always outstanding. He'll be missed
Stephen Kasloff
I remember Josh from Wagner and Central. A natural leader and a guy with a kind nature. One thing stuck in my mind from 8th grade English at Wagner. The teacher - Mrs. Snyder - asked Josh how Alfred Hitchcock would respond to something (I don't recall the set-up). Without missing a beat, Josh replied in very Hitchcockian tone "Good Evening!" The class including the teacher cracked up. That was Josh. Sad - his light is missed but his memory is bright.
Corey Hoffman
Josh and I lived right behind each other in East Oak Lane from 1st grade on. He was my best friend throughout all our childhood. We had an idyllic childhood in East Oak Lane. There were enough kids our age that we never really had to leave for anything, except maybe for a Lee's Hoagie, on Cheltenham Ave.
And he truly became the "gentle giant". We used to wrestle like Ray Fabiani's Mat Time in my TV room. And Josh was so strong in our football games (Church Lot and East Oak Lane and at the Op (Phila College of Optometry field on Godfrey Ave.), I hated to be on the other side. And there wasn't a neighborhood card game or a Risk game that Josh would miss.
Josh also went to Penn State his freshman year and became a radical that fall of 1969. While I was trying to figure out what the hell was going on in college, Josh had had the foresight and committment to join a "group" of students who were protesting the war in Vietnam. And he joined a sit-in at Old Main and was arrested when the "pigs' came on campus to remove the orderly student protesters. (editorial note: I am not sure how orderly they were, but that is what I recall today). Josh had a magnificent giant red afro at the time. After a few days in custody, when he got back to campus after the arrest, the "pigs" had shaved off the afro and left Josh with a crew cut. How could the police do that to Josh?! I remember that this was the single act that radicalized me to join the protests and the sit-ins full bore. After that tumultuous freshman year, Josh transferred to Beloit College.
As the years progressed, we kind of lost touch. I moved to Florida for law school and he came back to Philly and opened his psychology practice.
Maybe 7-8 years later, on a trip back to Philly, I looked Josh up. He had recently returned from a trip to India with a stomach issue that I don't think ever really went away. What I so clearly remember, (and clear remembering is no longer my strong suit, as I can imagine some of you guys understand), was that Josh and I hit it off as though we had never been a day apart. We had regained that same best-friend closeness instantly.
Now as an adult, his insights as to the human mind amazed me. His tolerance and wisdom were always present. And he had retained the calm demeanor and inner strength that he always had.
I am honored to say we stayed very close those short years before his passing. He was the first death of a friend for me. And I still have not really recovered from that.
Oh yes, Josh is missed, every fucking day.
Marc Rosenfeld
I was with Josh at Penn State when he got arrested for resisting the Vietnam war, he was a rock, not afraid to stand by his beliefs, whatever the outcome, it has always inspired me to this day, blessed Josh......