Jerry Schulman passed away on September 25, 2017, at the age of 70 after a four year battle with multiple system atrophy (MSA), a neurodegenerative disease. We were the best of friends for more than 55 years as we met at Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows; went on to Queens College and joined House of Bamboo together; avoided the draft and the Vietnam War; got married and had children at the same time; lived in New City; advanced rapidly in our professional careers in education; and then retired. Jerry was at the last two Las Vegas Reunions (2007 and 2012), and will be missed in 2018.

It was 1963 when we entered Queens College and went to freshman orientation and were treated to a singing performance by Paul Simon, who had just graduated. Jerry was good friends with Marty Mitchell whose brother had just graduated from House of Bamboo. Jerry invited a bunch of us who were entering at the time from Francis Lewis H.S. to go with him and Marty to visit Bamboo which had experienced a sudden dip in membership from the graduation. This group included Marv Alpert, Joel Fazekas, Stu Graff, Larry Kantrowitz, Artie Rosenheck, Bobbi Shulman, and David Vogel, who rapidly became the new backbone of Bamboo with a fresh surge of enthusiasm and energy.

During our Bamboo years we worked together to bring glory to HOB in the athletic, academic, political and musical arenas. Who can forget the Party Out of Power (POP) Convention in 1964 when we won the nomination for Mark Hatfield. Who can forget the follies skits with lines like “Psychologist, Psychologist, will fix you up if you’re feeling sick. Lesbian or homosexual, psychologist is the way to go.” With such great music and acting we could only lose to AEPi. Who can forget moving into our first Bamboo House. Then there was our road trip to the Expo 67 in Montreal during the Six Day War in June 1967, with Andy Gottesman and David Vogel, when we were able to stand in front of the Israeli and Egyptian Pavilions with our hands raised in victory. Jerry’s girl friend Alice was also in Montreal at the time, and that was it for love and marriage.

Jerry, who earned masters and doctorate degrees, had a great career in public education, starting as a teacher and then the youngest principal in NYS. He then served as a principal and superintendent in the Edgemont School District. He was also a professor of education at Long Island University, Fordham, Mercy, Iona, West Point, and Walden University. In retirement, he developed an expertise in fine art and was a leading docent at the Neuberger Museum at SUNY Purchase College. Jerry is survived by his loving wife Alice who was with him until the end, his two sons Michael (and Asako) and David (and Milina), and two grandchildren, Ben and Bella.

See you in Bamboo Heaven.

Mike Solomon