UPCOMING MEETING: SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 2024: New DATE and first time HYBRID! For the first time in over four years, the Spring ICFS meeting will be in-person (and with lunch too)! And for those cousins who can’t be there in person, we will also have a Zoom session to allow you to attend the meeting (lunch not included).
IN-PERSON COUSINS: Lunch starts promptly at 1 pm. Food service will stop at 2:30, so arrive on time. DIASPORA COUSINS: The Zoom meeting starts at 2:30 pm. A link to the meeting will be provided by e-mail.
What a weekend! 110 years (and a few months) after the Israel Cantor Family Society was founded, 52 members gathered in New York City for a weekend of cousinly camaraderie. It was the largest Society gathering since the 100th anniversary in 2013 and featured cousins from 1 to 101 years old. After several years of meetings on zoom, it was thrilling to gather in person and experience our past, present, and future on a sunny-turned-rainy fall weekend in Manhattan, the (American) ancestral home of our forebears. Said one cousin, “It’s pretty remarkable that after 110 years, the Cantor diaspora still gathers and makes each other laugh!” As the family continues to grow and put down roots all over the ever-changing world, gatherings like this one make our sense of community and family stronger.
So, what did we get up to?
Saturday, October 28
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Cantors near and far descended on Manhattan for the first gatherings on Saturday morning.
The first group of relatives met at the Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History for some family-friendly tours of the exhibits organized by Susan G. Aaron and Sara H and their three children enjoyed the butterfly, others took in the rocks, and gems exhibits.
SHABBAT SERVICES AT GREEK SYNAGOGUE
At the same time, about 25 Cantors gathered at Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and Museum on the Lower East Side, the only remaining Greek synagogue in the nation, and a repository of history and artifacts of the 2000+ year-old Romaniote Jewish tradition.
After Shabbat services, the group joined the congregation for Kiddush with Greek delicacies and heard prayers in Hebrew and Ladino from the congregants. Some cousins dined with Koula Kofinas, a congregant in her 90s, who shared her experiences as a Holocaust survivor born in Larisa, Greece in 1938. “In Greece,” Mrs. Kofinas said, “I was treated lower than dirt. When I came to America, it was the first time I could hold my head up high. I was proud to be a Jew.”
You can learn more about the testimonies of Mrs. Kofinas and her husband Solomon here (article) and here (video). Thanks to Marc H’s organizing, we were able to experience a culturally rich pocket of Jewish history.
SATURDAY NIGHT CABARET
Cantors dispersed for the afternoon. At 8pm, over 30 Cantors reconvened for a spectacular cabaret show at Don’t Tell Mama in Hell’s Kitchen. The star of the show was Craig Pomranz, one of New York’s most critically-acclaimed saloon singers… and our cousin! Craig performed a special show called Berlin to Simon & Garfunkel to Dylan: It’s All Kosher, featuring songs from the Great American Songbook by Jewish composers. Craig treated the sold-out room to over an hour of song and history. He invited the crowd to sing timeless hits by Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, and Stephen Sondheim. His renditions of “Over the Rainbow” (Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg) and “What the World Needs Now is Love” (Burt Bacharach and Hal David) were especially moving.
In response to the turnout, Craig wrote, “I just want to say how much it meant to me that you came to my show. The evening was exhilarating and you all made it a very special night. I was so honored when Mady ‘pushed’ me to do it, and for those of you who were able to come, thank you so much. Meeting family in this way and at this particular time is really wonderful. I know we all appreciate the very special care and work the Society puts in to maintain our relationships.”
LATE NIGHT BOWLING
The night was over for some but continued for others. Some of the millennial Cantors soldiered through the be-costumed crowds of Times Square Halloweekend to bowl at Frames Bowling Lounge. Lizzy C writes, “The cadre of 20 and 30-something 3rd/1st cousins and siblings ventured out to Frames, where we took over two lanes. Some Cantors dominated (Max) while some Cantors failed miserably (Lizzy). Until the next time we can show our gaming prowess…”
Sunday, October 29
LOWER EAST SIDE WALKING TOUR
Balmy weather on Saturday yielded to a rainy and gray Sunday. Despite the looming skies, more than 25 Cantors of all ages met at the Museum at Eldridge Streetfor a tour of the magnificent Eldridge Street synagogue and walking tour of the Lower East Side, arranged by Ken W. Our well-versed tour guide shared stories about monuments and events that would have been well-known by our ancestors who lived there. Highlights included seeing the magnificent artistry of the synagogue, the aged glory of old cinemas, and the irony that the former Jewish Forward building, a beacon of Jewish socialist thought, has been turned into luxury condos.
FAMILY FEAST
The final event of the weekend was the Family Feast at the Wall Street Grill. As we began, Phil did one of the hardest jobs of the whole weekend: Organize 52 relatives into a 15’x20’ rectangle so he could take the family portrait that we will look back at for decades to come. This was Phil’s ninth time taking the reunion photograph since (his first one was at the 65th in 1978 at The Fallsview Hotel).
After the photo, Sarah K-E and Mady C marshaled the next activity: A cousin scavenger hunt! Alice M-C shares a beautiful summary of this game:
“My father (Daniel Cantor, son of Herb) is fond of saying, ‘everybody’s interesting.’ Most often this is in reference to strangers—a taxi driver with whom he’s struck up a conversation, or the person ahead of him in line at the post office—but in light of recent events, I’d like to create a specific corollary. Everybody’s interesting, even your own family.
Such was discovered at the final gathering of the 110th ICFS Anniversary Weekend: the Family Feast. At a delicious kosher restaurant, out of the cold rain on a covered rooftop in the old heart of New York City, we were given the ingenious assignment of playing what I have mentally termed “family secrets bingo.” It is not a perfectly accurate name. The facts on the board weren’t really secrets, and it wasn’t bingo—indeed, only a fully filled card could be exchanged for a prize (lottery scratchcards dispensed vigilantly by Tante Mady C.)—but it had the same emotional effect. Here were cousins we thought we knew, revealed to possess talents and quirks we’d never considered. Suddenly the rooftop was filled with darting, exclaiming relatives. Who is both the doctor and the lawyer? Who is a crackerjack Scrabble player? Who is an artist, and who raises chickens? Who has a seat from Shea Stadium in his home? Wait, you mean two cousins have seats from Shea Stadium in their homes?
We gamboled from group to group, seeking answers from cousins we knew well and cousins we were very glad were wearing their name tags. We compared notes and commiserated about the most elusive factoids. We poked fun at each other. We paused the game to chat. In short, we Cantored.
When the first board was filled up, we cheered. And then redoubled our efforts, vowing to discover who imports wine and who does social work and who started political parties, for we had discovered what should have been obvious all along. Everybody’s interesting, especially your own family.
We listened avidly as facts bloomed into stories. Sonny Cantor favored his corner of the room about how during World War II, he lunched twice in Europe with a relative who shared his name (there were at least two Irwin Cantors back in the day). The first lunch was in France, while German bombs were falling across the river. He almost died not long after, but survived to make it to the second lunch, in Germany at the end of the war, a meal of triumph and liberated champagne.
I was in that corner, leaning on my mother’s chair, and as Sonny spoke I marveled that as our oldest member and attendee, he was a full century older than our youngest attendee. Baby Sima is one. Sonny is 101. They are cousins. I thought: A hundred years from now, some young cousin will be standing where I am, listening to Sima tell stories of her youth. How miraculous that is. How lucky that cousin will be. How lucky we are, all of us, to be here today.”
— Alice Markham-Cantor, November 2023
Our family tree was displayed over 29 sheets of paper on the wall at the Wall Street Grill, beginning with Feivel Kantrowitz and spans nine or ten generations of Cantors. Several marriages, births, deaths, and new members have been marked on the tree since the 100th anniversary.
As the crowd settled, we moved to a welcome from Chairman Phil, a moment of silence for departed family members, blessings from Aaron H and Alice M-C, and dinner! Dinner was delicious and conversations flowed among cousins young and old, familiar and new. After the main course, Phil read out mazel tov greetings from Mayor Eric Adams and comedy icon Mel Brooks, sent in honor of our organization’s longevity.
The festivities wound down around 7pm, as the youngest ones began to fade and cousins picked up their 110th Anniversary take-home favors:
ICFS’ first family cookbook designed and edited by Susan G:
The reprinted poster of An ICFS View of the World, drawn by Phil Cantor, the party favor from the 90th reunion in 1993:
This weekend was exceptional thanks to a number of factors: The well-thought out program of events with something for all attendees (see list of organizers below), the warmth of 1st-5th cousins meeting and greeting (some for the first time!), and, perhaps most remarkable in this busy time: 50+ people taking time to share time and space with each other simply because they believe in the power of family. The Cantor clan has grown and morphed over the years, from a tight knit immigrant tribe to what it is today: a diverse, evolving collection of cousins, committed to staying in touch.
The Anniversary is Saturday and Sunday, October 28–29, and will take place in various locations around New York City. Already, I’ve heard that cousins will be coming from all over: California, Florida, Massachusetts, Wyoming and, even, New Jersey! Highlights will include a lifetime of memories but also:
A kosher family feast at the Wall Street Grill.
Explore the new Gilder Center at the American Museum of Natural History.
Special kiddush at the only Greek synagogue in the nation.
Late-night bowling for those young or young at heart.
Tour of Lower East Side to get in touch with our ancestors.
And a special Cantor’s Cabaret performance by cousin Craig Pomranz.
There’s even fancy swag to take home too, with a Cantor Family Cookbook, with recipes sent in by yourselves and a print of the iconic poster, “The ICFS View of the World” filling your gift bag.
It’s a full weekend of events, and the Society is picking up most of the bill.
Greetings all ICFS members! There’s a chill in the air, a gourd on every stoop, and another ICFS meeting just around the corner. This time it will be at 3pm on Sunday, October 24, 2021.
The meeting is still being held virtually on Zoom (Next year in Ben’s Deli!), so check your e-mail inbox for a Google Calendar link. If you are having trouble, contact Phil Cantor to get the Zoom link directly.
Watch out for an e-mail before the meeting with attachments for use during the meeting.
Thanks everyone for coming to the meeting ready to have a lively debate! These are the minutes from last fall’s meeting, which we just corrected and approved at the most recent one.
ICFS Fall Meeting
11/18/18 - Home of Linda & Sandy Hornick
2:42 PM
Minutes submitted by Daryl Hornick-Becker
In Attendance
Phil Cantor
Dan Cantor
Sandy Hornick
Linda Hornick
Meredith Hornick
Larry Becker
Amy Hornick
Daryl Hornick-Becker
David Berman
Sara Berman
Stanley Gilman
Sheila Gilman
Mitchell Greene
Barbara Greene
Ron Jordan
Ken Wachtel
-Phil Cantor calls to order the fall meeting of the ICFS.
-requests the minutes from the last meeting
-Kenny did not take the minutes at the last meeting, not sure who did
-there was no quorum at the last meeting
Financial Report
-Phil reports that there is $11,829.54 in the current bank account
-$29,045.07 in the money market mutual fund
Motion: Phil moves that David Berman looks into the investment fund and report back to the treasurer on if the funds should be moved or invested differentlySecond: StanleyAyes are unanimous
Hospitality Report
-Phil reports that Florence Hornick, our most senior member, passed at the end of May
-In Remembrance of Florence, Linda Hornick yelled “EAT”
-Ron said Florence loved everyone of us equally
-A moment of silence was observed
-Ron reports that last November Wendy needed a bone marrow transplant, she had it on Dec 6th of last year
-After chemotherapy and a month in the hospital and 3 at home, she has is now totally cancer-free
-Barbara reports that Jaime Feld had her 3rd baby, Chloe Alexandra
-Sandy reports that Aaron Hornick had his second baby in February, Maya Isabelle
-also that Jonathan Hornick got married in May
-Ron reports that Julie Cantor, daughter of Scott Cantor, is getting married today
Old Business
-Sandy reports on previous meeting at Citi Field, where the Mets beat the Yankees
-26-28 people were in attendance
-including Mark Wachtel, Greg Pomerantz
-The society extends its thanks to Sandy for organizing
-Ron asks how does the society improve its membership?
-The floor is open for discussion
New Business
Ron: ICFS structures may need to change to fit modern times
-phone conferences, skype meetings, all work well in business
-we have members all over the globe, this could help include them
-helps keep the society open and flexible to retain and attract new members
Mitch: our growth is miniscule, we need changes
-maybe only 1 business meeting and 1 social event a year
Phil: the baseball game was an attempt and it was very hard to get more people to come
-these meetings are always the same people
-social events are very expensive
-$2,000 was spent on 26 people for the Mets game
-cost was $135 a person and ICFS subsidized $85 of the cost
-social events are easier said than done
Mitch: but who is going to be here in 10 years?
-we have no 5 year plan, no 1 year plan
Phil: needs someone to take over due collection
-Ron also needs someone to take over cemetery duties
Sandy: this still doesn’t solve our existential issues
Amy: My kids don’t come to the meetings because of certain rules
Sandy: Issue is the non-jewish members rule
Ron: but they can be members
Sandy: but they can’t vote
Danny: is there a reason to think the younger generation doesn’t have an investment? Is there a reason to disband?
Phil: But it's more complicated than that because we have money and own real estate
-for example, in order to give NJ permission to open grave sites, written permission has to come from society
-it should be noted that the 2 other members of the cemetery committee are Sandy and David
Kenny: the $2000 we spent on last meeting isn’t that bad
-call us up if the officers need any help
Barbara: Still doesn’t solve issue of getting young people to come
Ron: going back to cemetery duties, my direct family is not buried in ICFS plots
-my other family society, the Jordans, interacts mostly online
-except when someone dies and we have to sign written permission
-there isn’t the sense of camaraderie in my other family
-its my job, as the cemetery chair, to take some of the stress out of the funeral process
-the point is, everyone should express to their individual families their concerns
Mitch: what if we sent out a questionnaire asking what changes will make you come to meetings?
Danny: I think the baseball game worked, maybe we just go with social events
-our annual thing could be a social event every year
Larry: likes social idea, and then maybe a conference call for business items
Phil: ok so maybe a social event, but who organizes?
Larry: we could do a trip to Belmont racetrack, I’m willing to plan it
Kenny: conference calls and internet meetings only take you so far
-its no replacement for being together
David: if we keep doing a big event every five years, people outside NY will come
Barbara: could we try a skype meeting?
Danny: maybe a skype call 2 months before the spring outing at Belmont
Mitch: maybe more email blasts more often to keep people informed
Larry: that can be our goal for June (the racetrack outing)
Danny: or maybe another baseball game
-by the way 20% of our members are in this room
-our focus should be on young people not out of town members
Ron: our social events in past have been good
-our eye should be on the five-year event
-those work for improving participation
Phil: whatever we do at Belmont needs to include kosher food
Larry: outside belmont you can picnic and bring your own food
Phil: Kosher food won’t determine whether we have an event
-we still need to settle issue of financial dues, secretary, cemetery duties, and website
-to collect dues we have to send invoices, some people don’t use internet
Ron: nobody wants the cemetery job, but I can teach it
-you have to be ready to get a call from a grieving member
-then verify they’re a member, negotiate dues if they owe
-get in touch with funeral director and cemetery
-send a fax for permission to open gravesite
-maintain maps of gravesites
Phil: we also need a family member willing to work on the website
-we have nothing to spend on that
Action ItemsRon will bring Sandy up to speed on cemetery dutiesLarry is going to organize a Spring/Summer outing at Belmont racetrackMitch will talk to Josh about working on the website
Phil: Anymore issues on existence?
Larry: We need to give people a little feel of what the society is and what its for
Ron: when you are in your 20s it's your job to go to social events
-its only after your 30s and starting a family that you begin to take on duties
-everyone needs to talk to their younger members about taking initiative
-especially those in 30s or 40s
Motion: Danny moves to adjourn meetingSecond: LarryAyes are unanimous
Meeting is adjourned at 4:09 PM
June 5th, 2016
Meeting called at 2:18pm
18 people present:
Barbara Greene
Mitchell Greene
Scott Cantor
Wilma Epstein
Arthur Epstein
Phil Cantor
Ethan Cantor
Ron Jordan
Sara Berman
Sandy Hornick
David Berman
Josh Berman
Scott Berman
Robyn Berman
Ari Berman
Allysa Berman
Ken Wachtell
Reading of minutes by Scott Cantor
Sarah Berman reports her heart feels great after having issues.
Minutes accepted as corrected
Financial Report
Account Balance: $10,724.14
Investment Account: $26,261.23
Scott acknowledges Phil’s hardwork of collecting the dues.
Hospitaler report (via email by Marc Hornick. Read by Phil Cantor):
Arthur Epstein was in the hospital for 4 months but is all clear now.
Florence Hornick broke her knee and then had a minor stroke in the hospital. Slight speech issues but otherwise alright. She’s home now and has an aid working for her.
Dennis & Mary Lou Gladstone have sold their house and moved to Boca Raton.
Jaime Feld (Mitchell & Barbara’s daughter) is pregnant – due in September.
Aaron Hornick & girlfriend are pregnant – due in Septembet. They have plans to get married.
Tess Liebersohn just finished hiking 902 miles on Appalachian trail—North Carolina to New Jersey. She wore thru 3 pairs of boots.
Barbar Greene is leaving for Ecuador for 2nd annual trip Doctors without Borders on June 21st.
Discussed the trip to the Jewish Heritage Museum on September 18th. Tour at 1pm, Lunch at 4 pm
Caterer— Village Crown. Either Meat or Dairy.
Roughly $10-20 per person
30 person minimum.
Private tour is $450.
Show of hands to determine interest—about 14 people raised hands
Passes by popular acclimation.
NJ Cemetary—Side entry way is falling apart. It would cost $1000 to fix. Maybe close that entrance all together because it is hardly used?
Open discussion on: What is the role of the society in the future?
Mitchell- Make it 2 social eventa year and have a meeting there?
Phil—running the cemetery?
Ron will look into the state rules on long term maintenance of cemetery plots.
Motion to establish a “future” committee to formulate procedures for cemetery use & maintenance organization of the ICFS meetings, social events.
Legal rules governing cemeteries in NY & NJ.
Ron to makes cemetery procedure manual.
Futures Committee:
Scott Berman
Robyn Bernan
David Berman
Julie Cantor (lawyer)
Ron Jordan
Sandy Hornick.
After the meeting: Ethan said maybe the solution is creating a fund to for more casual social events like karaoke or pick up basketball to get young people meeting each other.
Israel Cantor Family Society
Nov. 8, 2015
Meeting Called to order 2:40 pm at Ben's Deli
Minutes of previous meeting could not be located.
Quorum-Uncertain as to requirement
Treasurers Report:
Phil Cantor: $8797.67 in checking account
Scott Cantor: $26638.61 in brokerage account-consisting of cash and MMF. He will explore investment options for approximately $20000.00 in cash in order to increase our returns. The available opportunities will be discussed with Ron Jordan.
Hospitaler Report:
Sarah Berman had surgery for an abscess on her heart.
Good News:
Wendy Hoffman passed her series seven test and can now trade stocks/bonds if she chooses.
Barbara Greene has just returned from a successful trip to Ecuador where she worked with
Doctors Without Borders to help over 300 people improve their dental health.
Kenny Wachtel and Denny Gladstone have made a long term loan to the Tenement Museum of their paternal grandmothers spice canister set.
Death notification responsibilities (Telephone Chain):
Sandy Hornick-Gilmans/Bermans-Plockars
Denny Gladstone-Wachtel-Scott Cantor (Sonny)
Phil Cantor-Greens-Scott Cantor (Irwin)-Cantors-??+Phil Cantor (L.A.)-Arthur Epstein
Cemetery Report:
Ron Jordan will check access points at both cemeteries.
Old Business:
Next meeting
Ellis lsland
Holocaust Museum
Jewish Museum
A committee consisting of Scott Cantor, Barbara Greene and Sandy Hornick will decide the next location, date (6/5 or 9/5) and also if an additional business meeting is necessary. Costs and convenience will be taken into consideration.
In addition to the above two dates an 11/13/16 meeting will be held at Ben's unless another suitable location is found by Mark Hornick
Moment of Silence:
A moment of silence was held in memory of Geoffrey Gladstone (Son of Denny & Marylou and brother of Susan) who recently passed away after a long illness.
Meeting ended at 3:53 pm
In attendance:
Stan & Sheila Gilman, Mitchell & Barbara Greene, Scott Cantor, Ken Wachtel, Ron Jordan, Phil Cantor, Dan Cantor and Mark, Aaron, Linda & Sandy and Florence Hornick
ICFS Meeting
2:25 PM 5/3/15
Checking account as of 3/31
8739.80 0% interest
Investment account
$16,000 bond 4%
Mutual fund $1763.23
$6,000 mutual fund (6068.83)
$26,580 total as of 3/31
Oldest member present—Arthur Epstein, 89
Youngest—Leon, 5 months
Motion by Scott to take 3,000 from checking account and reinvest it in Wells Fargo account or other vehicle
Previous minutes (first to be received electronically)
Meeting of October 26th
Repair mentioned has been made
Correction to minutes
Names are Ben Bilas and Bob Jordan
Minutes accepted
Members: nothing heard from Daniel Forster
Aaron Kanafa has been removed, his family was not paying dues
Cemetery report:
Ron will check out Beth Israel concrete situation, has not acted due to father’s burial
K. Wachtel will be planting Memorial Day flags at cemetery, 4 PM 5/26
Ron will contact Mt. Judah about replacing Steven Cantor’s grandfather’s headstone
In attendance:
Barbara and Mitchell Greene
Wilma and Arthur Epstein
Steve and Dottie Cantor
Phil Cantor (NJ)
Max Liebersohn
Sandy and Linda Hornick
Ron Jordan
Scott Cantor
Ken Wachtel
Jamie Greenefeld
New business
Hospitality: Sandy says Florence Hornick is recovering from heart surgery, had a valve replaced
World-famous skier Linda Hornick is recovering from an arm broken skiing
New business
Proposal of trip to Ellis Island
Ken says that one-day things should not be for half-decade anniversaries
Ron proposes Ellis Island trip in 2016, May, June
Scott brings up idea of Jewish Museum, Holocaust Museum
Ron also mentions Battery Park picnic idea
Ellis Island has name of ICFS on wall
30 people, Scott proposes each person pay $20, society will pick up rest, everyone bring their own lunch
Date: June 5th, a day that will live in infamy (Ron’s first wedding anniversary), 2016
Scott will check it out online, get back to Phil
Barbara is leaving for Ecuador for dental mission, August 4th-10th
Ken wants to donate $18 to the Jewish war veterans fund, withdraws motion
Scott has 11-month-old grandson, Henry Irwin Cantor
Evan’s son
Daughter has graduated from Columbia, Evan from Ben-Gurion med school
Phil says in his capacity as president of the Business Improvement District, Montclair has been recognized as having the best downtown
Date for next meeting: November 8th
Motion by Scott to adjourn, seconded by Mitchell
Meeting adjourned at 3:35
As the crowd settled, we moved to a welcome from Chairman Phil, a moment of silence for departed family members, blessings from Aaron H and Alice M-C, and dinner! Dinner was delicious and conversations flowed among cousins young and old, familiar and new. After the main course, Phil read out mazel tov greetings from Mayor Eric Adams and comedy icon Mel Brooks, sent in honor of our organization’s longevity. 
