They Helped Make Jewish History

Stan Saxe grew up in the Oak Street neighborhood, traveled the world — and is again living blocks from his childhood.

In between, he has charted a path similar to New Haven’s path over the past 91 years.

New Haven’s Jewish Historical Society Sunday recognized the paths Saxe, Len Honeyman, and Lily and Lee Liberman have travelled. The society honored them with awards at the organization’s 43rd annual meeting and brunch, held this past Sunday at Tower One/Tower East.

Following are the society’s write-ups about the winners:

Stan Erwin Saxe

Affectionately known to many as ​“Uncle Stan,” Stan was born in New Haven 91 years ago and has lived here most of his life. His parents, Samuel and Tillie, were also born in New Haven, on Oak Street and Prince Street in the Hill neighborhood. He became a board member of the Jewish Historical Society many years ago because he has fond memories he loves to share involving the trolley, the milkman, egg creams, Barnard School, Troup Jr. High and Hillhouse High School. He has contributed to the success of the JHSGNH through supporting all programs and soliciting a record number of ads for the annual meeting program book.

From a young age, he had an entrepreneurial spirit that helped the family. ​“It was the depression, and everybody had to work.” He worked as an ​“errand boy” for a dental lab, and he and his brother Perry had a paper route, delivering the New Haven Register on their bicycles and collecting the money each week. He also worked as an usher at the Shubert Theater, where he loved all of the musicals that opened there.

After his military service at the end of World War II and during the Korean War, he returned to New Haven. He sold Good Humors from a bicycle-truck at Yale and on Water Street, near Waterside Park. After that, he knocked on doors to get sales for a baby photographer, Sovereign Studios. He did well. With support from the GI Bill, he attended college and became a dental technician, fabricating dentures in New York City.

He returned to New Haven when his father needed help with his business in downtown New Haven, Silver Liquor Store. He worked with his father and his partner for twenty-four years, moving the business twice to make way for redevelopment. At age 50, he decided that he wanted a job with regular hours and benefits after years with long hours and no days off. The State of CT hired him, first as a juvenile detention officer, with a promotion to shift supervisor in a juvenile detention facility. He retired when he was 64, with a golden handshake.

Stan’s Jewish education began later in life, at Congregation Beth El Keser Israel (BEKI), near his home on Fountain Street. He started attending to say Kaddish for his mother when she passed away. He studied Hebrew and Jewish texts with Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen and other teachers at BEKI, and had a Bar Mitzvah there at age 73. He was reunited with an old friend, Barbara Cushen at BEKI, and they enjoyed traveling all over the country, taking Elderhostel trips, cruises and European vacations together for twenty-two years. Barbara was also an active JHSGNH Board member. They both now live at The Towers in New Haven.

Lily & Lee Liberman

Lee Liberman was born in Springfield, Mass. He married Lily Estren in 1944. And settled in New Haven, Connecticut. During World War II he served in the Army Corps of Engineers in Germany. After his years in the service, Lee was manager for Morse Shoe Store in downtown New Haven for 17 years. He later worked for MetLife Insurance Company as an agent and General Manager until his retirement in 1993.

Lily Liberman was born and raised in New Haven. Lily spent over 25 years as a dental assistant. Over the years she has taken an active role on many committees in local organizations. She was also a member of the Westville Synagogue Sisterhood. Together with Lee she has served on the Board of the Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven, Hebrew Burial and Free Loan Association and ARMDI.

Lee was past President of the Adas Israel, ARMDI, NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors), Knights of Pythias. He was treasurer of the Westville Synagogue and served on the Board as well. He is currently the treasurer of ARMDI, oversees the Adas Israel Cemetery. Currently Secretary of the Towers Tenants Organization and serves on the Board of Tower One. In the late 1980’s Lee helped start the Take Heart Program at St. Raphael Hospital and served on it for 31 years.

For almost 18 years the Orchard Street Shul had been inactive and in disrepair. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as a New Haven Landmark, thus beginning the revival of the shul as an active place of worship. Lee and Rabbi Mendy Hecht and a handful of dedicated members with Lee as president raised money and restored the Shul to its original beauty.

In February of 2019, Lee and Lily celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary.

Lee and Lily are the proud parents of daughters Anita Silver, Kathi Liberman and Laurie Becker. They are blessed with four grandchildren. Jennifer Cavey, Brian Silver, Maggie Becker & Timothy Becker and four great-grand children Ryan, Matthew, Libby and William.

They are very honored to have been chosen as honorees of the Jewish Historical Society. They served on the board for many years. Lee served as an officer and prepared the program book for our annual meeting, and Lily helped plan and implement programs.

Leonard J. Honeyman

Leonard J. Honeyman, 75, is no stranger to leadership roles, both in his work and service lives.

Len served as president of the Jewish Historical Society while also leading Bikur Cholim Sheveth Achim synagogue for more than a decade. Len also served with the Ethnic Heritage Center and is on the board of the Westville Synagogue, which he now attends.

A prize-winning newspaper reporter and editor, Len worked as assistant city editor and real estate editor for the New Haven Journal-Courier and New Haven Register, editing and helping to design coverage for such stories as the Challenger disaster and leading coverage of such events as the Bradley International Airport tornado and the Blizzard of 1978.

Len worked at the New York Daily News during the first Gulf War and was news editor at Gannett newspapers in Westchester and Rockland counties, and at USA Today in Washington. In New York, he helped lead coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks. Closer to home after retiring from the international newspaper chain, Len was a reporter and photographer with the New Haven Independent, writing and contributing both still and video photography. He continues to write and edit as president of Word Hive Communications.

Len also served as state president of the Society of Professional Journalists and had a leading role in the organization’s still-remembered regional convention in 1984. He also played an important role in national journalism meetings in the East, Midwest and Southwest.