THE SIXTH BOROUGH

Name: THE SIXTH BOROUGH
Price: $26.95 USD
Author: Myron Lubell
ISBN: 9781481729734

by Myron Lubell

Formats

Softcover

$26.95

E-Book

$7.99

Softcover

$26.95

Book Details

Language : English

Publication Date : 4/3/2013

Format : Softcover

Dimensions : 6x9

Page Count : 540

ISBN : 9781481729734

Format : E-Book

Dimensions : N/A

Page Count : 540

ISBN : 9781481730013

About the Book

In 1951 Miami Beach, Florida was one of the most popular resort cities in America; the warm weather and tranquil beaches of this tropical paradise attracted thousands of winter visitors, mostly Jewish tourists who made the two day drive from New York. In addition, the resident population of this small island was primarily from New York. Thus, the city of Miami Beach was sometimes referred to as the SIXTH BOROUGH of New York. However, if you ventured off the island and crossed the beautiful expanse of Biscayne Bay you were in another world; you were in the deep south, where Jews were often envisioned as demons with horns, “colored” people were second class citizens, and racial laws were reminiscent of Nuremberg and Berlin. Myron Lindell was twelve when he moved from Chicago, where he was a secular Jew, barely aware of his religious or ethnic heritage. But, In Miami Beach, on a Jewish Island, he had an odd feeling … he was “different.” He “survived” the move by blending fantasy with reality, and if reality was more than he could handle, he escaped by writing adolescent observations in a journal, creating imaginative short stories and essays, which he rarely shared with anyone except his father, a few teachers, and a “street smart” female classmate. This compilation of memoirs is not a documentary; it is just a testimony to the value of simple memories. Too often, historians have forgotten the individual view, the poetic view, which might be closer to reality than the consensus.

About the Author

Myron Lubell was born in Chicago (1939) and moved to Miami Beach, Florida in September 1951 where he attended Ida M. Fisher Jr. High School and Miami Beach Senior High School. He then graduated from the University of Miami and eventually received a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Maryland.

He worked for 32 years as an accounting and tax professor at Florida International University (Miami), published over 60 professional articles, and wrote a weekly tax column that appeared every Monday
in the Miami Herald and over 40 newspapers, including the New York Daily News (1978-1997).

Doctor Lubell is now retired, reads incessentaly, is an ardent fan of the Miami Dolphins, Heat, and Marlins, and the Miami Hurricanes. His idols are Jefferson, Lincoln, Woody Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, and Stephen Spielberg.

He has three children and five grandchildren.

Customer Reviews

" Great book ... How often can you laugh and learn at the same time. Lubell tells the amusing and poignant story of growing up in Miami Beach in the early 1950s .... he describes the city as a ""Jewish Island"" comprised mainly of New Yorkers. He tells his story in a style that reminds me of Woody Allen's ""Radio Days"" .... he goes back and forth between his high school class room, what he is learning at school ... and the real world reality of life in Miami Beach and Miami during that era. The SIXTH BOROUGH has racism, anti Semitism, teenage adventure, Nazis, romance, football, bed wetting, and a stolen row boat .... all the ingredients for a great movie. FIVE STARS .... "

Jon Fish
" I knew that Miami Beach was a tourist island, with large Jewish populaton, but I never realized that in the 1950s there was such a huge difference between Miami Beach and Miami., Lubell does a nice job of telling about the social problems of that era, as seen through the mind set of a teenage boy. The book is funny and very informative, humor combined with pathos. He does a masterful job of comparing and contrasting life in the classroom with life on the street. Beautiful story; well done. "

Marlene
" I lived this exact period, growing up in Surfside. Myron got the story the scene and the flavor all together in a very readable fun look back at the times and history of Miami Beach. "

Michael Sharkey
" Lubell is right on the money when he says that those were the best of times (for white people) and the worst of times (for black people) ... And, many people today yearn to return to that era, when black people were treated as second-class citizens ... not me. Despite many new problems, I think the best of times are now. Great book ... gets you thinking and laughing and thinking some more. And, you learn a little something along the way. "

Arlene
"Although I always knew that Miami Beach was largely comprised of New York Jewish

Residents and tourists in the 1950s I never realized that the larger city of Miami was

A typical

racist southern city

Somehow, Lubell's Jewish island, set in the Deep South

reminds me of modern day Israel, a small Jewish country encircled

By a dozen hostile Muslim countries. Lubell combines humor, teenage adventure, and pathos to

Tell his story - a beautiful story which is enriched by several colorful characters

Five Stars ... "

Bill Pollack
"Although this book is written entirely through the eyes of a teenage boy I can still identify with the central issues and conflict. I lived in MB during those years; I didn't know Myron, but I am aware of the horrible racial segregation that he describes, the anti-semitism, and the forced prayer in public schools. He touches on these issueus with humor and compassion. I loved the book.

Edna K ... "

Edna
"EVA WISE (Evie Hertzon) ...Berkley, CA

The Sixth Borough

I spent my childhood on The Island of Miami Beach. I recall the heat, the intense humidity, lush landscape, my body buoyant in the salty seawater. I remember the puzzling ""colored only"" public drinking fountains that no one could explain. I thought I remembered all of it until I read Myron Lubell's The Sixth Borough. On each page more images emerged from my past. The precise steps needed to open a coconut, holocaust numbers engraved on a neighbor's wrist, my silence as I struggled to give my bus seat to a ""colored"" maid tired from a long day of work. I recall the sounds of Yiddish spoken when my parents wanted to talk privately. With historical events forming a backdrop, on the pages of this book an adolescent boy engages with friends, relatives, and enemies as he struggles to come of age. Each chapter is a jewel finally making a whole. I laughed; I cried. My long buried memories emerged, as the characters and quirky events in the book took shape. Lubell has given a gift to everyone who has taken the endless, wobbly steps from adolescence to maturity.

"

EVA WISE (Hertzon_
"I can't believe that Lubell wrote about the time he punched me in the nose at a Beach Hi football game (actually, he punched me in the stomach and it wasnt really that hard) but I had it coming. I was an obnoxious punk. I wasn't really anti-Semetic, but I just tried to irritate Myron. I guess I succeeded; I havent seen or heard from him since 1956 and I became a villian in his book. OK ... here is my apology ... Myron, I am sorry ....

I loved the book, and the part about Dingo McGuffie was almost perfect (except for the name)

Looking forward to seeing this as a movie .... What a blast!!!

Dingo (I love that name) "

DINGO MCGUFFIE
"I just finished reading Myron Lubell's book ... THE SIXTH BOROUGH ... here is my review

""A funny and insightful novel about family and friends--sharp observations, entertaining and engaging, exploring the richness of a relationship between an inquisitive Jewish teenage boy and his father and how it influences his views on social issues and on growing up in 1950s Miami Beach-contrasting a New York state of mind with life in the deep south and the Midwest------- while immortalizing people and personalities that I knew very well. Lubell probes beneath the veneer of life on this beautiful Jewish Island; he discusses the good the bad and the ugly ? all seen through the innocence of youth ... perhaps, through the wisdom of youth.?

GENE SHARKEY (Beach Hi - Class of '56)

"

GENE SHARKEY
"I just finished reading THE SIXTH BOROUGH .... very fascinating book; funny with pathos. Lubell

discusses his adolescent years in Miami Beach, and gives a wonderful snapshot of life on a

Jewish Island in the deep south in the early 1950s. He touches on racial discrimination and

anti Semitism ... also the problems of finding a girlfriend. HIs style is unique; he uses very

unusual characters to tell the story. I was really fascinated with Silver Dollar Jake, a man

who travels the streets of Miami Beach in a Cadillac convertible, with an inflatable girlfriend at

his side.I highly recommend this book.

"

R.Regina
"I was a frequent tourist in MB in the 50's and I enjoyed

Overstuffed corned beef and pastrami sandwiches at

Wolfies with an endless bowl of kosher pickles and hot onion rolls

Lubell captures the spirit of happy days on that

""Jewish island."" The Sixrh Borough combines teen age adventure,

Sex, racism, anti-Semitism, and bed wetting, all

With a wonderful sense of humor , innocent. Imagination,

And pathos. .. This book would be a fun loving

heart warming movie. Thumbs up ... Great book. "

Ellis Robbins
"Lubell uses his alter ego, ""Myron Lindell"" to describe life on his Jewish Island ... Miami Beach Florida in early 1950s. Although this island was situated in the deep south, it was an unusual location, comprised largely of New Yorkers and immigrants, most of whom were Jewish. Lubell shows that the time and place was the best of times for white teenagers living on their protected islanda, but it was the worst of times for the Negro population of Miami, treated as second class citizens due to the racial laws of that era. Great book ... funny, with a sharp vision to the problems of the era .... the teenage adventures and sexual fantasies helped make the book entertaining ... but this book is a social satire, it is not simply a funny book. Very well done ... GREAT BOOK

SUSAN BLUESTEIN "

Susan Bluestein
"Myron and Leah were ""bashert"" ... maybe in the next life.

I laughed, I cried, I empathized with kids on the Jewish Island. That was a different era ... life was more black and white in the early 50s ... good vs . evil ... and Myron seems to identify with the good guys (usually)...

Lubell tells his story with humor, imagination, and pathos ... his charcters are charming, especially some of the teachers and ""adults"" ... A wonderful and informative story, just perfect for a movie . "

LEAH
"We all have a tendency to look back at our youth with rose colored glasses; Lubell does that! But, he also examines the social issues of life on his ""Jewish Island"" -- across the bay from the Deep South, rife with racial prejudice and segregation. He also examines Anti-Semitism and forced prayer in the public schools. He uses several ""off the wall"" older people to help bring his story alive. I especiaolly liked Sam Mermlestein (a 90 yr old Jewish immigrant who lived in South Beach), and Heinrich Krieger (the ""possible"" Nazi, hiding among the elderly Jewish people at Dubrows cafeteria in Miami Beach). Very good story: entertaining and insightful. It reminds me somewhat of Cather in the Rye ...

ANNE ROBERTS (Miami Beach) "

Anne Roberts
"What a wonderful trip back in time, to an era when segregation was a way of life, and so was anti-semitism. Lubell combines humor, teenage adventure, adolescent sexual fantasies, and paints a very good picture of an era which wasnt all peaches and cream. Many people long for the good old days, but Lubell takes off some of the glow. I loved the book and I hope to see it made into a movie; it reads so much like a series of Seinfeld episodes ... humor mixed with pathos. "

"Marilyn Goldstein, from the CITY "
"What a wonderful trip back to the early 1950s on the

""Jewish Island"" of Miami Beach.n..I was there and Lubell captures the spirit of the times (good and bad) with this beautiful story. Some of the characters are off the wall ( I love Uncle Louie and Tanta Baila)..they help make the story come alive. This book would be fabulous as a movie. "

gene sharkey

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