I Love Outraged Jewish Women!

In early September 1969 I started 11th grade at The Central High School of Philadelphia, an all-boys school in those years.  I was 15 years old.  I can recall an incident that occurred on the first day of chemistry class.  The teacher, Ethel B. Fischer, was a few minutes late.  The students became, shall we say, a tad boisterous.  Mrs. Fischer, who was Jewish, entered the room with a cart full of text books.  She was angry with the students' behavior, and said in a very angry tone: "I don't want to see this kind of behavior ever again."  Strange that I should remember that incident.  She took control of the classroom the way a judge takes control of a courtroom.  For the remainder of the year there was no acting out in her class.  Other students in the class that day would have been Mark Pearlstein, Perry Rubenstein, Frank Seidman, and Michael Kaliner.  Those are the students I remember from that class.

I was a third-rate chemistry student, but Mrs. Fisher made an impression on me.  She was certified to teach chemistry, biology and English.  Her interest and abilities in these diverse fields suggest a creative personality.  She loved the music of Bach.

During the school year the school district decided to transfer Mrs. Fischer to another high school for budgetary reasons.  Mrs. Fischer made the decision to retire from teaching.  She would either teach at Central or not teach at all.