A Boy Was Bullied on a Playground in 1965. A Filmmaker Looks Back.

Along with his aunt and uncle, Simmy and Arnie Greenberg (graduates of Tilden Excessive College and married for 66 years), sitting in on the dialog, Mr. Rosenblatt mirrored on rising up in Brooklyn and the way his previous formed his current. The interview has been edited for size and readability.

How would you describe your childhood in Brooklyn?

I wouldn’t essentially need to stay the place I grew up now, however I can’t consider a greater place to develop up again then. I had so many buddies. The neighborhood was full of youngsters. We performed all these road video games — stickball, punchball, slapball — all these aggressive-sounding video games that had been so enjoyable. We performed ringolevio, which was nice since you didn’t want something — all you probably did was run.

What about your teenage years?

After I was 12, we moved to Mill Basin proper close to Kings Plaza. I went to Marine Park Junior Excessive after which Madison Excessive College. On weekends we’d go into the Village and hang around. We had been beginning to discover, getting stoned and going to live shows, which helped us get by means of highschool. Highschool was powerful, although I had a gang of buddies and we relied on one another.

Was there quite a lot of bullying and preventing?

We had been with principally good youngsters in class, however within the neighborhood there have been bullies. There was a child named Richie, and he would do issues that may simply humiliate me. I’d be sitting on a bench exterior and he would simply sit subsequent to me and begin punching my arm with all his drive. I can’t consider I took that, however I used to be afraid that if I didn’t face up to it he’d do one thing worse. He terrorized quite a lot of youngsters, and we tried to placate him and hoped he would depart. We by no means performed with him.

The neighborhoods had been segregated, though Richard Silberg grew up within the tasks, so he had a extra numerous expertise. The place I lived was very white, principally Jewish, Italian and Irish. There was camaraderie with the Italian youngsters culturally, however we had been afraid of the Irish youngsters and prevented the blocks the place the Catholic colleges had been. There have been bullying incidents with them. As soon as I used to be taking pictures baskets and sporting these aviator glasses my grandfather had given me that I liked. These Irish youngsters surrounded me and wished the glasses. Somewhat than give the glasses over, I broke them and threw them to the bottom then jumped on my bike and rode house in opposition to visitors.

The fights had been often extra wrestling than hitting. Every time I needed to struggle, I didn’t essentially attempt to win, I attempted to get the particular person down on the bottom and simply finish it.

How did this form you?

Rising up in New York, you be taught road smarts early on. After I’m in conditions which are a bit dodgy, I’ve confidence that I can navigate it. My peripheral imaginative and prescient is nice.