Guestbook
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Mrs. Schwartz was my math teacher from 1964-1965 for sophomore geometry and the first semester of 11th year Math. She was one of the best teachers I have ever had. The foundation she established in geometry started me on my path to be a math major in college and a graduate student in statistics. While I have not spent much time trying to prove two triangles are congruent, the way she taught me to think through problems and utilize available information to reach logical conclusions has been an invaluable lesson. The only regents exam on which I scored a 100% was the geometry regents, which I attribue to the quality of her teaching.
In 11th grade, I was in her class for the first semester and moved on the Phil Fisher for the second half. It is fair to say while they were both excellent teachers, their classes had a vastly different flavor. At the end of the year she asked me how I had done on the regents. When I proudly told her I got a 95, her eyes narrowed and she shot me a look that said I could have done better. Perhaps with a full year of her teaching, I might have.
I will always remember her fondly for the wonderful teacher and caring person person she was.
Mrs. Schwartz popped into my mind the other day when my child and I discussed mathematics. Hoping to show my child, I looked her up as my paragon of a great mathematics teacher. I was saddened to learn of her passing but this memorial showed ample evidences of a long life well-lived, surrounded by families and friends — I was consoled. I offer my condolences to her families and friends.
She was my teacher in Honors Algebra II/Trigonometry class during my junior year. I remember her most lovingly as the one who opened my eyes to the beauty of mathematics and instilled . She was short, with white hair, eyes with intensity behind dark-rimmed rakish eyeglasses, and always a smile on her roundish face. On first sight, I thought of her as being an alien freshly stepped off of a UFO, ready to take over our young minds. The smile was a bit unnerving and I half expected laser beams coming out of those eyes (Ha! I got you now, Earthlings! — yes, math-phobia was at work). As it turned out, laser beams they were, beams of intellectual intensity and enlightenment which etched enduring patterns in our young minds and lifted us. She could have been an ambassador extraordinary from a planet of benevolent enlightened superior beings bent on teaching us mortals better ways.
Her teaching methods seemed unorthodox but were very effective. Our class did for homeworks so-called “proofs” of trigonometric identities intensively while she told us to IGNORE whether we could be dividing and multiplying by ZEROS! I was rather dubious at doing the “proofs” — yes, I was inculcated to have the ancient Greeks’ obsession for purity and exactness so it vexed me. I only realized much later in my effort to improve my child’s trigonometric ability for the SATs why she had us do the “proofs.” It was to train the “eye” of perception to survey the potentialities without being bogged down by (hopefully) minutiae. Algebra and much of mathematics depend upon pattern recognition and the leaps of faith that must eventually be tied down to reality. Her asking us to practice the “proofs” helped me with trigonometry on the SATs and opened doors later. In the U.S. school system, trigonometry was seemingly the stumbling block set up by the elite to filter out the hoi polloi as many poorer children did not even encounter trigonometry in school by the time they have to take the SATs.
I especially enjoyed the challenges of her extra-credit problems. She ignited my interest in mathematics with problems such as: prove that xy=k, k being non-zero, is the equation of a hyperbola; and prove (using isomorphism perhaps) that if a+bi is a root of a polynomial equation with real coefficients, then a-bi is also a root. They introduced me to transformations and symmetries which are core concepts in mathematics. It was good that she gave extra-credit problems because she was in effect teaching multiple customized classes (as she definitely perused those extra-credit submissions, each of which could rise to its own level of incompetency) within the same class. On my own, I learned about determinants and cofactors on a single subway ride to school and “devoured” a mathematics book by Irving Adler and “An Excursion in Geometry.” Dissatified with the tedious method of reconstructing the greatest common factor of two integers as a linear combination of them, I devised a less tedious table-oriented method. Years later, when I saw in my child’s calculus textbook a table-oriented method for integrating by parts that bore an eerie resemblance, I felt glad that similar ideas had taken hold. Yes, it was a very heady time. Thanks to the inspirations of Mrs. Schwartz.
Close to the end of the term, she asked us to write a page describing what areas in mathematics we would like to research into. By this time, she had freed me from the hang-ups of the ancient Greeks so I felt as if I were writing to Santa Claus. I wrote about wanting to explore the expansions of cos nx and sin nx as polynomials of cos x and sin x. When she taught us De Moivre’s theorem earlier in the term, I was struck by its beauty. Much later, after I had learned that those were Chebyshev polynomials, my hair seemed to have stood up behind my neck. This had to be the ecstasy of learning that something vaguely foreseen had actual manifestation in reality with a real name.
As you might have guessed, I asked Mrs. Schwartz, my favorite teacher, to write a college recommendation letter for me and I believe that it really opened doors for me. Although she is no longer with us on Earth, perhaps she has returned to the benevolent planet with her mission accomplished. My fond memories of her endure as she could have been a kindly grandmother to me. I just wish that my child would be visited by an ambassador extraordinary of her caliber from that planet soon.
Thank you for this lovely website. Mrs. Schwartz enriched my Stuyvesant experiences in the early 1970’s. I enjoyed her classes, and fondly recall her gentleness, her caring, her excellent teaching. In my mind’s eye, I see her in front of the class, asking something that challenged us to think a little harder, a little differently. She was special.
Sylvia was my first cousin. Sylvia was 22 years older than I and always seemed like a wise old owl. She always had good advice for me and support when I was raising 2 boys alone. Not only was she a math teacher in a highly gifted high school, she would play my piano and it was a delight listening to her play with love and feeling. She often visited and stayed in my home in California and we became close during those years. She would tell me how much she loved and admired me. I too became a teacher in her mold. We would hike in the mountains with my dogs and she helped during my sons campaign for school board in Los Angeles. I could share a lot more–she was a wonderful person–very wise and loving. I miss her a lot and the world has lost even more without her in it.
I had Mrs. Schwartz for Geometry in 10th grade in 1964-65 at Stuyvesant. It was my first year in that amazing school and I was foundering a bit in the beginning. Mrs. Schwartz brought geometry to life for me and because of her by the end of the year I excelled in the subject. I always remember her, more than any teacher except my home room teacher, at the front of the room asking questions, going to the blackboard and drawing the geometric shape and making us think until we got the answers. She was a great teacher and a wonderful person.
I want to send her family my condolences and wish them the best.
This memorial web site brought back fond memories of Mrs. Schwartz, who I had for math and computer science in the early 70’s. My sincere condolences go out to the family. I remember Mrs. Schwartz as always being happy, dedicated and caring. She treated us all as if she was our Jewish mother. Mrs. Schwartz was ahead of her time in the computer field and I’m sure it was due to her dedication that the opportunity to learn computer programming in a quality manner in a city school was possible. I remember carrying around my deck of punch cards and working on the logic of my Fortran programs while sitting in my other classes. I didn’t know I would make a career in computer science until I decided to study it in graduate school. I’m sure the very positive early experiences had something to do with this. Today I manage computer software standards for a global investment bank and I’m sure Mrs. Schwartz would have been very happy to hear this.
I remember Mrs. Schwartz very fondly, both as a patient and persistent math teacher for Unified Math and, like Howard Reubenstein, as Treasurer. Unlike Howard, math was never my forte- to this day, the two things I remember about unified math were Mrs. Schwartz’ endless patience with me and a problem about a “peripatetic bug” because I had to look up the word “peripatetic.” Mrs. Schwartz helped me build confidence by entrusting me with all sorts of work in the Treasurer’s office- not least of which was having me deposit the week’s cash for the school, which I would have to walk about a block and a half to the bank and deposit, trying to be nonchalant and ever watchful at the same time. Her faith in me helped me have faith in myself- and made me a better math student too. I will always treasure her lessons.
In my senior year at Stuyvesant and Mrs. Schwartz was my teacher for M11A/B, an otherwise unnamed class covering a miscellaneous grab-bag of mathematics. That it was M11 A/B instead of merely M11 X/Y, made it an honors class. I had battled my way into an honors math class for several years, and in my senior year I finally distanced myself from my mediocre math grades of my first year at Stuyvesant. All the other kids in M11A/B had been in honors math throughout High School.
Math had always been a strong suite for me, though there were always the super-stars at Stuyvesant that were the ‘real’ math kids. My first year stumbles, while it clearly was a result of both my parent’s falling ill that year, left me in the category of good but not great pool of kids. In all honesty, I never worked very hard, neither excelling nor floundering, and while not great, I always felt I was good enough for honors math. I did however hover around the Math team meetings at 8AM sporadically over the years, never really participated and certainly never competing. That was for the really great kids.
I realize now, that Mrs. Schwartz was 60 in 1975. She seemed older and older school than the other teachers, many still in their 20s. Her demeanor alone commanded a more formal class than the looseness in many of the other classes. There was a politeness in that class too, not just to her, but among the students as well. Perhaps it was her white hair or her calmness, but I doubt anyone ever thought of being rude or snarky in her class.
While she never collected homework, every day she would have some of the kids come up to write homework answers for selected problems on the board. She picked a different row each day, or perhaps it was the seat. I don’t recall her method, but that was a regular part of her class that you might be called up.
One day I had dawdled packing up my bag and was the only student still in the. As I started to leave, she asked me to come over to her desk. We had never really spoken before. I was just another generic kid of the thirty kids in one of the several classes she taught, neither standing out nor struggling. I went up to her expecting nothing more than a request to do some generic errand that teachers periodically enlisted kids to do like bringing a folder down to some off office or another.
She said, “Gerry, I know you never do the homework”. She was right. I never did the homework, but always had some piece of paper on my desk with scrawling on it so that it looked like I had. When called, I would carry this piece of paper up and feign reading it before writing the answer to the problem I was given.
She then followed up with, “I always make sure you get the hardest problem to put on the board and you always just walk up and write the correct answer. You are lazy and don’t put any effort in. You don’t realize how much more talented you are than any of the other kids in the class. If you did put an effort in you could be exceptional.”
That was all she said. I don’t think I said anything in response and we never really spoke again while I was at Stuyvesant.
I never knew. Exceptional was for other kids. It was for those kids who won awards and were bound for Ivy League colleges.
I believed her. It was from the gentle, ungrandiose Mrs. Schwartz who said it in a serene, though somewhat stern way. It was the first time that I believed that I was special. That one brief conversation gave me permission to take the space to excel.
I didn’t go to an Ivy League college, but a large state university. While there, I did put an effort in and I did excel. Upon graduation, I received many offers to top graduate programs in Mathematics, accepting a full university fellowship to an Ivy League PhD program.
While I never finished the PhD program, I did continue to excel. I pursued an entrepreneurial path that would not have been possible without the belief, first brought out by Sylvia Schwartz, that I was special. I’ve given many seminars and spoken at many conferences over the years with the confidence that I had something special to say, again first brought out by Sylvia Schwartz.
So it was that brief, singular conversation in my senior year, not with one of the popular, quirky or flamboyant teachers, but with gentle Mrs Schwartz that so profoundly changed my life.
Several years ago, I had the pleasure of sharing this with her at some Stuyvesant event. Like our original conversation, it was short and I was uncharacteristically shy as I told her. She humbly thanked me for telling her.
Mrs. Schwartz (and her ‘sidekick’ Mrs. Holland) were in charge of the computer lab, which had programmable calculators and the school’s IBM 1130. Stumbling into that lab (a converted vocational training classroom) changed my life. Before that I was spending my free time in the Biology lab; after I lived in the computer room. While I never took her class, I remember her support as I taught myself.
What I do remember is what she drummed into me in the math class I took. It must have been Algebra, as I remember that I would “just do them” rather than follow the methods she taught. Which meant that sometimes I got them wrong. She pushed me that a method would ensure correctness. Once I gave in, I could answer the problems quicker (a surprise) and always correct. Which, as it turns out, has helped me in my college work (BS Math) and life work as a computer technology expert.
I graduated from the old Stuyvesant in 1975, and Mrs. Schartz as she was known to us, is one of the 4 or 5 teachers I still remember. I had her for the our second computer (Fortran) class. These days, you normally think that the younger people would be tops on computers, but I would have bet on her back then. I remember one extra credit assignment in particular that I devoted many hours (honestly probably days) to. She had written a program that would allow two people to compete against each other in a game of Mankala. Of course, it was one program against another. I remember playing mankala for days, trying to figure out unbeatable strategies for whether I went first or second. My sister was a good sport and played along with me and allowed me to write the code I needed to be unbeatable. Few other teachers would have gotten involved like she did and given us something that allowed us to work in an inspired fashion. I remember her fondly.
It was with great sadness that I learned of Mrs Schwartz’s passing. I was never in one of her standard or traditional classes of the regular math curriculum, I was one of her students in the optional Computer Math classes that convened at 8 AM (or so) before regular classes began, and I am eternally grateful that she went above and beyond to start her day earlier to introduce to me what proved to be one of the most valuable subjects I ever learned. At the time, Stuyvesant was one of only a very small handful of schools to be fortunate enough to have an computer (an IBM 1130 if I remember correctly; it was the size of several refrigerators that probably couldn’t do in hours what a handheld computer today can do now in a few milliseconds). That class, and especially because it was taught by someone so dedicated and inspiring, started me on the road of Computer Science which I continued in college, and although I didn’t stay on that road as a career path, those lessons I learned from Mrs Schwartz have stayed with me to this day and have made dealing with today’s computers soooooo much easier; I STILL have my IBM punchcards from that class!!
My sincerest condolences to her family, and I hope they’re comforted by the many years she graced them with her presence and the knowledge that she touched and enriched the lives of many, many students.
I was so sorry to hear of Mrs. Schwartz’s death! I was one of her students at Stuyvesant, and she remains so vividly in my memory: short of stature, but so tall in personality and such an excellent teacher. I came to Stuy from Hunter where I’d had unified math, and this was no longer being taught at Stuy; Mrs. Shwartz helped me make a smooth transition. I was a bit afraid of her at first, but quickly realized that she was strict because she cared that we learn, and was warm and devoted to us beneath the strict facade. I’ve often thought of her as I help my now high-school age kids with their math homework–something not all of my friends can do! I will remember her fondly.
I had Mrs. Schwartz for 9th and 10th grade unified math (graduating Stuy in 1980). I also worked for her in the Treasurer’s office somewhere in the bowels of the school as I recall. I always had an affinity for math and as a new Freshman coming out of a small private school to an overwhelming high school in the city, math kept me anchored as something I truly enjoyed and could do well. Mrs. Schwartz was the perfect teacher to keep my confidence high, encouraging me to participate in the Greater New York Math Fair, and always being a supportive friendly face.
I didn’t have Mrs. Schwartz as a teacher when I attended Stuyvesant in the 1971 – 1974 time period, but I assisted her with the bookkeeping as the GO Treasurer. It was there under her tutelage that I initially developed my passion for accounting which became my lifelong career. Her enthusiasm as a teacher of basic accounting (even of debits and credits) had a profound impact on my college studies and then on really what I did my entire working lifetime. My gratitude is everlasting.
I was saddened to read of the passing of Mrs. Schwartz. I remember her as a dedicated teacher and a warm and beautiful woman.
Steven Tagashira
Class of ’64
I was a math student of Ms. Schwarz at Stuyvesant HS in 1968-69. Her class was one of the most relaxed and informative that I had at the school, she easily handled a class of seniors, all male, who knew they would be headed off to other adventures the following year. There were no distractions in her classes, everyone intuitively knew that she both knew her stuff and cared about all of us. Mrs. Schwarz was generous and kind enough to write my teacher’s reference to one of the colleges I applied for. I was accepted for admission and am forever grateful. Wonderful to hear that she was beloved and appreciated by family and friends and lived a long, healthy life.
I had Mrs Schwartz for what I remember as “Fortran”, but I guess it was Computer Math. The one thing I remember about her was that I was having a heck of a time making sense of it, and was ambivalent about even bothering to try. Her response was a truly warm and genuine one. I don’t remember what she actually said, but it was along the lines of “So try!” like my own Jewish mother. Thanks for the pictures – I recognized her immediately, even after 34 years……
Mrs. Schwartz was my math teacher for unified math from 1975-1977. She was the most memorable teacher I had at Stuyvesant. She made math so engaging and easy to comprehend that I still remember it to this day (and I didn’t continue as a math major in college). I’m able to help my son with his high school math questions without much problem. I ultimately went into Architecture (and aced my structures courses) primarily because of Mrs. Schwartz. I was so glad to see her again a few years ago at one of our class reunions because it gave me the chance to tell her just how much she influenced my life. After reading all these other entries, I see that she influenced the lives of many of her students just as profoundly. I’m so glad she lived such a long and productive life. She was a wonderful woman.
I graduated Stuyvesant in 1968 and remember my time in her calculus class most fondly. She was among the most outstanding teachers I met thru all of high school, undergrad, grad school and medical school. Several things about her are most memorable…….
Her incredible ability to draw a near perfect circle on the blackboard by swinging her forearm around her elbow.
Her tactful query one day about showers in the gym locker room after her classroom filled with boys who climbed up to her 6th floor classroom from the gym in the basement, describing how “virile” we were.
Mostly I remember her magnificent teaching skills and gentle style, totally without the threats/intimidation that too many future teachers used to attempt to motivate students.
She was a highlight of my Stuyvesant experience. I am happy that she lived long and well.
Mrs. Schwartz (as she was known to me) was hands down the best math teacher that this not terribly mathematical student ever had. I was her student for intermediate algebra/trigonometry and again for computer math (IBM 360/Fortran) at Stuyvesant circa 1966-67 and 1967-1968. Even at the tender age of 14-15, I could somehow discern that she was more than just about the subject matter. Curiously enough, she she shared the same maiden name as my mom and was just about the same age. My deepest condolences to her family.
Michael Schauer – Stuyvesant HS Class of 1968.
I am a Stuyvesant alumnus, class of 1948, and my misfortune was to graduate before my cousin, Sylvia, joined the faculty. That I won the Mathematics award at graduation cannot, therefore, be attributed to nepotism, but the genetic factor which made Sylvia such a magnificent teacher probably was in small part shared in my genome. Sylvia was closer in age to my mother than to me, but she was, of all of the members of the large, extended family, always a favorite of my mother, and in fact, she often reminded me of mother. My life would have been much enriched if I had opportunity to have shared more of it with cousin Sylvia.
I was in the same class as Jerry Shapiro in the late 70s (see comment below of 31 January). I remember the strange, almost hand-made books we had (do they still have books these days?) and about sets and matrices and groups and functions – strange little tables of numbers that expressed abstract concepts. I don’t remember many people in my life directly telling me what to do, but Ms. Schwartz stands out in my mind as both understanding me and the subject, and letting me know when I was right and when I was wrong. Seeing so many pictures of her brings home that she was obviously so much more than a teacher for so many… she was an amazing member of a lucky family. I coasted through the most advanced math they could come up with when I got to college, but soon left math and science behind and have forgotten most of it… but I remember little Ms. Schwartz orchestrating 30 or so of us deftly and I suppose lovingly, over 30 years ago.
I was saddened to read in the Alumni Spectator of the passing of Mrs. Schwartz. She introduced me and many others to the (then) nascent world of computer programming in her “Computer Math” (as it was then called) class. I had her for Math as well. I am especailly grateful for her warmth in happily agreeing to write a letter of recommendation for my college applicaitons. Her expertise as a teacher was exceeded only by her geniality and genuine concern for her students. May her family be comforted with the knowledge that she was such a beatuful role model for her students.
Sylvia Schwartz was my math teacher from 1975 to 1977 at Stuyvesant. She was a loving, nurturing person who treated me like a grandchild of her own. As a freshman, I applied for entrance in her Unified Math class. My interest in mathematics was deep, but I had not completed the prerequisite algebra course and my score on the qualifying exam was low. I was admitted to her class by exception on the recommendations of department chair Edward Marcantonio and math team coach Irene Finkel. Under her tutelage, I learned quickly and gained the confidence to become a member of Stuyvesant’s renown math team.
In the summer of 1976, she visited Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics, the nationally acclaimed high school math camp run by David C. Kelly. The next semester, she convinced me to attend Hampshire in 1977, helping me to overcome some lingering doubts.
These turned out to be pivotal events in my upbringing. After Stuyvesant I went on to a college degree in mathematics and a career in quantitative finance. Math became a permanent interest for me.
Sylvia Schwartz showed us how math could be so fascinating, elegant, and practical too.
She proved that you didn’t have to be a born genius to excel at it. With the right discipline and generous love, a feisty little grandmother succeeded in guiding thousands of students to go far in math and life.
Sadly, I read of Mrs. Schwartz’ death in The Alumni Spectator. I was in her advanced algebra class in my senior year. She was a wonderful teacher, as were many of the teachers at Stuyvesant. The day before the advanced algebra Regents exam, I became ill, and was running a very high fever on the morning of the exam. I insisted on going to school and taking the exam (I don’t think there were makeup Regents exams). My mother insisted on coming with me — I recall that we took a taxi (we lived less than mile from the old building on 15th Street). We waited outside the math office, and when Mrs. Schwartz emerged, she immediately sided with my mother — as I senior, I had more than enough Regents credits to graduate. Forty odd years later, I remember that day clearly, and her compassion for a very ill young man.
Mrs. Schwartz was my homeroom/math teacher in the mid 60’s. It was very sad to hear of her passing in the alumni newsletter. As I remember over these 40 plus years, Mr . Schwartz was always a kind and considerate teacher. Although I was not the greatest math student Stuyvesant ever produced, Mrs. Schwartz was always patient with me. She was nice person and a good teacher. My condolences to the family and may she rest in peace. Allen Saperstein, Esq. ’66
I read about Sylvia’s passing in the latest Stuy alumni newsletter. I was a student of hers in the early 1980s, in her Unified Mathematics classes. I was absolutely petrified of how smart and how authoritative she was in the classroom. When I got a 66 on my first math test, she informed me that she expected to see me at 7:00 am sharp before school each morning for the next several weeks to review my homework with her. Still scared, I met with her each morning and discovered a kind, gentle, encouraging teacher. My next test grade was a 99. It was not until many years later, as I counsel my own children to ask teachers for extra help if needed, that I realize how much she gave up herself, coming in so early to help me. I was grateful then and even more so now to have had such a wonderful teacher.
Mrs. Schwartz was my Honors Calculus teacher in the early 70’s. She was furious with me one day because I was regularly late with my homework. She said “Donald, you are heading for rock bottom. One day you’ll reach it and then you’ll turn yourself around.” It was tough to hear, but she said it because she cared. Even now, 35 years later, I can still see her and hear those words. I’m glad she lived a long and fruitful life. The teaching profession benefited greatly from her as did I and her students. Thank you Mrs. Schwartz.
Mrs. Schwartz was my teacher in the Fall of 1968, when I took her Intermediate Algebra and Trigonometry class. She was an outstanding, inspiring teacher, focused on developing her students in a caring environment. I clearly recall Mrs. Schwartz making sure that kids who needed a little extra help got that help. I also connected with Mrs. Schwartz in the computer lab, where she was among a small group of math teachers who led the way in bringing computer programming to Stuyvesant. I still recall our IBM 1130 computer, 1132 printer, four key-punch machines and Fortran programming classes. In fact, these classes paved the way for my future career in the information technology field. Most importantly, Mrs. Schwartz, along with Mrs. Holland and Mrs. Landsberg, epitomized a generation of dedicated, caring math teachers who inspired me and others with their focus, determination and kindness, making Stuyvesant the outstanding place it was, and continues to be. Reading her memorial and understanding the richness and fullness of her life brings back wonderful memories. May her memory be an inspiration to all.
Arthur Sinensky (’70)
Yes, I DO remember her. Short in height, gigantic in the classroom. I graduated SHS in 1969, so my memories are vague, but I enjoyed her math class all too much.
I vividly remember Mrs. Schwartz, for my first exposure to Computer Science was from her class. Mrs. Schwartz taught Fortran along with flow charts, one of which appears in a black-and-white photo of her class in the Image Gallery. I also wrote my first of many, many programs in her class, and tested it in the IBM Computer Center behind our home room. Looking back, Mrs. Schwartz was way ahead of her time in the then nascent field. I also still remember her smile and gentleness in that generally academically tough and cold environment. May her family be comforted.
Mrs. Schwartz was my math teacher in 1980. I remember one day I got some grief from my classmates for my, let’s just say, unorthodox pronunciation of the Pythagorean theorem. Mrs. Schwartz came to my defense and I’m still grateful. I didn’t get to know her well but clearly she was a good woman.
I was one of Mrs. Schwartz’s students at Stuyvesant. She was an inspiration and a role model for me at a time when girls were not encouraged to study math. She was kind but she was also tough and did not tolerate less than our best effort. Whenever I think of my time at Stuyvesant I will always remember Mrs. Schwartz and the enthusiasm and love of learning in her class. I feel truly blessed to have known her.
Yesterday, my high school aged daughter was studying math. I started to think about my favorite math teacher at Stuyvesant, Mrs. Sylvia Schwartz, and ran to get my Class of 1981 yearbook to show my daughter. I fondly recalled what a wonderful teacher she was, and how she conveyed the concepts of Unified Mathematics in an understandable and approachable way. Her warm smile and approachable manner were also greatly appreciated in an environment that was sometimes very stressful. I decided to look up Mrs.Schwartz’s name on the internet, and came across this amazing site! I was so thrilled to be able to see the different aspects of her amazing life conveyed through words and pictures. She inspired me in 1978-1981 and she continues to inspire me now. I am sure that her legacy of a love for teaching has touched many generations of students, and I am honored to have been one of them. Much time has passed, but her impact remains. Thank you for allowing us to participate in her memorial.
I remember Mrs. Schwartz as being short with white hair – but oh so big in kindness and inspiration when I had her for math in the late 1960’s. With a twinkle in her wide eyes and a warm smile, she conveyed a keen intelligence and possessed a unique ability to command a loving respect from all the young men in the class. I don’t often look through The Alumni Spectator, so I feel blessed to have done so this first (rainy) Sunday in March and learn of her passing – so I can take these moments to reflect on someone who touched me way back when and made life just a bit better by having been in her presence for a year. There are many teachers from Stuyvesant about whom I can say similar things – and she was definitely one of them who I am grateful to have been graced by. Having lost my precious mother just under two years ago, I send my condolences to her family, knowing her radiating spirit will continue to inspire and bless all of you.
Mrs. Schwartz was my math teacher at Stuyvesant. Since that first week in 1964 I have thought of her and her lessons often, and fondly. Many specific scenes are etched clearly in my memory, but she taught far more than math. She taught us how to look at and analyze a situation, how to methodically pick it apart and find its solution with a balanced and solidly built argument of logic. My approach to a life of science and medicine owes much to her teaching, and in turn has contributed to the life and health of thousands of others. Obviously she has and will continue to play an influential role in my daily life.
My sincere condolences to her family for their loss. But my Mrs. Schwartz remains as vibrant and alive as the last day I saw her at school in 1967.
A delightful website for a more than delightful woman. It was always a pleasure to be in Sylvia’s company on my trips to New York to visit my late brother-in-l, Martin Cohen, and his wife Shirley Katz Cohen. Many years ago (somewhere around 1987) when I was visiting in Israel, so was Sylvia. My granddaughter was learning to play the piano and gave a brief “concert” for us. Sylvia was enthusiastic and encouraging to my granddaughter and made us all feel loved by Sylvia’s warmth and caring. May her memory be a blessing for all of us who remember her so fondly.
I only knew Sylvia for a few years because I have been living in Queensview only for seven years. I met Sylvia for the first time when playing bridge in Queensview. But our friendship grew when I was invited to play bridge, once a week, as part of a bridge group on Queensview. Sylvia was parte of the group.There is when our friendship grew until the end. I was a beginner bridge player but I learned a lot from Sylvia, watching the way she played and the way she was controlling the cards on the table. Playing with Sylvia help me to play better bridge. Also she loved the pies and the Spanish tortillas(not mexican) that my wife made. And this is the way I learned to like and appreciate my friendship with Sylvia.
Sylvia was a college friend of my husband Phil. He spent the last weekend of his life at her house. After he died, Sylvia and I remained friends. We had already traveled together to Washington, DC, she with her grandson Eric, I with my 14 year old daughter Jennifer, and explored DC together. But after Phil’s death she would always visit us when she came to Berkeley, and I would visit her in New York. Once we traveled together to the South.
What I most remember about Sylvia is her enthusiasm and interest in everything, and her concern for other people, and her wisdom. She told me many stories about her life, and her family and friends. The last time I saw her September 26th, 2010, we walked together to a coffee shop, and she was vital as ever, although she had just been released from the hospital. I commented on her liveliness and interest and she said that if she could no longer pursue her interests, life would not be worth living. I called her a few weeks before her death and she told me “I have had a good run”.
I will miss her affection, her wisdom and enthusiasm.
My mother, Myrna Weinstein Tokofsky, always talked about Sylvia as the role model teacher. No teacher and no school could have been better than where Sylvia was. My mom always loved Sylvia and updated my brother and me on her all the time.
I student taught at Stuyvesant High School in mathematics and Sylvia was my mentor. She was extremely patient and helpful to me. She was a wondrous lady and a great friend to my mother. We both will miss her.
Art
I knew Sylvia since the 1950’s when we moved into Queensview and became involved with setting up many different kinds of programs. Our close friendship didn’t materialize until much later when our husbands died and we were both single. We had many similar interests and enjoyed each otheer’s company. One day, about two years ago when neither of us was very young, we were talking about an art show at a museum – we both expressed a wish that we could go to it, but Sylvia said that she couldn’t because of her eyes. And I added that I couldn’t go because I can’t walk. “No problem!” she said. “We’ll get a wheelchair and I’ll push you – my legs are OK and I can walk.” I said “No way will I let you do that.” After that, whenever I offered to do something for her, she would say “But you didn’t let me push you!” That was Sylvia.
Mrs. Schwartz was my favorite teacher of all time. She taught me Unified Math back from 1976-1978, which was an amazingly abstract math class taught to advanced 9th and 10th graders. I also worked for her in the Stuyvesant treasurer’s office. Through Mrs. Schwartz I developed a love of rigorous math that I still have and use in my day to day life as an electrical engineer. I’ve also passed that love of math onto my own kids. My oldest daughter is currently taking an abstract math class as a freshman at the University of Chicago. I can just imagine an 18 year old Mrs. Schwartz in the 30’s with the same passion for the subject as my daughter has 77 years later. Her influence is in there through me.
She was such an inspiration and lived the life of the teacher exemplar. I want her loved ones to know and appreciate the true extent of her influence.
Though I am sorry to hear of her passing, I am so glad to read that she lived such a full life filled with love and beauty. When I think back on Stuyvesant, I think back on Mrs. Schwartz.
Sylvia asked me to go to Greece with her on one of Jim Gold’s folk dance trips. We went together and had a wonderful time. We toured many towns learning new dances. In the evening there were often dances to attend. I was too tired but not Sylvia – off she went. She had endless energy, was always interesting to talk to about anything. When I shared a concern about something in my life, she responded with warmth, intelligence and kindness. She was a rare person, and a wonderful friend. I loved her.
Sylvia’s passing is something I have not yet come to grips with. We knew each other from the moment of my birth. Her importance in my life was-is high. Second only to my parents and my mother’s siblings, Sylvia was a guiding force in my world- her passion for the arts, her love of knowledge, her unwavering support and help. She was a role model and I was proud and lucky to love her and be loved by her. She and Frank are in my heart right next to Dave, Esther and Morris.
I was blessed with two moms: Esther (born a hundred years ago come November) and Sylvia. I never doubted for a moment, even after I became a so-called grownup, that I could count on her for anything. She was perpetually available to me, and in certain ways still is. She dragged me–gently!–and Jessie through high school math. I’ll love her and miss her forever. Thanks to the family for sharing these bountiful, beautiful memories.
Richard
When I was 11 years old (in 1974), my Aunt Sylvia took me to my first Broadway show, magician Doug Henning’s The Magic Show. I remember being thrilled at seeing a live performance, and in such a fancy theater. But most of all I remember how special I felt — being taken out in NYC by my Aunt.
Sylvia was always a foundation of support in my life, and she never missed an opportunity to let me know how much she loved me.