By Norm Oshrin, Columnist
Home from the hospital for only about three weeks last March — after more than three months of lung/heart surgery plus rehab — Joel Levy got out of a virtual sick bed to drive to New York to play in a card tournament.
Joel Levy is a bridge player.
”I started playing in 1970,” he recalled, when, at age 32, and teaching social studies in a Harlem public school, “I used to watch the teachers (play) at lunchtime.”
He was fascinated.
”I decided to learn the game and my friend and I called one of the world-class players, Al Roth, for lessons,” Mr. Levy said. “His classes were all filled, but he said he had two young players who would give us lessons.”
Thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Levy told him.
”Boy, were we sorry,” he said. “The two young boys turned out to be Allan Sontag and Peyer Weichel, who later became world champions.”
No matter: Joel levy did all right on his own.
”We never took lessons,” he said, “but my partner (Marty Singer) and I became life masters.
”Once we became life masters, we stopped going to tournaments. Then, in 2004, Al Tuckman (a neighbor in the Greenbriar at Whittingham adult community in Monroe Township) drove me to a national tournament in Philadelphia and we played with Elihu Nemiroff (another Greenbriarite) and Larry Freedman (East Brunswick.)”
”We came in second in Swiss teams, where you have a team of four and play another half of a team, getting points after each round. It’s unlike duplicate bridge,” he explained, “where everybody plays the same hand. If you are defending, you try to have the best defense. If you are playing cards, you try to get more tricks out of the hand than anyone else.”
It is the cerebral nature of the game that attracts Mr. Levy, who taught in the New York City school system for more than 30 years.
”It makes you think, use your mind,” he said. “You have to think of what cards are being played, how to bid your hand, play your hand and defend — and the psychology behind some of the bids. It’s a complicated game.”
Mr. Nemiroff agrees.
”You have to think,” said the retired stock broker. “It’s not an automatic game. It is one of the few card games which is mostly skill, not much luck.
”I learned how to play bridge when I was going to Columbia University and cut physics classes (to play),” said Mr. Nemiroff, who has shared a bridge table with Mr. Levy for nine or 10 years. He began participating, he said, “when I watched my friends’ parents playing it. It looked very interesting.”
Both Mr. Levy and Mr. Tuckman — a retired manufacturer of fabrics sold to garment makers (“dress men”) — have made their marks point wise in the world of bridge.
”I have over 2,000 master points,” said Mr. Levy, proudly. “I’m a silver life master.”
So is Mr. Tuckman — but at 2,400 points, probably not for long. He is only 100 shy of gold life master.
”It’s just a rating,” said Mr. Tuckman. “Strictly master points; it’s not for money. It’s the satisfaction of winning. And, when you win, you get master points. Very few people have 2,000 points in the (adult) communities in Monroe Township,” he speculated. “Maybe fewer than 10.”
”I played it in college,” said Mr. Tuckman. “There was a local bridge club and (I) played in the game on the University of Pennsylvania campus.”
This past summer — for the third year in a row, with the help of Messrs. Levy, Tuckman and Nemiroff — Greenbriar took first place in the Mayor’s Trophy competition. (Next scheduled tournament Oct. 15 in Danbury, Conn.; and a regional tournament Oct. 28 in Lancaster, Pa.)
Mr. Nemiroff points out bridge can help people medically as well.
”They find that people who play bridge rarely come down with Alzheimer’s,” he said. He’s right — at least according to the Alzheimer’s Association’s Maintain Your Brain campaign. In it, the association lists playing games to keep brains active and engaged as a way to help ward off and/or slow the onset, of the disease. It also suggests that connecting with others socially can help prevent dementia.
”Keeping the brain healthy means treating it like a muscle,” said Lynn Stern, a senior clinical social worker with the Turner Geriatric Clinic of the University of Michigan’s Geriatric Center. “Brains need regular exercise.”
The game of bridge is legendary, too, as one in which many players take the game so seriously that loud arguments, even violence, sometimes erupt.
There’s none of that in his games, Mr. Levy assured.
”When we make a mistake, nobody blames anyone else. We play as a team, win as a team, lose as a team. We never criticize anybody. That’s why we get along so well, nobody ever blames anyone else. We play as a team, win as a team, lose as a team. We never criticize anybody. That’s why we get along so well and have won so many regional tournaments together. We never criticize each other.”
Sometimes, though, there is marital discord — even divorce — a direct result of second-guessing at the bridge table.
It is a happening which, according to Mr. Nemiroff, often is evident by this typical verbal exchange between partners and mates:
One of them asks.
”How can you do such a stupid thing?”
”Well, I married you, didn’t I…?” responds the other.” ‘
Sound familiar?
Everyone has a story to tell about now and then. If you, a neighbor, relative or a friend wants to share a tale, contact [email protected], or 609-409-4384.

