ROGUES, RASCALS, AND RAPSCALLIONS - PART 1

Rabbi Pini Dunner travels down the side roads and into cul-de-sacs of the Jewish yesteryear with the help of exhaustive research - sharing countless anecdotes and previously unrevealed details. This first episode of “Exploring Jewish History” is titled “Rogues, Rascals, and Rapscallions”, and looks at characters from traditional Jewish society whose personal lives did not quite match up to the norms of the world they were a part of. In Part 1 Rabbi Dunner offers a revealing glimpse into the life of the early twentieth-century Orthodox rabbi of Zanesville OH, and the sad secret that he took with him to his grave.

[@ShatzMat]

This story, while tragic, is not so much scandalous as it is typical of the time. This was a time when mental illness was a tremendous shame on the family and was more attributed to demonic possession than chemical imbalance. Rabbi Dunner, as a historian, you should be well aware of the attitude towards mental illness of those days. Rabbi Rosenberg did what he thought best to give himself and his children a chance at a normal life. As for your accusation of bigamy, you are not in position to judge. Halachicaly, there are those who hold that a man in this position could remarry without a heter meah rabbanim. I am aware of a similar story in pre-war Galicia where a young wife was also befallen by demons and her own family his her out in their home and encouraged her young husband to move elsewhere and start fresh. They desperately hid (caged) the young woman indoors although they had a hard time controlling her manic episodes because had the authorities become aware of her situation they would have locked her up and have subjected to indescribable horror. I can surmise that Annie's family conspired with the Rabbi to act similarly, for the sake of himself and his children, their grandchildren.

[@richardkaznyoung7711]

Thank you Rabbi for sharing this story, though complicated, heartbreaking, many lessons can be learnt from this story.

[@aaronmassey7464]

Love this rabbi!! Keep the videos coming.

[@WallStreetMaster]

I really enjoy watching your videos as they're quite entertaining. However, I have some reservations about the reliability of the research behind them.

[@nethaniellorenzi278]

Fascinating!

[@moshiach99]

It seems quite apparent that the rabbi's first wife was mentally incapable of receiving a divorce and the best course of action (in that era) for the entire family's sake was to relocate and start anew. Rabbi Dunner does raise these points and declares at the very end of the segment that Rabbi Rosenberg probably doesn't deserve to be labeled a rogue, rascal etc., but fails to change the title of this presentation!! I think a corrected title would be in order... Let's also not forget - חֵרֶם הַקַּדְמוֹנִים שֶׁלֹא לְהוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע עַל מֵתִים - the prohibition of the early sages, against slandering the dead.. (Kitzur_Shulchan_Arukh.131.5) I think a corrected title would be in order...

[@dovbarleib3256]

The title of the series of lectures is "Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions". This particular case was the first in the series which he probably chose to לדון מכף זכות that Rav Rosenberg was likely a tzaddiq with this horrible extenuating circumstance.

[@dovbarleib3256]

The title of the series of lectures is "Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions". This case was the first in the series which he probably chose to לדון מכף זכות that Rav Rosenberg was likely a tzaddiq with this horrible extenuating circumstance..

[@meyercohen7140]

Rabbi Rosenberg was a righteous and courageous man

[@moshemankoff7488]

Thanks!

[@cantonhag]

I really enjoy your narrations .. maybe you should side job as a voice actor! Thanks to you and the Fischman Family for their sponsorship.

[@moshiach2]

Amazing story. Can't wait until the next episode!

[@mike-dx1wi]

typical case of al tidan as chavro ad shamageha la makomo

[@menachemsalomon]

I suppose that you've looked through the Beis Din records in London and Manchester for a _get_ or _heter meah rabonim,_ or a discussion of the situation, and have found nothing.

[@rebeccanissel6186]

Rabbi Dunner, is this on Zoom?

[@einfeld]

Hi Rivkah - not this time.

[@newsknowledgewithstandards4750]

Very interesting. But very naughty. Like Chayim Shaulson. It is a pity Reb Pini that you do not follow the classic (boring) path of Yiddishkiet.

[@aam5841]

Rabbi Dunner, with all due respect, what is your point? Why pick a story that you only know tidbits of it, you haven't shared any concrede knowledge about the state of the first wife, just assumptions. There's enough horror stories with first hand evidence to make your point.

[@newsknowledgewithstandards4750]

It seems that all Pini has inherited from his illustrious grandparents Rabbi and Rebetzen Dunner is some disregard for Hassidim. Make no mistake, Pini is a lovely person. All the Dunners are. I remember his lovely father Abba of blessed memory. However big mouth Pini should take his place next fellow Californians Megan and Harry Winsor ex-Brits, attention-seeking and above all - always ready to slag off their very own prestigious heritage in an attempt to gain favour of the masses. It's not personal. Pini has dome some wonderful things. I'm Sure he will not take it personal. After all, it is only in the spirit of a 'non Mishpaha, non Art scroll, critical thinking exercise'

[@barbaraschwimmer1338]

Besmirching THE HOLY SATMAAR RABBI is most telling . What an Aliya Neshomah to his father and grandfather

[@barbaraschwimmer1338]

Having the CHUTZPAH to malign THE SAATMER REBBI is more than a disregard it is very dangerous . If his children or grandchildren will stray ---- SURPRISE SURPRISE

[@ayidala7]

היתר מאה רבנים

[@SamuelSvarc]

What I fail to understand is why, with all the assumptions being made, Rabbi Dunner doesn't assume that Rav Rosenberg received a heter meah rabbanim, kdas vkdin? He then made the tragic decision to rebuild a life for his children in America. Further, the Rav's comment as quoted by his son, seemed to me to be an adaptation of mshana mpinei hashalom, a well known halacha. This episode doesn't live up to Rabbi Dunner's usual standards, and I confess that I'm disappointed. His comment to a descendant is unbefitting of an ehrlich yid of his caliber, and I hope he repays my belief in him by deleting it.

[@sisaacson9802]

Nothing gained from this or other such videos. It's just pure loshon horah!

[@Johnsmith-do2js]

היתר מאה רבנים, פאץ

[@Johnsmith-do2js]

תקנות רבנו גרשום Not halachah

[@timmanners8598]

You have callously defamed my long-dead grandpa when he is no longer here to speak for himself. This is an egregious, nebulous, unverified, insulting, unauthorized invasion of our family's privacy for your personal gain and amusement. It should be removed from KZbin immediately. You have caused my family and me great emotional distress. Shame on you.

[@RabbiPiniDunner]

Mr Manners, as you have commented publicly, I will add a further public comment regarding this tragic story. Your grandfather's abandoned wife Annie died on December 8, 1951, and was buried (with the funeral most likely paid for by community funds, a fact which I intend to verify) at Newcastle's Hazelrigg Cemetery in an "unconsecrated grave", which means there is no gravestone or plaque. There are gravestones on the graves on either side of Annie's grave (I have photos) but Annie's grave is unmarked to this day. In the over 70 years since Annie's passing no family member (from either side) has bothered to tend to her final resting place in any way, shape, or form, or to acknowledge her years on this world by erecting a gravestone with an inscription. Which is not surprising, as Annie was totally airbrushed out of collective memory. Perhaps, rather than directing your venom at me, the Rosenberg/Manners family (perhaps together with the Maccoby family) should get together and finally do right by Annie, righting a historical wrong that has been forgotten, or worse - ignored, for over a century. I happen to believe that Rabbi Harris Ehrenberg/Rosenberg was a decent man caught in an impossible situation - a position I made very clear in my presentation. His actions regarding Annie are entirely understandable, if regrettable. But leaving Annie in her abandoned state at Hazelrigg compounds a dreadful tragedy that has remained unaddressed for far too long. One last note - I'm ready to delete this exchange if you are willing to engage in a temperate discussion regarding this matter. I get your pain, but a public slanging match serves no one, certainly not the memory of your grandfather and his first wife, nor indeed the dignity of your family.

[@timmanners8598]

​@@RabbiPiniDunner Your response owns itself.

[@RabbiPiniDunner]

@@timmanners8598 - so does yours. And I guess I will arrange for the £2400 cost of erecting a headstone without your support. So be it.

[@schadenfreude666]

Great emotional distress! Give me a break.

[@schadenfreude666]

What an exposé. You’ve got a bigamist in your family tree.

[@meyercohen7140]

This tragedy should not have been publicised. People don’t need to know about it. Rabbi,perhaps you will take it offline. It isn’t amusing or educational.