Rabbi Martin S Rozenberg

Rabbi Martin S. Rozenberg, age 95, passed away on November 30th. Husband of his beloved Estelle, z’’l, for 71 years, he was the father of Rabbi Robert Rozenberg, z”l (Cynthia), Karen Rozenberg Berman (Douglas), Sandra Rozenberg Sadove, grandfather of Avram Berman (Heather), Jennie Berman Jasper (Robert), Stacy Sadove Zbeda (Richard), David Sadove (Alex), Laurie Zweibon (Jesse), Shira Teich (Daniel), and Jacob Rozenberg (Yazmin), and great-grandfather to Benjamin, Lily and Noah Zbeda, Itai and Risa Teich, and Paul Jasper. He is survived by his sister Lee Greenberg.

Born in Lithuania, Rabbi Rozenberg emigrated to the United States from Latvia at the age of 11 in March 1940. He received his B.A. from New York University in 1951, followed by a Bachelor and Master of Hebrew Letters as well as a Doctor of Divinity from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Ordained in 1955, he was awarded the Morgenthau Fellowship for graduate study, the John Palmer prize as “most meritorious student” and the Rebecca Kohut prize in Bible.

He began his post-graduate Rabbinic career as Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia while beginning his graduate work in the department of Oriental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned his Ph.D in 1963. In 1957, he became the rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Hazelton, Pennsylvania. While continuing his graduate studies he was invited to join the faculty of HUC-JIR-NY as a professor of Bible, Biblical Grammar and Aramaic.

His interest in biblical archaeology led him to become the secretary/treasurer of the Israel Exploration Society through which he was a member of the first archaeological team to survey Masada prior to its excavation. He also participated in the excavations at Arad and Ein Gedi, and was a supervisor of the Temple Mount excavation in Jerusalem which discovered the Southern Steps to the Temple. His ongoing love for the state of Israel kept him active with Israel Bonds, UJA and leading National Federation of Temple Youth tours to Israel.

His belief in Jewish camping as a means of supplementing religious school education, led him to solicit a generous gift from Joseph and Betty Harlam of Hazleton, PA in 1958 to establish the UAHC Harlam summer camp in Kunkletown, PA where he served as its education director for the first four years of the camp’s existence.

Rabbi Rozenberg moved to The Community Synagogue in Port Washington, NY in 1963 where he served as the Rabbi for the next thirty-three years retiring in 1996. Besides building and leading The Community Synagogue’s vibrant congregation, he led numerous groups of congregants and youth groups on tours of Israel, Europe and the Soviet Union. Additionally, during his years on Long Island, he became an associate Professor of the C.W. Post College of Long Island University teaching Ancient Near Eastern Civilization while continuing as a Professor of Bible at HUC-JIR-NY. Simultaneously he served as a member of the Bible Translation Committee of The Jewish Publication Society that produced the New Jewish Version translation, The Torah and Ketuvim.

His work in Jewish education includes having served for nine years as the national chairman of the Commission on Education of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and as the chairman of both the Education and Adult Education Committees of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He was a strong advocate of full time Jewish education and was the founder and president of the Liberal Jewish Day School of Long Island.

Upon retiring to Cedar Grove, NJ in 1996, to write and become a full-time grandfather and great-grandfather, Rabbi Rozenberg completed his final book, The Psalms: A New Translation and Commentary, co-authored with Rabbi Bernard Zlotowitz. He has written numerous scholarly articles on biblical history and archaeology. He also lectured widely on the Bible, biblical archaeology, Jewish history, Jewish education and Jewish family.

As a rabbi, teacher, scholar, archeologist, social activist and leader, he was respected by his colleagues and students, beloved by his congregants and cherished by his friends, the many people whose lives he touched and above all by his family. His life and career were a blessing to the Jewish community and the world.

Shiva will be observed on December 6th and December 7th from 6:30pm to 9:00pm with minyan at 7:00pm at 18 Glenrock Road, Cedar Grove, NJ. On December 8th, Shiva will be observed at the same address from 12:00pm to 2:00pm.