Growing Up Rosenberg

Understanding, Celebrating, and Navigating Family Bonds

Growing Up Rosenberg

Family: a simple word, yet one that carries the weight of history, hope, and heartache. Across continents and cultures, through the tapestry of time, family has remained the thread that connects us to our roots and shapes the people we become. Whether composed of two or twenty, whether related by blood or bound by choice, families are the crucibles in which lives are forged, identities are honed, and love is both tested and deepened. In the following passages, I hope to illustrate our amazing collective upbringing and the foundation we were all blessed to have and share and build our lives on and from.

What Makes a Family?

To ask, “What is a family?” is to open a door into a thousand different rooms. Traditionally, families were defined by bloodlines and legal ties—parents, children, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles. But in our changing world, family has come to mean much more. I am very fond of saying, you don’t get to choose family, but you do choose who you treat as family.

At its heart, a family is a network of people who offer each other support, understanding, and belonging. Families give us our first lessons in trust and compassion. They are where we learn to share and to compromise, to find comfort in times of grief and celebration in moments of joy. And though every family is unique, they all provide a sense of identity and belonging that resonates throughout our lives.

The story of the Rosenberg’s is one that started with David Rosenberg coming to the USA via Ellis Island and Jenny Brooks meeting in nyc.

Im sad to say I don’t know the story of the meeting of the Matriarch and Patriarch  of the family, but they initially settled in NYC lower east side where Dave worked for Herman trucking.  By the beginning of this story the family lived in  Bronx park East, near Allerton ave and White Plains Road.

Dave and Jenny had 5 boys.

Willy (William)

Mikey (Milton)

George (Joseph, don’t worry, I never understood it either)

Herby (Herbert)

Marty (Martin)

The point of this exercise is not for me, Joey Rosenberg, to write a book, blog or similar. It’s about me starting a narrative of what I remember, I heard, or has been passed down to me. I will then post this so all members of the Rosenberg clan and then all can add stories of their own under the heading as below. It will serve as a record of thoughts, memories, and stories to preserve and pass on to future generations of the Rosenberg family.  

Please put your name first under the category you wish, date if the writing, and then tell your story. I fully realize that each author will decide what categories to write a story under. Choices will be made and that’s cool.

As an example:

If I want to tell a story about Charlie Rosenberg. I would put it under the category of Uncle Mickey & Aunt Shirley as follows:

Uncle Mickey & Aunt Shirley:

Joey Rosenberg 7/5/25- Charlie and I worked at C&R together……….and tell that story.

If Katey reads the story and wants to comment on my story, feel free. Your comment would be at the end of the story as

Katey-7/6/25- I remember that, my dad…..

One caveat/request. All families have “dirty laundry”. This is not the place for it. It’s fine to recall funny, sad, and even tear evoking truths, but no reason to mention any negatives to cause family issues. Overall, the Rosenberg family is amazing. Cousins, and second cousins, cousins once or twice removed..all referred to as cousins and in all cases more like siblings.

Also- Rosenberg’s have many last names today: The following are the sampling:

Rosenberg

Berry

Soon to be – Tavolino

Silverberg

Dimuzio

Silverstone

Hannon

Edlitz

Goldstein

Miller

Bocchi

Ahini

Strum

Ostrow

Forschein

Lets set the stage for the way I picture this unfolding.

I will break this up in the following categories. Please feel free to post anything you’d like under each category

                                         1-Grandpa Dave and Grandma Jenny

                                         2- Uncle Willy & Aunt Ruthie

                                         3-Uncle Mickey & Aunt Shirley

                                         4-Uncle Georgie & Aunt Faye

                                         5-Uncle Herby & Aunt Arlene

                                         6- Uncle Marty & Aunt Gerry

                                         7-Working and loving at C&R

                                         8-Bayberry Lane

So here we go:

Grandpa Dave and Grandma Jenny

Joey 7-5-25: I recall this story of grandpa dave being a merchant Marine. He came to NY and after coming through Ellis Island on the Pretoria…..they embarked on walking to Philadelphia for some reason. In those days, as th story was told,  you walked and would stop at a farm or similar…ask for food and a space to sleep in a barn and earna few days pay working the farm…then coniue on. Well this is what young David did. Upon getting to Philly, they decided that Philly sucked, and turned and walked back to NY. This sentiment is alive and well today as most Rosenberg’s are Giants fans and no team is hated more than the Phildelphia eagles..and this hatred stems from Granpa Dave “Philly Encounter”….true? no..but im sticking with it!.

Joey 7-5-25: I don’t have many memories of Grandma and Grandpa. At almost 6o, the line between what I remember versus what I was told has blurred. I do have many memories of Sundays. Dad tossing the kids in the car for the drive to Long Beach. Inevitably Marla would get car sick, and I distinctly recall having to stop on the side of the road for her to throw up…ahh the memories!. I digress. Getting to 711 Shore rd I think apt 5”O”. walking  in and the smell of grandmas cooking. The walls of pictures. The sight and smell of grandpas tool closet. The cool fact of their Balcony, the first of which I ever experienced was Way Cool. Seeing Grandpas Bat Wing Cadillac and hearing years later how he gave it away to Vinny the Super of the building. A small fact I utilized when in 1990…I was driving in Long Beach with my Fiancé and future Mother in law and came upon the “tootsie roll house “ ( another story) and pulling into the parking lot of 711 shore road to reminisce  about them. When I saw “Vinny the Super” I walk ed up to him and introduced myself as David and Jenny’s Grandson. He looked with suspect, until I told the Caidlac story. I mentioned I was apartment hunting. Suddenly apartment 4”K” was mine. I remember being very happy and proud I followed the family tree back, to move forward in my, soon to be new, married life. Side note- each floor had its own washer dryer (tons of quarters)..but one day while using multiple floors laundry facilities I walked by what was years before Grandma’s apartment, and heard a yelling between a man and a woman. I heard clearly the man hit the woman. I was enraged at what I heard and then that it was IN THAT APARTMENT. I quickly went to my apartment and called the police who showed up and dealt with it.

2 reasons I did it. #1- NO MAN will ever hurt a woman when I’m around or can do something about it. #2 that it happened in That apartment was, to me, an attempt to denigrate a place in my past I treasured, so I had to do something. I am no tough guy, but I will take the punch over a a woman having to.

Uncle Willy & Aunt Ruthie

Joey 7-6-25: When I think of Uncle Willy and & Rith, I am filled with warmth. That is just who they were. Anytime throughout my life when I sw Uncle Willy I would here a LOUD “JOSEPH!!”, and then the smile that lit up a room. Aunt Roth ( Root) would come in for the bug hug with a matching huge smile.

Joey 7-6-25: The Pipe- I have a ton of memories of the Pipe and the scent of that tobacco. It permeated the den in Oceanside to a level I don’t know I can explain. It also was a scent when working at C&R in Merrick, that would hit you at the 3rd or 4th step going to the basement warehouse where Uncle Willy’s office was.

Joey 7-6-25: The Cousins Club- The irony of the cousins club was that it was formed to family togetherness and from my perspective it culminated in an annual birthday card. The actual person who sent this card, was Aunt Ruthie. She was the epitome of the warm cuddlt aunt. Yet each year, I would get a card from the cousins club (Aunt Ruthie) sign FROM the cousins club…not Love the counsins club. I never got to ask her, by the dichotomy of that warm lovable aunt and “FROM”…… always brings a smile

Uncle Mickey & Aunt Shirley

Uncle Georgie & Aunt Faye

Uncle Herby & Aunt Arlene

Uncle Marty & Aunt Gerry

                                         Working and loving at C&R

Bayberry Lane

Joey 7-5-25: When I tell people about growing up on a street that at one point or another had 16 ( out of 18)  first cousin on it, they look at me with a mix of disbelief and humor. I usually follow up with “ Its Kinda like my Big, Fat, Greek Wedding….just Jewish” While I had my siblings, I viewed my cousins as siblings. Most people think of a cousin as someone they barely knew. Despite me being much closer in age to the youngest cousins a had an amazing bond with all my cousins. We always joke that we wish that we had more fun reasons to get together, than funerals.

Joey 7-5-25: While I now reside in North Carolina, My bride and I chose Seaford NY to call home for over 28 years. I write this under “Bayberry Lane”, because in a sub conscious way, by living in Seaford I was kind of “representing” the Seaford Rosenberg position. I think I created what became known as “Rosenlympics” to , in effect, bring  back Rosenberg Cousins/family back home for a day of fun. I incorporated the non blood family, and it became an annual July 4th event for several years. Covid stopped it dead, pun intended. I initially wanted to continue, but losing my Mom to Covid, somehow changed that. I regret stopping it, but I hope in some way, one of the “ NY Berg’s” somehow revsisit and carry it on…hint, hint.