Bob was born in 1928 and grew up in Waterville, Maine. He learned all he needed to be Bar Mitzvahed by rote from his grandfather. Bob was interviewed by Becky Muller.
“In one of his most spectacular failures [my grandfather] took over my Hebrew education. Effectively he taught me by rote the entire Bar Mitzvah ceremony and nothing else. As illiterate as he was in English, I was more so in Hebrew. He never really expressed any particular disappointment nor do I ever remember him being critical of anyone, or gossiping about anyone. The world seemed to pass him by while he spent his waking hours praying.” (Email correspondence from Bob Rosenthal to Becky Muller)