Now he's done it - he's crossed a line with me, and any sympathy I one time may have felt for Herman Rosenblat has been overwhelmed by my contempt for the man.Rosenblat, the guy who lied about his World War II Nazi concentration camp experiences, says now that he would tell the lies all over again. In one breath he admits he was lying, and in the next he has the nerve to say that in his imagination it happened exactly as he said it did and that makes his fraud acceptable.
Could there be a worse time for a fool like Rosenblat to go on national television and show his utter contempt for the truth? All around the world, people are finding it near impossible to trust anyone in business or politics, a development that makes the current economic crash especially hard to tolerate. To one degree or another, all of us feel like chumps. So along comes Rosenblat with an inspirational, feel-good story that turns out to be just another pack of lies from another cheap crook looking to make a fast buck. Great timing, Herman.
I dare anyone to watch this ABC News clip and not feel anger about what Herman Rosenblat and his wife have done. The clip includes footage of Mrs. Rosenblat telling the story in her own words as if it were true, claiming that she went to the fence on a daily basis to bring apples and cheese to little Herman. She is as big a liar as her husband, who justifies what Mrs. Rosenblat did by stressing how much she loves him but does not allow her to be interviewed by his side.
Herman's own son is disgusted with his father and says it was always about the money to be made, nothing else, and that his attempts to stop his father from making fools of the Rosenblat family were ignored.
Just watch the video for yourself. Nothing that the interviewer asks this man sinks in. He has no conscious, makes no apology, and readily admits that he regrets nothing.
A movie based on the lie is still in the works and it appears, too, that Herman's lie will be turned into a novel, so the man will actually achieve his big payday, once again proving that crime pays quite well.
True as that is, Mr. Rosenblat, I do guarantee you that I will not add one penny of my own money to that payday...and I'm not lying to you.
Previous posts about Rosenblat's lies:
No Angel at the Fence
No Angels in This Story - Period
I'm with you Sam! I certainly won't read the novel or see the movie. If you want to write fiction about the Holocaust, do so- don't pretend your story is true and then be unrepentant when you're found out.
ReplyDeleteI read an interesting article by Cynthia Ozick in Slate just yesterday which details similar exploitation which you might be interested in. The link is http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/the-rights-of-history-and-the-rights-of-imagination-8997?search=1
Sorry, the link is
ReplyDeletehttp://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/the-rights-of-history-and-the-rights-of-imagination-8997?search=1
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ReplyDeleteWhat I don't understand is why he couldn't have just written his story as a novel in the first place. This is a made-up story and that's what novels are.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if someday there will be a book and possibly a movie about this story, but it will be the story of how a man tried to sell a lie as a memoir and the fall-out from this experience. That might make for a good book.
Sarah, thanks for that great link. I just don't get it about what this guy was trying to accomplish if not to make a bunch of money from the story he concocted. It would have made a decent novel from the beginning but would have been likely to just disappear without much of a splash. He is smart enough to know that it is much more likely to make money as nonfiction...what a jerk.
ReplyDeleteAlissa, that's a great point. I think a book or movie about the actual fraud perpetrated by this guy would be interesting. Maybe Oprah could play herself. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I obviously have no idea what you're on about, but I have to tell you that my impression of Herman Rosenblat is that what you see in the news clip is the real man. I am morally offended by that kind of man and have nothing but contempt for them. If he's a puppet, it's his love of money pulling the strings...simple sociopathic greed.
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ReplyDeleteStop right there, Anonymous.
ReplyDeleteDon't try to shut me up or change my mind by calling me antisemitic because I find that particular strategy to be particularly despicable...and weak on the part of anyone trying it out.
That thought never crossed my mind because GREED knows no racial or religious borders.
If you are the man's twin, you need to talk to him before he does more damage to himself and his family.
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ReplyDeleteThanks for posting that article here. It is pretty much what I expected would be the truth. Apparently, the man's lies and exaggerations started even further back then they first appeared to have started.
ReplyDeleteHe has now successfully humiliated his own family, other than his wife who is every bit as guilty as Herman.
This is just shameful.
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ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tPuEiy3pTs&feature=channel_page
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/user/HermanRosenblat
ReplyDeletethe new book is set to be released jun4 2009. production on the feature film is set for 4th qtr. 2009 in bucharest.
ReplyDeletewww.theapplenovel.com
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ReplyDeleteI do not buy all the rationalization that Herman is using to defend himself. He might convince himself that he has done nothing wrong - but it is highly unlikely that he will convince anyone else.
ReplyDeleteLooks like this has generated a huge amount of infighting among Roesenblat's community and family and has reached a level of name-calling and insinuation that is getting ugly. At this point, I just wish that Mr. Rosenblat would have the dignity to go away quietly.
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ReplyDeleteAnonymous (lawyer), I am deleting all the comments that might have the appearance of slander - and I will do my best to stay on top of any new comments being posted here.
ReplyDeleteObviously, I want no part of this fight.
By definition, I am also deleting your comment since it was posted anonymously.
Sam