Herman ‘Gabby’ Rosenstein; Longtime Santa Monica Activist

Herman “Gabby� Rosenstein, 81, Santa Monica community activist who fought with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. Rosenstein was a New York bookkeeper in 1937 when he joined 3,000 Americans who went to Spain to fight the Franco forces. When the United States entered World War II, he joined the U.S. Army as a warrant officer. Years later, Rosenstein led protests against American involvement in the Vietnam War and against nuclear testing. A career electrician and union organizer, he served on the Santa Monica Housing Commission and had worked on the city’s charter review commission and pier task force. Rosenstein, whose son is Santa Monica Mayor Paul Rosenstein, was a long-time officer and newsletter editor of the Santa Monica Democratic Club. As an activist, he worked for renters’ rights and district elections of City Council members. On Monday in Santa Monica.