In the mid-19th century, in Prague, would a Rabbi's son, who became
Hasidic, have been shunned and even considered "dead" to his family?

Here's why I ask. I am descendant >from a man named Loebl FREUND, born in
1782 near Pilzen. His brother was Samuel FREUND (1794 - 1881) who became
the chief Rabbi and superior judge of Prague in the mid-19th century. I
recently received an email >from a man in Israel who says that the lore in
his family was that they were descendant >from the son of Rabbi Samuel FREUND.

This is the kind of email we all hope to receive, right? But the problem is
that the reports at the time of Samuel FREUND's death stated that his only
son died in childhood.

When I questioned the man in Israel about the discrepancy, his answer was
that the son had become a Hasidic Jew, and thus had been considered "dead"
to the family. Even to the point of sitting Shiva.

Does this ring true? Can anyone reflect on the customs of the time that
might have caused this to happen?

Andy Schwartz, St. Louis, Missouri
researching FREUND, LOEBNER, MANGE

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