The Pigskin Rabbi [Hardcover]

Willard Manus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 1999

New in paperback.

In this ribald comic novel, a young rabbi becomes quarterback for the New York Giants and within months all the world (or most of it) seems to be converting to Judaism. Anyone who feels even one shred of affection for the traditions of Judaism, who understands the power of professional sports to mold public opinion-and anyone who loves a good laugh-will be enthralled and delighted by The Pigskin Rabbi.

Ezekiel "Ziggy" Cantor becomes (by a very strange sequence of events) the superstar quarterback of the New York Giants, drilling passes with godlike accuracy, kicking miraculous field goals, playing out of pure love of the game, and catapulting the team toward invincibility. Ziggy's Judaism, formerly a burden in gentile society, now becomes the apparent source of all good. His teammates-convinced of the luck of the Jewish-start eating kosher food during games, prepared by Ziggy's kindly grandmother. They call plays in Yiddish.

Ziggymania hits town. Fans chant lustily in Yiddish. Gucci-made Giants yarmelkehs are all the rage. New York takes Ziggy to its heart-he is a homegrown hero. Even his grandmother becomes a celebrity. Judaism is hip, it's in, and is all-empowering.

An over-the-top farce full of unforgettable characters, an irreverent sports novel with a theological underpinning-The Pigskin Rabbi will have people of all faiths convulsed with laughter.

"A vastly entertaining fable. . . . Anyone who doesn't fall for Manus's spirit and sly jokes has a hard heart indeed."-San Francisco Chronicle

Willard Manus is the author of Mott the Hoople, among other books. His plays have been produced in London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Los Angeles, Washington, and New Orleans. He is a member of the American Theater Critics Association, and writes on blues and jazz for several magazines. He lives in Los Angeles.

"How does a rabbi convert the entire U.S. to Judaism? The answer, of course, is by becoming a football hero. A wild tale . . . Hilarious . . . Manus has a wonderful sense of humor."-Publishers Weekly

CHAPTER 1

See Shrdlu. See Shrdlu run. See Etoain Shrdlu, the Albanian placekicker, boot a fifty-four-yarder and win the

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

How does a rabbi convert the entire U.S. to Judaism? The answer, of course, is by becoming a football hero, in this wild tale by Manus (Mott the Hoople). In the hilarious first chapter, Ziggy Cantor, a rabbinical school graduate and son of a Bronx rabbi, has fled to Holland to study Spinoza, to experiment with secular ideas, and to engage in his chief loveAfootballAfar from his father's critical orthodox eye. There he is discovered by a Giants scout, and Ziggy, a natural, becomes the Giants' quarterback who turns his team from a perennial loser to a Super Bowl winner, thereby pervading America with Jewish culture. Ziggy calls plays in Yiddish, the team wears Giants-logo yarmulkes, his grandmother serves chicken soup from the sidelines and his receiver, a cocksure swaggerer, even undergoes ritual circumcision in order to become a Jew. Still, Ziggy is dogged by murderously jealous teammates, by anti-Semites and especially by his own conscience: has he betrayed his tradition? Making love to a shiksa, playing a game on Yom Kippur and his father's death all bring up doubts. But in the end, Ziggy gets it all: the gentile lover, the Super Bowl victory, fortune and fameAand he still becomes a rabbi at the end. This is a typical sports and sex fantasy, replete with aggressive male bonding and the requisite model and cheerleader dream girls. The writing is not exactly hipAand the story is predictable, but Manus has a wonderful sense of humor, and for readers who can find comic relief with his underdog's predicament, he makes a field goal. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Fortunately, Manus's (Connubial Bliss, Panjandrum, 1989) grown-up fairy tale about football as it should be played does not have to be plausible. A young rabbi who has lost his conviction has returned to his first love, football. Signed by the New York Giants, Ezekiel "Ziggy" Cantor instantly becomes a star, especially when they hire his old sandlot buddy. A great toss-and-catch combination, they communicate in Yiddish, which confuses their opponents. Their teammates learn not only Yiddish from them but also a spontaneous, joyous way to play the game. Pretty soon the whole team is eating Ziggy's grandmother's chicken soup on the sidelines, and their fans are wearing official Giants yarmulkes. The only ones who don't love Ziggy are anti-Semites, opposing players, and the quarterback he replaced, who want him dead. Nonetheless, he leads his team through a great season while struggling to regain his faith. Funny, touching, and raunchy; recommended for public libraries.AMarylaine Block, St. Ambrose Univ. Lib., Davenport, IA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Breakaway Books (June 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891369075
• ISBN-13: 978-1891369070
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,382,613 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun, quick read, July 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pigskin Rabbi (Hardcover)

While not the deepest book on the market, I found The Pigskin Rabbi to be fun, uplifting and an easy read. It's a clever premise, and Manus takes it everywhere it can possibly go without beating it to death. I recommend it highly as a fun, summer read.

4.0 out of 5 stars Pigskin Rabbi -- A modern Parable, February 15, 2004

By 

JeromeC (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pigskin Rabbi (Paperback)

The Pigskin Rabbi is a modern parable for doubting troubled Jews who live in a modern troubled society and face modern complex problems.

It is light breezy tongue in cheek and funny especially if you hear it in your head when you are reading it. The characters all stay true to their form and all have an eccentric point of view -- everyone but the main character who is the sanity in a bizzare world.

It drags in the middle as all sports books tend to, but that is minor. The games' descriptions are there to show how the many forms of anti semetism come up and how (in a less than ideal world) a man of principle might overcome them.

The choices the rabbi makes are not easy ones. Quite frequently he must deal with tradition and holy commands on the one hand, and a personal loyalty to those around him on the other. So he plays on Yom Kipper. But playing on Yom Kipper is not without its price. And his uncertainty is part of his courage. In the end he does things mostly for the betterment of those around him. Let others follow if they will. Let them be bewildered and angry if they will not.

He chooses and looses his women in exactly the same way. He looses the woman one would think he was suited for (a Jewess in Amsterdam), because she cannot judge worth and value especially when he becomes famous. He picks a gentile because what matters to her is him. She lacks his courage, but not his loyalty and the loyalty is so important. In a modern world, she has the ability to let him be who he wants to be without interference. She has an unspoken faith that he is wise enough to use his talents for the widest good. She may not understand it, but she understands him. His choice was the wisest one. She lacks the Jewish woman's intellectual depth but she more than matches her humanity.

He picks the right woman for the right reason.

The ending might irritate some, especially the death of Mad Dog. This is a parable. So Mad Dog's death showed clearly what the author was talking about when he offhandedly mentions that decent people through wars and threats become themselves barbaric. Critics will argue that that point should be made more of. But this book is about decency and maintenace of decency and what we need to do to accomplish this. Regret and guilt are the vocabulary. Action is the antedote.

Enjoy. It is a fun thoughful book. Sort of Bubbe's Chicken Soup for the Soul.