Customer Reviews

Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am not a big fan of detective novels, but I read Harry Kemelman's SATURDAY THE RABBI WENT HUNGRY with pleasure because in addition to a mystery/murder plot (which, OK, may not have been the trickiest I ever read)he surrounded the story with a lot of Jewish lore, cultural details of a synagogue's inner workings, and--for me--familiar local detail. It certainly helps to be from Marblehead when you read Kemelman stories because, for the most part, that is where they are set. Like any good author or cinematographer, Kemelman presents his characters and the locale as a pastiche of several individuals and locations, but as he lived in this town for close to 50 years, Marblehead is undoubtedly the fount of most of his inspiration; the source of his observations of human life in a small Yankee town suddenly settled by a considerable Jewish population.

The story moves along very well with asides to explain various Jewish traditions and customs. This may have been geared to a different time and generation, when the Jewish religion was still strange and foreign to many Americans on the East Coast. Certainly Kemelman's characters like to use phrases like "you people" and "your Yom Kippur", phrases that I have not heard in many, many years. Times have changed. But this story still stands as a monument to its times, to that period when New England Christians and Jews were still getting to know one another. If you know or want to know a New England town with its various characters, pressures, and patterns, if you want to read an enjoyable story with a Jewish background, then be sure to read this book.

Issac Hirsh is not a practicing Jew. He has never been a member of the local congregation; he does not attend services; he has a reputation for heavy drinking; and he is married to Patricia, a gentile woman much younger than he. On Yom Kippur he is found dead from carbon monoxide inside his garage, and his widow asks Rabbi Small to perform the rites and have him buried in the Jewish cemetary. After some consideration, Rabbi Small agrees--but his decision not only embroils him police and insurance investigations, it puts his job on the line as well.

Published in 1966, SATURDAY THE RABBI WENT HUNGRY is the second of Harry Kemelman's twelve novels concerning Rabbi Small, who uses logic drawn from study of Jewish law to aid authorities in their work. On this occasion, however, his intelligence and personal fibre is more tested by the congregation than it is by mystery. When rumors circulate that Hirsh committed sucide, several influential members of the congregation begin to demand that the body be removed from the cemetery, and Rabbi Small is called upon to determine if Hirsh's death was accident, suicide, or perhaps something more.

As is the case in most of Kemelman's Rabbi Small novels, the overall work is actually less mystery than it is a portrait of a Jewish community of a particular era. It is distinctly 1960s in tone, referencing the civil rights issues of the day, but most particularly it provides a window on the Jewish culture of the era, the traditions that continue, and a host of colorfully created characters. It is among the best of the series, recommended to old fans and newcomers alike.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Excellence in genre-writing should not be taken for granted. Kemelman's work is as smooth as butter. It is economical. He is a master at writing to give the reader understanding of his rabbi's mores and those of the temple congregation of the Conservative branch of Judaism. In terms of an extra fill-up of tribalism and atmosphere, there is the fact that the setting of the stories is coastal Massachusetts, portrayed aptly and excellently. Barnard's Crossing is a place of small tradespeople and on-the-make owners and managers of rather substantial businesses in the technology sector.

The central character is a dreamy, scholarly, traditional sort of religious leader hailing from a family of rabbis. David Small's relationship with the president of the temple board is rocky. Schwartz is a middle-aged architect who has felt thwarted in the pursuit of his professional activities. David's experience as the son of a rabbi positions him to deal with difficult members of the congregation.

Judaism emphasizes good behavior, morals, ethics, and there is little alcoholism. There is also reverence for elders. Isaac Hirsh is dead and his connection to Ben Goralsky, the owner of an electronics firm, is not clear. Hirsh's wife wants to have him buried in the temple cemetary. David supports her wish. Alcoholism and the possibility of suicide are matters of importance to the plot. It seems that Hirsh, a mathematician, may have made a mistake in computing causing the stock in Goralsky's company to rise in value in the belief that a new and simpler formula had been discovered.

The crime takes place on the Day of Atonement. The mystery has to do with the story of the scapegoat.

I really enjoyed the first book I read in this series, "Friday, the Rabbi Slept Late". But this one was too much talk and hardly any mystery. The mystery part only starts more than half way through the book. As I already said, disappointing!

This is the 2nd of Kemelman's day of the week series. It's fun, clever, relatively non-violent, and informative. He gently provides insights into Judaism (p. 64: "Our synagogues & temples--the pile of masonry, I mean--are not in themselves holy, only the words that are said there") as well as ecumenical wisdom (p.69: "In this life you sometimes have to choose between pleasing God & pleasing man. And In the long run, it's better to please God--He's more apt to remember") embedded into a good mystery. I must admit I didn't figure out some of it--though I could have. Nevertheless, the author does hold out on some clues till the end of the book. It's a fun read. Enjoy!

Bought Kindle version. Gave up about 20 pages in. May return to the book and give it another try. We'll see.