The late 1960s were a time of great turmoil in America. Major struggles were being fought over civil rights and other issues aimed at making the country a better place for all its citizens. Many religious institutions took part in these battles. And, very often, the tensions inside those institutions mirrored what was happening in broader trends in American society.
Which is why Rabbi David Small, the leader of a small Conservative Jewish congregation in the fictional town of Barnard's Crossing, Massachusetts, found himself deeply involved with struggles both inside and outside of his synagogue - about what sort of actions might be appropriate to press the battle for civil rights for all. And, as it turned out, Rabbi Small would also be instrumental in coming up with solutions to a couple of murders which would have consequences for some members of his congregation. It's all part of the complications in author Harry Kemelman's third book about Rabbi Small, called Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home. It's the subject of this week's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the complete recording of that review by clicking here.
Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home was the third book in a series that eventually reached a dozen books featuring Rabbi Small and his small Conservative congregation, and it's the third one I have reviewed as part of that podcast. You'll find links at the bottom of this post to both my audio reviews and my blog posts about the first two books, Friday the Rabbi Slept Late and Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry. I do have all the rest of these books sitting in my To Be Read pile, and I promise to try to include some more of these books as we move forward.
By the beginning of Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home, the rabbi is on a five-year contract (acquired in the course of the first couple of books), and some factions within the congregation would prefer not to renew his contract. Rabbi Small, however, is trying to avoid the wrangling of synagogue politics over such weighty questions as which congregants should sit in the “choice” seats near the front of the sanctuary during the High Holy Days of the Jewish new year, or who should be given the prestigious and powerful position of Chairman of the synagogue’s Ritual Committee. Rabbi Small is perhaps more involved in observing the ways in which his synagogue is becoming an active participant in matters of social change – the involvement of his synagogue (and many others) in the Civil Rights movement and its marches, or in the increased (and often troubling) changes in sexual morality made possible by the birth control pill. And some of the young people – especially some of the local college kids, many of whom are children of his congregation – may be getting involved with marijuana. Eventually – or perhaps I should say “inevitably” – the tensions will explode into murder. And Rabbi Small will find himself trying to solve, with reason and with logic, a mystery that draws all these plot threads together into a powerful conclusion.
Kemelman also takes advantage of the story’s setting to present some basic facts about Judaism – and the rabbi’s traditional role in the Jewish community – for the benefit of Jews and non-Jews alike who may not know or fully understand those traditions. I find the rabbi's company to be a source of entertainment and enlightenment, and I invite you to explore these links.
Friday the Rabbi Slept Late
Saturday the Rabbi Went Hungry
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