Rabbi Michael Kind is married to a woman who converted to Judaism in order to marry him. This has caused issues with the various synagogues where he has served, as well as causing issues in his marriage. The story alternates between the present (1964) and the past as Michael grew up, began ministry, met Leslie and they travelled together around the country.
An enjoyable read and interesting statement on American Judaism. The only real downer for me was the scattering of Hebrew which was not translated so I could only try to guess at it from context. Because of the way it alternated between present and past, I would get a sense of the "now" and then the background that molded and shaped it. The "now" is 50 years ago when it was written. I wonder if aspects would have been written differently if the setting was more recent. Are relations between the faiths any different? Would the civil rights aspects of this be different for the intervening years?

Noah Gordon „Rabis“: geras jausmas yra pyktis
https://m.delfi.lt/moterys/is-pirmu-l...

Very good read (fiction) about the life of somewhat itinerant rabbi starting his career and his adult family life. Lots of stream of consciousness on various moral and religious topics, with Yiddish words thrown in, usually with some interpretation. Perhaps written for those who have some grounding in the workings of Judaism but certainly can be enjoyed by all who have had any angst during his/her career or bumps in the road of life! Lots of family relationship issues also.

Noah Gordon's first novel. About a man's journey (told through several layers of flashbacks, plus some other character viewpoints) to becoming a Rabbi and finding the congregation that fits him. Most of the book is a 3 but I gave it a 4 because it grew on me. The characters interested me less than the journey. The different styles of Judaism and of synagogue life. Each and every one of his congregations was completely different from the other, despite all of them technically being Reform.

Gordon's books are hard to find. I first read The Last Jew, which is amazing and intense (about the Inquisition). The Rabbi was written much earlier and it shows, but it's still a solid novel. My guess is that readers with a connection to Liberal Judaism will get more out of the book than the average reader.

Excepcional. Un clásico


He leído la edición conmemorativa de este hermoso libro con una nota del autor, cincuenta años después de su publicación, cumplidos el año 2015.

Noah Gordon, como sólo el sabe hacerlo, narra la vida de Michael Kind, un Rabino que vive En los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica.
Haciendo una rápida mención de aquellos acontecimientos violentos hacia los judíos por la Alemania nazi, la historia se centra en la migración de la familia de Michael y de un entorno nuevo, la adaptación, las vivencias y las dudas que le asaltaban sobre su fe.
La historia de principio a fin aporta una cantidad de situaciones muy interesantes y lo mejor, vigentes hoy en día, por lo que es ya desde mi punto de vista, un clásico literario. Sensible, única y llena de matices, demuestra que por muy autoridad religiosa, somos humanos, fuimos niños, vivimos, nos equivocamos y aprendemos de los errores. Una delicia de lectura muy muy recomendable.

Histórico de leitura
24/02/2012
100% (397 de 397)
12/02/2012
68% (269 de 397)
11/02/2012
58% (231 de 397)
08/02/2012
27% (109 de 397)
07/02/2012
16% (64 de 397)
06/02/2012
9% (36 de 397)
05/02/2012
6% (22 de 397)

Foi o meu primeiro libro do autor. E gustoume. Nada máis e nada menos que a vida dun rabino e a sua familia recorrendo EEUU para facerse cargo d3 congregacións xudeas.

No puedo ser muy objetiva con Noah Gordon porque me guastan todos sus libros. Este no llega al nivel de "El médico" pero la historia del rabino Michael Kind me ha tenido bastante enganchada. Además me ha parecido muy interesante aprender tantas cuestiones y aspectos de la religión judía, aunque esta temática aparece en prácticamente todas sus novelas, pero en esta, siendo protagonizada por un rabino, se profundiza más. La única pega que le pongo es la misma que con el resto de sus obras: por muy buena que sea la historia, la extensión te termina resultando excesiva, hasta rozar el hastío. Las últimas páginas te las pasas rezando para que se acabe ya de una vez.

A highly readable and heartfelt novel, but I wasn't sure at the end what the takeaway was meant to be for me. As a portrait of Jewish life in America in the 20th century, fantastic (as far as I can tell!).

Seit dem Medicus bin ich großer Noah Gordon Fan (wie wahrscheinlich jede Person, die den Medicus gelesen hat) und auch dieses Buch mochte ich sehr gerne. Ich mochte die zwei Handlungsstränge, Gordons anschaulichen Schreibstil und das Thema Judentum sehr gerne.

“El Rabino” de Noah Gordon, nos acerca al judaísmo en Estados Unidos en el siglo XX y al conflicto personal de su protagonista, Michael Kind, quien debe decidir si continuar con el legado de su abuelo o con las enseñanzas de su padre, en un ambiente donde la religión condiciona en gran parte al ser humano.

Gracias a la narración de la vida de Michael desde su niñez hasta convertirse en Rabino, el lector tiene un acercamiento a los fundamentos, creencias y costumbres de esta religión y sus diferentes prácticas; unas vertientes más rígidas y ortodoxas y otras más flexibles y adaptadas a su entorno. Así mismo, el autor nos cuenta los obstáculos que deben afrontar las relaciones entre los miembros de la comunidad judía con los seguidores de otras creencias, como es el caso del protagonista y Leslie.

Me gustó mucho este libro, sin embargo creo que la obra maestra de Gordon es “El Médico”.

¿Conocen este autor?, ¿Han leído alguno de sus libros?


*Más reseñas en mi cuenta de Instagram @luzangelalectora

I think Gordon's books, The Physician and Shaman, are brilliant and so of course I had high hopes for his very first novel, which, unlike his other books, was a US bestseller. While there were some very good elements, the book felt quite dated, especially in its portrayal of women and relationships.

We first meet Michael as a rabbi in his 40's in the 1960's. His wife, Leslie, is in a mental hospital. We soon go back in time and explore his grandfather's life, as he survives a pogrom and comes to the US. Gordon has a talent for historical fiction and his portrayal of his Zayde is one of the best elements of the novel.

The other sections that work well are the descriptions of Michael's rabbinical jobs, especially his fascinating stint as a traveling rabbi in the Ozarks. The descriptions of the pros and cons of different congregations and the very different financial, social and religious pressures in each one, were illuminating

Where the book struggles is in its depictions of non- work relationships ( other than Zayde). Women especially seem shallowly defined. I never felt that I knew Leslie at all and her later mental struggles stayed a mystery. Often, women seem to merit only a physical description. Michael's early relationships and his one with Leslie left me in the dark, as did his decision to become a rabbi and to do so within the Reform movement.

Gordon clearly was a wonderful writer, but perhaps contemporary fiction wasn't his greatest talent.