Rabbi on Forty-Seventh Street: The Story of Her Father

by Ann Birstein

The author describes the life of her father, a rabbi whose synagogue, close to Broadway in New York City, attracted many actors and performers from the nearby theaters

202 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1982

Reviews

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an easy to read book which feels like a cross between a novel and a memoir- it is about Rabbi Burstein's life but it was written by his daughter, who was not alive when many of the events described in the book occurred.

It was written by and for the first generation of American Jews- Jews who mostly fled the traditionalist religion of their immigrant parents. Because I am part of the second generation and am much more traditional, I found this book more sad than quaint.

[Ronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable if short read about a particular part of the Jewish immigrant experience in the early part of the last century. So enjoyable that I would have been happy if it had been another 100 pages longer. If you have an interest in that experience, or an interest in Broadway in the vaudeville era, you would find a lot to like here.