The Rabbi Wore a Fedora

by Arthur Gross-Schaefer

Rabbi Elijah Daniels experiences more than a little anxiety when he agrees to tour Germany. His good friend, Pastor Dan Winter, assures him it will be a good experience and the Evangelical students he would accompany would benefit from a rabbi’s perspective as they tour the country. The rabbi nonetheless worries about how he will respond to the nation that massacred more than six million Jews during World War II. After his arrival, though, he encounters more challenges than he bargained for. He becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a cleaning woman who lives in the institute where he is staying. A brown shirt with a yellow Star of David, his tzedakah dollar found in the murdered woman’s hand, and a determined German police kommissar mean serious danger for Rabbi Daniels, who worries he might not be able to solve the mystery of the woman’s death before finding himself behind bars. What does the secret group that meets on the institute’s second floor have to do with it? Could the young Arab woman’s murder have been an honor killing? And why is the rabbi being set up? Follow Rabbi Daniels as he searches for clues to the killer or killers, all the while tailed by a very suspicious kommissar.

246 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2017

Reviews

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this is a murder mystery novel, I don't want to give too much away. I'll try not to share too many spoilers.

The author is a rabbi (and a friend), who is also a lawyer teaching business law at a university. This Arthur's second novel, which features a rabbi/lawyer who helps solve murder cases. This story takes the rabbi from his home base on the Central California coast to Germany, where he faces the reality of the Holocaust. There are interfaith conversations between Christian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders, and of course a murder to be solved.

It's a good story. There are a few places where I feel he misunderstands evangelicals, but overall this is a fun read and it opens up conversation about religion.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

November 2022 Met the author at a book club.Interesting the genesis of this book and some of the backstory. Truly appreciated the 14 letters he sent back to his congregation in America. This story brought back personal memories of my own when touring in Germany in 1969. Also my questions when I tased elderly germans on the street and what they were doing during the Holocaust.

[Eric Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable book

The remarkable book was first of all completely entertaining. It was also highly educational and and very emotionally moving. If you’re looking for mystery novel that has both intelligent and uplifting to come to the right place.

[Ellen]

Fun book, but a lot of "explaining to me" in the dialogue, which is so unnatural, and typos and continuity errors. Enjoyed the general story, though. Gave me a lot to think about.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading this book. It was certainly written as a mystery for religious Jews to read, which is a novelty in itself. I can appreciate the description of the tension between religious Jews and Christians when you are waiting for something inappropriate to be said to you, and how Jewish religious concepts are tied into the story. The one hit home the most with me was the rabbi seeing the hawks while riding his bike. I attach meaning to similar events myself. I had some issues though with the storyline. First, I thought the rabbi, even through he was an attorney, should have been more concerned about being a murder suspect in a foreign country. Also the mystery itself started to lose momentum toward the middle of the book. I just didn't buy into the whole murder mystery concept, which was due to the storyline losing its trajectory. I realize it's hard to keep a mystery focused, but a tight storyline is what makes a good mystery or thriller.