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A review by lesserjoke
Sunday the Rabbi Stayed Home by Harry Kemelman
3.0
If you're reading the Rabbi Small series for the titular mysteries, I could see it being a frustrating experience. In this third volume, the murder plot doesn't start until halfway through, and the clergyman is only brought in to consult at the two-thirds mark. On the other hand, the rest of the novel is a really enjoyable look at 1960s temple politics, with one newly-ascendant faction pushing for greater involvement in the Civil Rights movement and similar social justice causes -- plus a more democratic seating chart in the sanctuary -- and the old guard pettily thinking about breaking away to create a new synagogue across town. As ever, I feel as though author Harry Kemelman mostly just wants to write that side of things, but has crammed in some criminal matters to help the book sell. The publisher would likely say that the congregational intrigue and accurate (#ownvoices) Jewish elements are simply there to provide background flavor to the cases, yet that's the aspect of the text that I find particularly engaging.
It's a tough balancing act, and I don't know that I can give the work my full endorsement as a cohesive whole, especially given certain dated cultural views, like casual use of the n-word or treating the very idea of black Jews as ridiculous. And while I love seeing the beginnings of the antiracist streak that's now become common in my faith community, it's important to note that most of the characters seem to treat it as the talk of radical firebrands, so I can't say that that's entirely a win either. In the end I suppose I'll stay agnostic with a middle-ground three-star rating, which at least is better than the Jews-telling-Jews-what-Jews-believe vibe of the previous story.
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It's a tough balancing act, and I don't know that I can give the work my full endorsement as a cohesive whole, especially given certain dated cultural views, like casual use of the n-word or treating the very idea of black Jews as ridiculous. And while I love seeing the beginnings of the antiracist streak that's now become common in my faith community, it's important to note that most of the characters seem to treat it as the talk of radical firebrands, so I can't say that that's entirely a win either. In the end I suppose I'll stay agnostic with a middle-ground three-star rating, which at least is better than the Jews-telling-Jews-what-Jews-believe vibe of the previous story.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter