As a Mighty Stream The Life of an American Rabbi

As a Mighty Stream: The Life of an American Rabbi

Boy grows up without a father.

Boy goes to war.

Boy meets Hollywood.

Boy becomes a leader of many.

And through it all, this boy is devoted to his faith, living most of his life as a rabbi.

From a tough childhood as the son of a single mother in 1930s and '40s San Francisco through marriage to Robin, Herbert David Teitelbaum offers readers of As a Mighty Stream a great American story of faith, family, and love.

As Teitelbaum entered adulthood, he went to war, serving as an army chaplain in the Korean War; he continued a "tour of duty" by traveling to the Soviet Union in support of "refuseniks." As he grew more familiar with the world, he grew more curious about his little piece of it and traveled to Poland in search of his ancestral roots. He'd soon add his own branch to the family tree, along with his wife, a former actress, two sons, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Even after retirement from being a pulpit rabbi, Teitelbaum served, as executive director of the Board of Rabbis of Northern California. Through it all, what has seldom changed in his life is his faith, and his unique concept of God and religion.