Rabbi Small

Young and unassuming Rabbi David Small sorts through puzzling pieces of mysteries with logic straight from the Talmud. In Friday the Rabbi Slept Late, a shocking discovery on the temple grounds threatens to ruin both the diligent rabbi and the entire Jewish community at Barnard’s Crossing. Unaware that his congregation is grumbling about his rumpled appearance and absent-minded manner, Rabbi Small spends long hours poring over scholarly books.

As Rabbi Small and his temple congregation solemnly prepare for Yom Kippur, a non-practicing member is found dead behind the wheel of his car - in his own garage. The police call the death an accident, and the insurance company insists that it’s suicide. But Miriam, Rabbi Small’s wife, believes the mishap could only be cold-blooded murder. With his congregants splitting over the possible cause, the young rabbi must discover the truth, or forfeit all hope for peace in the temple.

On Tuesday, Rabbi David Small takes a break from the Barnard’s Crossing pulpit to teach a course on Jewish Thought at a small community college. But he soon discovers that all is not idyllic behind the ivy-covered walls. When a bomb goes off in the dean’s office, the peaceful campus mood is shattered. Soon everyone - from professors and students to the indefatigable rabbi himself - is suspected of murder.

The adventures of Harry Kemelman’s unassuming hero have been hailed by critics and fans alike. Kemelman is celebrated for his absorbing plots and his warm and knowledgeable depiction of Jews and Judaism. Rabbi David Small must step into action when Barnard’s Crossings’ most notorious anti-Semite is found dead, and several members of his congregation are suspected. The murder victim is a cantankerous curmudgeon who has offended many members of this close-knit Jewish community.

The beloved president of the temple is resigning. A new president is chosen: a prominent businessman who is used to being obeyed. It’s not long before the rabbi’s adherence to tradition clashes with the new president’s requests. Meanwhile, a young man in Rabbi Small’s congregation has been arrested in a fatal hit-and-run accident. Can the rabbi maintain his position in the temple while helping the young man? Much depends on good luck.

In One Fine Day the Rabbi Bought a Cross, a vacation to the Holy Land quickly becomes another opportunity for the rabbi to utilize his cool-headed wit. As a favor, the rabbi looks in on Jordan Goodman, son of Barnard’s Crossing’s favorite grocers. Jordan has adopted the beliefs of a fundamentalist Jewish group, and before long, he is the only suspect in a local murder.

For nearly 25 years, Rabbi Small has maintained an uneasy relationship with his congregation. He sees his role as that of a teacher, while they often look to him as more of a spiritual leader. Now, just as his congregation is set to reward him for his long service, the rabbi has decided to explore new options with his life. To make things more complicated, the recent murder of a college professor has the Barnard’s Crossing police baffled. Can the rabbi’s quiet introspection offer insights the police may have overlooked?