Joachim Prinz (1902–1988) was one of the most extraordinary and innovative figures in modern Jewish history. Never one for conformity, Prinz developed and modeled a new rabbinical role that set him apart from his colleagues in Weimar Germany. Provocative, strikingly informal and determinedly anti-establishment, he repeatedly stirred up controversy. During the Hitler years, Prinz strove to preserve the self-respect and dignity of a Jewish community that was vilified on a daily basis by Nazi propaganda. After immigrating to the United States in 1937, he soon became a prominent rabbi in New Jersey, drawing thousands to his unpredictable sermons. Prinz's autobiography, superbly introduced and annotated by Michael A. Meyer, offers a fascinating glimpse into the life and personality of this unconventional and influential rabbi.
"Students of the German Jewish experience, the Holocaust, and American Jewish history, as well as rabbis and rabbinic students will all find Joachim Prinz, Rebellious Rabbi engaging and worthy of their consideration for many different reasons."
H-Net Reviews H-Judaic, October 2009
"The recently published Joachim Prinz, Rebellious Rabbi, edited and superby introduced by noted historian Michael A. Meyer, is a remarkable historical document with literary merit.... Written by a successful, confident senior rabbi in his "anecdotage", it illuminates the public life and private world of a leading Jewish figure of the twentieth century with refreshing clarity and honesty."
H-Net Reviews, October 2009
"Rabbi Dr. Joachim Prinz was a gifted raconteur, confident though not confessional, positive though not triumphant, engaging but serious... This is the first book on the life and career of Joachim Prinz. It is a great read."
