The Rabbi and the Author of the Caine Mutiny

Have you ever gone to Palm Springs, CA during August? Ever experienced 120⁰ weather? Since I hadn’t and the prices for hotels were ridiculously cheap, there I was in the heat of Palm Springs, with my four kids limping through the outdoor living desert museum wondering how the Jews did this for forty years after they left Egypt. However, I digress, the real reason I went to the desert on that summer day was to meet the author of “The Caine Mutiny” and “Winds of War”, Mr. Herman Wouk.

At 94 (may he live and be well), Mr. Wouk still attends the daily 7 a.m. (Shachrit) Prayer service at Chabad of Palm Springs. That’s where I met him and had the opportunity to give him a ride from the synagogue to his modest home. I must admit I was intimidated. This world-famous and wealthy author who still has the humility to pray to his G-d every morning and observe his Mitzvot for over 75 years is someone I have tremendous respect for. Meeting this truly great man will stay in my memory for as long as I live. As the New Year approaches, I suggest a Rosh Hashanah resolution for anyone wanting to have a better understanding of their Judaism to read Wouk’s, “This Is My G-d” and the “Will to Live On”. May you and your families be blessed with a sweet New Year. More on what we spoke about next week…