The Pigskin Rabbi

How does a rabbi convert the entire U.S. to Judaism? The answer, of course, is by becoming a football hero, in this wild tale by Manus (Mott the Hoople). In the hilarious first chapter, Ziggy Cantor, a rabbinical school graduate and son of a Bronx rabbi, has fled to Holland to study Spinoza, to experiment with secular ideas, and to engage in his chief loveAfootballAfar from his father's critical orthodox eye. There he is discovered by a Giants scout, and Ziggy, a natural, becomes the Giants' quarterback who turns his team from a perennial loser to a Super Bowl winner, thereby pervading America with Jewish culture. Ziggy calls plays in Yiddish, the team wears Giants-logo yarmulkes, his grandmother serves chicken soup from the sidelines and his receiver, a cocksure swaggerer, even undergoes ritual circumcision in order to become a Jew. Still, Ziggy is dogged by murderously jealous teammates, by anti-Semites and especially by his own conscience: has he betrayed his tradition? Making love to a shiksa, playing a game on Yom Kippur and his father's death all bring up doubts. But in the end, Ziggy gets it all: the gentile lover, the Super Bowl victory, fortune and fameAand he still becomes a rabbi at the end. This is a typical sports and sex fantasy, replete with aggressive male bonding and the requisite model and cheerleader dream girls. The writing is not exactly hipAand the story is predictable, but Manus has a wonderful sense of humor, and for readers who can find comic relief with his underdog's predicament, he makes a field goal. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Fortunately, Manus's (Connubial Bliss, Panjandrum, 1989) grown-up fairy tale about football as it should be played does not have to be plausible. A young rabbi who has lost his conviction has returned to his first love, football. Signed by the New York Giants, Ezekiel "Ziggy" Cantor instantly becomes a star, especially when they hire his old sandlot buddy. A great toss-and-catch combination, they communicate in Yiddish, which confuses their opponents. Their teammates learn not only Yiddish from them but also a spontaneous, joyous way to play the game. Pretty soon the whole team is eating Ziggy's grandmother's chicken soup on the sidelines, and their fans are wearing official Giants yarmulkes. The only ones who don't love Ziggy are anti-Semites, opposing players, and the quarterback he replaced, who want him dead. Nonetheless, he leads his team through a great season while struggling to regain his faith. Funny, touching, and raunchy; recommended for public libraries.AMarylaine Block, St. Ambrose Univ. Lib., Davenport, IA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.