About the Author
The legacy of Milton Steinberg (1903-1950) is secure, despite
his tragically short life. At the time of his death, he had
already established himself as a prominent figure in
contemporary Judaism through his scholarship, writing, and
leadership in the pulpit.
As a student at City College of New York, Steinberg studied
under philosopher and critic Morris Raphael Cohen. During his
years at the Jewish Theological Seminary, he was influenced by
Mordecai Kaplan, the founder of Judaism's Reconstructionist
movement. He received his rabbinic ordination from JTS in 1928.
Steinberg wrote his works of fiction and theology while serving
as rabbi of New York's prestigious Park Avenue Synagogue, a post
he accepted in 1933. He was prolific during his tenure there,
publishing The Making of the Modern Jew, Basic Judaism, A
Partisan Guide to the Jewish Problem, and A Believing Jew. As A
Driven Leaf, his only novel, was originally published in 1939
to critical acclaim. Steinberg served as the congregational
leader of Park Avenue Synagogue until his death at the age of
forty-six.
The author's untimely death invites inevitable speculation.
Given his enormous contribution to Jewish life through
scholarship, leadership at the pulpit, and--an impressive body
of published writing--during such an abbreviated career, what
might Milton Steinberg's legacy have been had he lived to an
old age?
