Stories of Louis Finkelstein from Philip and Hadassah Davis

On a flight

On a flight to Chicago, LF took out a sefer and began reading. The man sitting next to him turned out to be Jewish. He saw the book and asked LF if he was a rabbi and if so where. LF answered that he was at the Seminary. The man responded, ``Oh, the Seminary, that is where Finkelstein is, right?'' LF answer, ``That's right.'' The man then said definitively, ``Yes, Finkelstein, I know him quite well.''

A problematic passage

Rabbi Jerry Abrams once complained to LF that he had trouble with the passage "I have not seen the righteous abandoned, or his children begging for bread."

LF answered: "If that's the only passage you have trouble with, you're in good shape."

LF and Koussevitzky

Towards the end of his life, Serge Koussevitzky (1874 -1951) came to see LF. He said that though born a Jew, he had neglected Jewish observances all his life and this neglect was now bothering him. What could he do to make up for this neglect?

LF thought a bit and then answered: ``Go to Israel and lead their symphony orchestra in a concert.''

Koussevitzky and Birkat Ha'Mazon

Kousevitzsky came to dinner once, and when the meal was over, LF asked his son Ezra to lead in the Birkat Ha'Mazon. Ezra started singing in the well-known tune. When he reached the end of the first paragraph, Koussevitzky interrupted him and asked him to stop. ``I'm sorry,'' he said. ``But the words are so beautiful, and the melody is so vulgare.''

LF and Harlow Shapley

Harlow Shapley was a famous astronomer at Harvard, LF went to see him, probably to ask him to contribute to his conferences on science, philosophy and religion. In the early 40's men with beards were very rare. LF had a very prominent black beard.

LF appeared in Shapley's office. His secretary took one look at LF and then said to Shapley; "Professor Shapley, Our Lord is here to see you."

LF and Cary Grant

On one of LF's trips to Los Angeles, one of the local Jewish millionaires gave him a tour of the houses in Hollywood. At one point, his guide pointed to a house and said, ``That house belongs to Cary Grant.'' ``Who's she?'' asked LF.

LF and Marylin Monroe

In 1956 LF was on the plane flying home from LA and a young woman was seated next to him. LF, naturally, took out a sefer, opened it up, and began to study. The young woman saw the Hebrew letters and asked LF if he is Jewish. He said that he was. The young woman said ``That's very lucky. I'm about to be married to a Jewish man and I should like to know more about his religion.'' LF said ``Give me your name and address and I'll send you a book.'' She said Marilyn Monroe, such and such an address, Hollywood.

The story sounds too good to be true, but I am told that in the archive there is a copy of the cover letter LF sent with the book.