Pillar of Fire: A Biography of Stephen S. Wise

During his long career, Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise received letters with only two words written on the envelope: “Rabbi USA.”But the United States Postal Service was never in doubt about the intended recipient: there was only one “Rabbi USA.” No other rabbi before or since has dominated the American and the international scene with such passion and power. Both his admirers and opponents—there was no shortage of either group—acknowledged him as the premier leader of the American Jewish commun...