No, he was not the inspiration for the elderly Minneapolis rabbi character in "A Serious Man," but Rabbi Max Shapiro, who passed away this week at the age of 92, was a legend of Twin Cities Jewry nonetheless. I barely knew the man- he had assumed the "emeritus" title at Temple Israel when I was very young- but Shapiro was a civil rights activist, tireless defender of his people, a thundering orator and an all-around mensch. He will be greatly missed.
Posted by Stephen Silver at October 20, 2009 04:56 PM