Under the Yarmulke: Tales of Faith, Fun and Football

"Entertaining, thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyable." ––Jackie Mason He was born amid the tenements of Brooklyn, grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust and, in 1954, stepped onto his first pulpit in Dubuque, Iowa— where a congregant remarked with a grin, “Rabbi, we didn’t know what sin was until you came to town.” From that day forward—and throughout the course of his distinguished 63-year career—Rabbi Solomon Schiff has continued to touch hearts, enrich minds and always provoke laughter. In this long-awaited memoir, Sol Schiff recaptures his remarkable journey from local cantor in a Bronx Synagogue to world-renown rabbi, whose devotion to community service and interfaith relations has made him a beacon of inspiration for millions of all faiths. He has shared thoughts with five American presidents, three Israeli Prime Ministers, two Popes and the Dalai Lama, along the way collecting a treasure chest of memories—from delivering the invocation on the floor of the U.S. Senate to his life-changing relocation to Florida with his beloved wife Shirley, where he would develop a deep and charming obsession with the Miami Dolphins. Like Rabbi Schiff himself, this touching collection of stories, lessons and jokes reminds us of the richness of Judaism, the power of faith and the invincibility of the human spirit. “Rabbi Schiff is a great storyteller. I recommend his book to anyone interested in a behind-the-scenes portrait of a religious leader, a devoted husband, and a perfect fan of the Miami Dolphins.” —Don Shula, Hall of Fame football coach