A Jew Grows in Brooklyn

A first-generation American-born son of Jewish immigrants, who became a widely sought-after stage-show entertainer, recounts the life lessons he has accumulated over the course of his life: first as a child dreaming of being just an all-American kid, then as a young man who turns his back on his heritage for the glory and excitement of a rock-'n'-roll lifestyle, later as a well-seasoned performer who finds solace and wisdom in the roots of his family tree, and finally as a loving...
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A first-generation American-born son of Jewish immigrants, who became a widely sought-after stage-show entertainer, recounts the life lessons he has accumulated over the course of his life: first as a child dreaming of being just an all-American kid, then as a young man who turns his back on his heritage for the glory and excitement of a rock-'n'-roll lifestyle, later as a well-seasoned performer who finds solace and wisdom in the roots of his family tree, and finally as a loving husband and dad who wishes to impart the lessons his own father taught him to his second-generation American son.

In the spirit of the hit stage show by the same title, A Jew Grows in Brooklyn takes readers on an inspirational, poignant, and often humorous journey through the Vaudeville life of a young man caught between the demands of tradition and the pull of a modern society. How does one honor and remember the past while creating a positive and stable future for himself and his family? Over the course of his half-century, Jake Ehrenreich finds his way . . . and it leads right back to his roots.

Not just a transcript of the stage show, A Jew Grows in Brooklyn is a compilation of original, engaging, honest essays: what it's like to alternate between being interested in and being repelled by the holocaust experience; spending summers in the historic entertainment-rich Catskill mountains; coping with early-onset Alzheimer's disease in the family; leaving home for the rock-'n'-roll lifestyle; overcoming substance abuse; finding wisdom in an old man's words; and much more.

You don't have to be Jewish to glean the inspirational lessons from Jake's multigenerational, multicultural life adventure.