MAISHE

BORN THE SON OF AN ORTHODOX RABBI in St. Paul, Minnesota, Marvin Meltzer went on to become a celebrated architect, designing over 100 buildings throughout New York City. Now 87 years old and living on the east side of Manhattan with his wife, Dale, Marvin tells his personal and professional story in vivid detail. It's been a wild ride, from attending the University of Minnesota as one of the architecture school's first Jewish students, to serving in the Army during the Berlin Crisis, to mastering the high-flying world of New York City development, including the complicated systems that make it run. The son of immigrants, who came from Poland just as Hitler rose to power in Germany, Marvin grew up with the Yiddish name Maishe. He was destined to become an Orthodox rabbi himself until he chose a different course, which distressed his father and brother. This new life was creative and thrilling, but it also raised questions, such as did he make the right decision all those years ago? This memoir is Marvin's investigation of that question.