''The Attractive Young Rabbi'' was a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

comedy series of three series from 1999 to 2002, written by Barry Grossman. Starring

Tracy-Ann Oberman Tracy-Ann Oberman (born Tracy Anne Oberman; 25 August 1966) is an English actress, playwright and narrator. She is widely known for roles including Chrissie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (2004–2005) and Valerie Lewis or "Auntie V ...

David de Keyser David de Keyser (22 August 1927 – 20 February 2021) was an English actor and narrator. Life and career Born in London in August 1927, in the mid-sixties de Keyser worked twice with the writer, actor and director Jane Arden (director), Jane A ...

and

Doreen Mantle Doreen Mantle (born 22 June 1926)"Remarkable Highgate Women"
(P ...

, the series was about two

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

s in "Hillfield", in north west London.The London location is stated in Series 3, episode 4. Oberman is

Reform Reform ( lat, reformo) means the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The use of the word in this way emerges in the late 18th century and is believed to originate from Christopher Wyvill#The Yorkshire Associati ...

Rabbi Su Jacobs, the attractive young rabbi of the title, who clashes with de Keyser's

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

and very traditional Rabbi Abraham Fine, with Doreen Mantle as the latter's wife, Sadie, trying to keep the peace between them, and

Henry Goodman Henry Goodman (born 23 April 1950) is a RADA trained British actor. He has appeared on television and radio, in film and in the theatre. Early life He attended the Central Foundation Boys' School and joined the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, L ...

and Jonathan Kydd as Melvin Livingstone and Brian Franks, chairmen of their respective synagogue councils. The theme tune was written by Max Harris in

klezmer Klezmer ( yi, קלעזמער or ) is an instrumental musical tradition of the Ashkenazi Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. The essential elements of the tradition include dance tunes, ritual melodies, and virtuosic improvisations played for l ...

style. The series has been frequently repeated on

BBC 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British Digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio broadcasting, radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a ...

, later

BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the p ...

, where it is described as a 'gentle comedy'.

Episode list

Series One

# ''The New Synagogue'' (aired 12 November 1999) – A single phone call turns Rabbi Fine's comfortable Jewish community upside down. # ''TV Stars'' (aired 19 November 1999) – With Rabbi Su set for the small-screen, Rabbi Abraham takes a different route. # ''The Visitor'' (aired 26 November 1999) – When an Israeli MP arrives, sex, politics and religion make it an awkward visit. Guest star

Warren Mitchell Warren Mitchell (born Warren Misell; 14 January 1926 – 14 November 2015) was a British actor. He was a BAFTA TV Award winner and twice a Laurence Olivier Award winner. In the 1950s, Mitchell appeared on the radio programmes ''Educatin ...

. # ''The Engagement'' (aired 3 December 1999) – Rabbi Su's announcement sparks fury from her rival Abraham, because her fiancé turns out to be his grandson.

Series Two

# ''The Bar Mitzvah'' (aired 22 September 2000) – Three rabbis at one party sparks a recipe for disaster. # ''Direct Action'' (aired 29 September 2000) – A man with a tape measure spells trouble for Rabbi Fine. # ''The Wedding'' (aired 6 October 2000) – Everyone's looking forward to Hillfield's big ceremony, but in which synagogue? # ''The Lift'' (aired 13 October 2000) – Rabbis Fine and Jacobs find themselves stuck in a lift together. # ''Brief Encounter'' (aired 20 October 2000) – Feeling snubbed over Rabbi Abraham's Royal invite, Rabbi Su finds a new boyfriend. # ''Babies'' (aired 27 October 2000) – The rabbis are submerged in baby talk, and Melvin struggles with his conscience.

Series Three

# ''The Eager Young Student'' (aired 13 February 2002) – Young Mikhail discovers that it's not easy being a Jew. # ''A Woman's Work'' (aired 20 February 2002) – Happy Rabbi Su finds a role-model, but Rabbi Abraham would settle for a haircut. # ''Abraham's Brother'' (aired 27 February 2002) – A faded photograph and a private film show spell trouble for Rabbi Abraham. # ''Crime Wave'' (aired 6 March 2002) – It all begins with a disappearing car and a little old lady. # ''Mixed Fortunes'' (aired 13 March 2002) – Su's bringing Jeremy home to meet her parents doesn't turn out as expected, while Abraham has a newspaper interview. # ''A Very Nice Girl'' (aired 20 March 2002) – As Rabbi Abraham recovers from his collapse, Rabbi Su meets a hospital doctor.

External links

*
Episode guide at epguides.com

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Attractive Young Rabbi, The BBC Radio comedy programmes BBC Radio 4 programmes 1999 radio programme debuts