He described his time in South Korea as a transformative experience. He served in South Korea from 1955 to 1957. They were married on June 8, 1958, and had three children.Īfter receiving a master's degree in English literature, Potok enlisted with the U.S. Potok met Adena Sara Mosevitzsky, a psychiatric social worker, at Camp Ramah in Ojai, California, where he served as camp director (1957–59). He was appointed director of LTF, Leaders Training Fellowship, a youth organization affiliated with Conservative Judaism. In 1950, Potok graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English Literature.Īfter four years of study at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America he was ordained as a Conservative rabbi.

In 1949, at the age of twenty, his stories were published in the literary magazine of Yeshiva University, which he also helped edit. Although it wasn't published, he received a note from the editor complimenting his work. At age 17 he made his first submission to the magazine The Atlantic Monthly. He started writing fiction at the age of 16. After reading Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited as a teenager, he decided to become a writer (he often said that the novel Brideshead Revisited is what inspired his work and literature).

He received an Orthodox Jewish education. His Hebrew name was Chaim Tzvi (חיים צבי).

He was the oldest of four children, all of whom either became or married rabbis. Herman Harold Potok was born in Buffalo, New York, to Benjamin Max and Mollie (née Friedman) Potok, Jewish immigrants from Poland. Potok is most famous for his first book The Chosen (1967), which was listed on The New York Times’ best seller list for 39 weeks and sold more than 3,400,000 copies. Members of the human family who've had the courage, faith and confidence to follow their heart and in doing so, have inspired others to do the sameĬhaim Potok (1929 – 2002) was an American Jewish author and rabbi.

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