Schoolmates jested: “When Fein berg leaves the library there’s no use going in for books.” For his confirmation service at 13 he donned a ceremonial prayer shawl and phylacteries, repeated special prayers and read from the prophets. Each week day his public school lessons were capped by instruction in a Hebrew school which he at tended from four to six p.m. He spent 14 years in this school prepar atory to the rabbinate. In high school his honor work included the translation of Virgil’s Aeneid into a play, erudition in chess and academic honors in every grade. He entered the University of Pittsburgh at 17 and finished with honors in three years, before he was 20. At 18 he had graduated from the Hebrew Institute of Pitts burgh. At 21, several months before he was converted, he won the 1930 International Essay Contest of the Junior Order of B’nai B’rith for his writing on “ Modem Tendencies in Jewish Education.” His was the first essay to receive a unanimous vote of the judges. While young Feinberg was still in high school a godly and zealous Christian lady moved next door to him in the Steel City. She took every occasion of their meeting to speak about the Bible and Jesus Christ. It was at this time that Feinberg pondered the questions concerning why it was that the Jews no longer had prophets and priests and how he would recognize the Messiah if He came. At both the Hebrew Institute and the University of Pittsburgh he was tom by unbelief. Liberal instructors attacked his premises and crowed their intellectual superiority over the old-fashioned fundamental doc trines of the Scriptures. Feinberg majored in history at the univer sity and minored in French, Ger man, English and psychology. Eventually he doubted the existence of God and was well on his way to atheism. He steeped himself in the writings o f Tom Paine, Robert
of them came to him through hard work. “ If there is one bugaboo in Jewish homes,” he says, “ it’s ignor ance! Not many will tolerate it.” Charles Lee Feinberg’s home was no different. He grew up in Pitts burgh, Pa., under the tutoring of strict, orthodox Jewish parents who had both been born in Poland. His father, a custom tailor, was a mem ber of the Talmudic Study Group in the local synagogue. He always went beyond the required observ ances of fastings and ritual “ be cause,” he said, “ God doesn’t give us blessings in meastire.” The Fein berg family prayed before meals, after meals, before rising and retir ing — even before drinking a glass of water. Charles, whose Hebrew name is Bezpleel ( “ In the shadow of God” ),
times, “ It’s too late to change the Hebrew language now!” And once he quipped to a student, “ Look at your text, don’t look at me. The map of Israel might be written on my face but the text isn’t.” He has often surprised a student after class by meeting him with, “ I know what you’re going to ask . . .” and then telling him the answer before he opens his mouth. His scrawling blackboard illus trations don’t help his lectures greatly because he has to take so much time telling the class what it is he’s illustrating. Students appreciate his warm, personal interest in helping them outside class. Once during fall regis tration at Biola, Dr. Fe inb e rg l e a r n e d o f a s t u d e n t p a s s i n g through the line whose brother had just died. Immediately he got up and took the student into a side room where they had prayer to gether and chatted about things of mutual interest. Another time a student in the hospital received an exam sheet with a personal note from Dr. Feinberg at the bottom assuring him of his prayers and a verse of Scripture written out to comfort him. He is known for his clever puns and has an excellent memory, often inquiring about members of the family of his students. In conver sation he is sometimes elliptical, leaving out words and occasionally whole phrases. Dr. Feinberg will preach in churches of any size and has a way of making himself at home any where. He often distributes tracts in public places and is not above preaching on the street when there is opportunity. Each morning he spends some time reading promotional literature from mission organizations and has read the Bible through in English as many as five times a year. Be sides that he reads it in French, German, Hebrew and Greek, Latin, Arabic, Aramaic and other Semitic languages. He has a natural ability for learning other tongues hut most
Books by Dr. Feinberg
1) God Remembers (Zechariah) 2) Hosea: God’s Love for Israel 3) Joel, Amos and Obadiah 4 ) Jonah, Micah and Nahum
5) Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi 6) Z'echariah: Israel’s Comfort and Glory 7) Premillennialism or Amillennialism? 8) Israel in the Spotlight In addition to these eight books Dr. Fein berg has published numerous tracts, pam phlets and booklets. Any reader of T h e K ing ’ s B usiness may have a free listing of the writings of Dr. Feinberg by writing to the magazine.
is third eldest of seven children. As a youth he absorbed his father’s industry for Judaism. He rested on the Sabbath, fasted on the Day of Atonement and studied the Hebrew Scriptures diligently against the day when he would become a rabbi.
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