The Jazz Singer

by Samson Raphaelson

The Jazz Singer is a play written by Samson Raphaelson, based on his short story "The Day of Atonement". It debuted on Broadway at the Fulton Theatre in 1925. A highly influential movie adaptation was released in 1927, starring Al Jolson.The story: Jackie Rabinowitz, the son of Jewish immigrants, has launched a career as a jazz singer, performing in blackface under the name Jack Robin. His father, a cantor for an Orthodox synagogue on the East Side of Manhattan, disapproves of Jack's choices...