Morgan Himelstein

Morgan Y. Himelstein, January 17, 2023. Born on a farm in Lebanon CT, Himelstein was educated in Hartford public schools before attending Wesleyan University. There he earned his B.A. with Honors and High Distinction in French literature and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Moving to New York, he received an M.A. from Columbia University and then started teaching English Literature at the University of Rochester. His education and career were interrupted by service with the United States Army in Korea during the height of the Korean War, after which he finished his Ph.D. at Columbia with Eric Bentley as his mentor. He joined the faculty of Adelphi University on Long Island and began a writing career with the book “Drama Was a Weapon,” an account of the Communist Party’s failed attempt to use the Broadway stage during the Great Depression as “a weapon in the class struggle.” The book stayed in print for 25 years. Himelstein’s writing also included English translations of three operettas by Offenbach and one by Strauss, which were carried by Mapleson Music Library and performed nationwide. A New York production of “Orpheus in the Underworld” was praised by the New York Times critic Alan Kozinn as “amusing and nicely flowing.” Morgan Himelstein was married for 40 years to Libby Rosenfeld, who predeceased him. He leaves two sons Dr. Andrew (Dr. Rima) and Dr. Bruce (Lisa Simons), grandchildren Danny, Robyn, Rebecca, Jeffrey, and Miriam, and great-grandson Rylan. Relatives and friends are invited to graveside services Friday, 12:30 PM precisely at Mount Ararat Cemetery, 1165 Route 109 (NY-109), Lindenhurst, NY 11757. Contributions in his memory may be made to MAZON www.mazon.org or the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee www.jdc.org.