In Eastern Europe, before the Shoah, millions of Jews lived in small towns, called, “shtetl”. These close-knit communities spoke Yiddish and the local languages-Polish, Russian, Romanian, etc. The vast majority practiced religion to various degrees. Some towns had a prominent Rebbe among them, even a Tzadik, a “miracle” Rabbi. Since land ownership was restricted for Jews, they tended to engage in small business ventures, tailoring, buying and selling domestic animals like cows and horses, teaching, and most famously, providing milk and dairy products, a la Tevye of Sholem Aleichem’s “Tevye the Milkman.”
American film and theater tried to capture this unique way of life on screen and stage. In 1939, Maurice Schwartz, a giant of the Yiddish stage and screen, appeared in the US made Yiddish language “Tevie”. In 1973, director Norman Jewison created an English-speaking version starring Israeli superstar, Haim Topol. It is called, “Fiddler on the Roof”. Since then, not a year goes by that some High School, college, or community theater (soon by the “Brewster Theater Co”) does not produce this hugely popular play.
My talk will compare what I know about shtetl life and the stage/screen portraits known by most Americans today. I will also touch on “Yentl,” a film by Barbra Streisand, a work based on a IB Singer story.
Dr. Michael Taub taught Yiddish language and literature at SUNY Binghamton, Cornell, and Purchase College. He translated and edited several volumes of Israeli drama. Also, he wrote a book, “Portrayal of Jews and Jewish culture in Film.”
Shtetl, a Jewish Way of Life
Sunday, March 31, 7:00pm
Chabad of Putnam
5 Fair Street Carmel NY 10512
Zoom option available
RSVP www.PutnamChabad.org/RSVP