PLAY GUIDE
2016
2017
About ATC .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction to the Play ............................................................................................................................. 2 Meet the Creators ...................................................................................................................................... 2 Meet the Characters .................................................................................................................................. 4 The Sholem Aleichem Stories ..................................................................................................................... 8 Musical Adaptation ................................................................................................................................... 9 Judaism ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Jewish Traditions ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Historical Context ...................................................................................................................................... 14 The Pale of Settlement ............................................................................................................................... 18 Marxism ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 Chagall’s Fiddler Painting ......................................................................................................................... 19 Glossary ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 Fiddler on the Roof Play Guide written by Chloe Loos, ATC Artistic Intern, and Katherine Monberg, ATC Literary Manager.
SUPPORT FOR ATC’S LEARNING & EDUCATION PROGRAMMING HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY: APS
Rosemont Copper
Arizona Commission on the Arts
Stonewall Foundation
Bank of America Foundation
Target
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
The Boeing Company
City of Glendale
The Donald Pitt Family Foundation
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
The Johnson Family Foundation, Inc.
Cox Charities
The Lovell Foundation
Downtown Tucson Partnership
The Marshall Foundation
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
The Maurice and Meta Gross Foundation
Ford Motor Company Fund
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation
The Stocker Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
The WIlliam L. and Ruth T. Pendleton Memorial Fund
John and Helen Murphy Foundation
Tucson Medical Center
National Endowment for the Arts
Tucson Pima Arts Council
Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture
Wells Fargo
PICOR Charitable Foundation
ABOUT ATC Arizona Theatre Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre company. This means that all of our artists, administrators and production staff are paid professionals, and the income we receive from ticket sales and contributions goes right back into our budget to create our work, rather than to any particular person as a profit. Each season, ATC employs hundreds of actors, directors and designers from all over the country to create the work you see on stage. In addition, ATC currently employs approximately 50 staff members in our production shops and administrative offices in Tucson and Phoenix during our season. Among these people are carpenters, painters, marketing professionals, fundraisers, stage directors, sound and light board operators, tailors, costume designers, box office agents, stage crew - the list is endless - representing am amazing range of talents and skills. We are also supported by a Board of Trustees, a group of business and community leaders who volunteer their time and expertise to assist the theatre in financial and legal matters, advise in marketing and fundraising, and help represent the theatre in our community. Roughly 150,000 people attend our shows every year, and several thousand of those people support us with charitable contributions in addition to purchasing their tickets. Businesses large and small, private foundations and the city and state governments also support our work financially. All of this is in support of our vision and mission:
The mission of Arizona Theatre Company is to inspire, engage and entertain - one moment, one production and one audience at a time. Our mission is to create professional theatre that continually strives to reach new levels of artistic excellence that resonates locally, in the state of Arizona and throughout the nation. In order to fulfill our mission, the theatre produces a broad repertoire ranging from classics to new works, engages artists of the highest caliber, and is committed to assuring access to the broadest spectrum of citizens.
The Herberger Theater Center, ATC’s performance venue in downtown Phoenix.
The Temple of Music and Art, the home of ATC shows in downtown Tucson.
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INTRODUCTION TO THE PLAY Fiddler on the Roof Music by Jerry Bock Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick Book by Joseph Stein TRADITION! It has been a 50-year tradition at ATC to bring you the best and most vibrant professional theatre that Arizona has to offer. Our Golden Anniversary season will feature an epic production of Fiddler on the Roof. Join us for this richly heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family. Featuring such Broadway classics as “To Life,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” this Show art by Esser Design.
uplifting 50th Anniversary celebration production raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!
MEET THE CREATORS Jerry Bock (Music) was born in New Haven, Connecticut on November 23rd, 1928. Thirty years later, he and Sheldon Harnick gave birth to The Body Beautiful. In between was Catch a Star. Next, Jule Styne and Tommy Valano midwifed Bock, Larry Holofcener and George Weiss into birthing Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr. The title song and "Too Close for Comfort" are still active off springs. Bock and Harnick's celebrated collaboration yielded five scores in seven years. The Body Beautiful, Fiorello! (winner of Broadway's triple crown: The Tony Award, The New York Critics' Circle Award and The Pulitzer Prize in drama). Tenderloin, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof (nine Tony Awards, including best musical), The Apple Tree and The Rothschilds. In addition to the 1989 silver anniversary production of Fiddler, a highly Jerry Bock with Sheldon Harnick.
esteemed revival of The Rothschilds enjoyed a successful run off-Broadway the following year. Since then, Bock and Harnick were triply honored by being
inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame, receiving the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Spirit of American Creativity Award from the Foundation for a Creative America. However, the "award" that Bock holds near and 2
dear is the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Wisconsin. It was there that he met his wife Patti, and it was there that he decided to be a composer. Mr. Bock was a member of numerous professional guilds and associations, among which the BMI Foundation, Inc. was a membership he relished. Sheldon Harnick (Lyrics) earned a Bachelor of Music degree, majoring in violin, from Northwestern University School of Music, where he contributed to Northwestern's annual student revue, the Waa-Mu Show. After graduation, he worked with Henry Brandon's dance orchestra around Chicago and the Midwest. He moved to New York in 1950 to try to be a theatrical song writer. First song in a Broadway show: "The Boston Beguine" in New Faces of 1952. He contributed songs to the following On and Off-Broadway revues: Two's Company, John Murray Anderson's Almanac, The Shoestring Revue, Shoestring '57, Kaleidoscope, The Littlest Revue, Vintage '60. He wrote the lyrics for his first book show, Horatio (Book: Ira Wallach, Music: David Baker), produced at Margo Jone's theater in Dallas in 1954, later produced Off-Broadway in 1961 under the title Smiling the Boy Fell Dead. Wrote lyrics anonymously for The Amazing Adele, Shangri-La, and for Sheldon Harnick.
Portofino. With Jerry Bock: The Body Beautiful, Ford Tractor Show, Fiorello, Tenderloin, Man in the Moon, She Loves Me, To Broadway with Love, Fiddler on the Roof, Baker Street, The Apple Tree, The Canterville Ghost, The Rothschilds. Joseph Stein (Book) started his career in television and was one of a noted group of writers on Your Show of Shows and The Sid Caesar Show. His first work for the theatre was as co-author of Plain and Fancy, the hit musical about the adventures of a pair of sophisticated New Yorkers living among the Amish in Pennsylvania. His next show was Mr. Wonderful, starring Sammy Davis, Jr. He created the libretto for the Bock and Harnick musical The Body Beautiful. His next librettos were for Take Me Along, based on Eugene O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness, and Juno, with score by Marc Blitzstein. He then wrote the adaptation for the hit stage comedy Enter Laughing. Fiddler on the Roof was his next show, for which he won the Tony as well as the Drama Critics' Circle Award. He was also nominated for a Tony for his
Joseph Stein.
next show, Zorba, with score by Kander and Ebb. His other productions include King of Hearts, Irene, Rags (for which he also was nominated for a Tony), and The Baker's Wife, which was produced in London and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award. Mr. Stein is also the author of the screenplays for Enter Laughing and Fiddler on the Roof. 3
MEET THE CHARACTERS
Actor Eric Polani Jensen, who plays Tevye in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Anne Allgood, who plays Golde in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Jennifer Wingerter, who plays Tzeitel / Grandma Tzeitel in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Taylor Pearlstein, who plays Hodel in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Krista Curry, who plays Chava in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Janine Colletti, who plays Shprintze in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Kate Godfrey, who plays Bielke in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Kenny Metzger, who plays Motel in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Patrick Shelton, who plays Perchik in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Kevin Milnes, who plays Fyedka in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Kate Jaeger, who plays Yente in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Armen Dirtadian, who plays Lazar Wolf in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
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Actor James Zannelli, who plays Avram in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Cobey Mandarino, who plays Constable in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Erik Gratton, who plays Mordcha in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Mike Lawler, who plays Rabbi in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Danny Lacker, who plays Mendel in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Sarah Wolter, who plays Mirala / Fruma Sarah in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Sally Jo Bannow, who plays Shaindel in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Eric Lee Brotherson, who plays Yussel / Chaim in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Richard Peacock, who plays Tevye in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Adam Somers, who plays Yakov / Priest / Duvidel (Phx) in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Jason Collins, who plays the Fiddler in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Josh Dunn, who plays Schloime / Sasha in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
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Actor Shira Elena Maas, who plays Rivka in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Eric Du, who plays Fyvel (Tuc) in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Kylan Chait, who plays Daniel (Phx) in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Devon Prokopek, who plays Daniel (Tuc) in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Actor Owen Watson, who plays Fyvel (Phx) in ATC’s Fiddler on the Roof.
Tevye: The narrator and father to five daughters: Tzeitel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze, and Bielke. He is married to Golde and works as a dairyman. Golde: Tevye’s sharp-witted wife of 25 years. Yente: The town matchmaker and gossip. Lazar Wolf: The town’s wealthy butcher. Tzeitel: Tevye and Golde’s eldest daughter. Motel: A poor but dedicated tailor, who intends to marry Tzeitel. 6
Hodel: The second eldest daughter of Golde and Tevye; she falls in love with Perchik, a student from elsewhere. Perchik: A radical student who challenges tradition, and falls in love with Hodel. Chava The third eldest daughter of Golde and Tevye, a passionate reader, who leaves to marry Fyedka. Fyedka: Russian soldier who falls in love with Chava. Shprintze: One of the two youngest daughters of Golde and Yevye. Bielke: The other of the youngest daughters of Golde and Tevye. The Constable: A Russian military official stationed near Anatevka. Rabbi: Anatevka’s Jewish spiritual leader. Mendel: The Rabbi’s son. Mordcha: The town innkeeper, who runs the local bar. Avram: The town bookseller Grandma Tzeitel: A ghost in a dream. Fruma Sarah: Lazar’s Wolf’s late wife. Nachum: The town beggar. Yussel: The town hatter. Shaindel: Motel’s mother. Sasha: Russian solder and a friend of Fyedka. Priest: A Christian spiritual leader. 7
THE SHOLEM ALEICHEM STORIES Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich (born in 1859) took up the pen name Sholem Aleichem, a Jewish greeting meaning “peace be with you” or simply, “hello”, to write his lauded accounts of Jewish life. Known in his later life as a major figure in Yiddish literature, his works are well-known for their realistic characters and accurate depiction of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Furthermore, he used his education and money to help guide other young Yiddish writers to success. Rabinovich was born in Pereyaslav, located in contemporary Ukraine, and grew up in a nearby shtetl – a town with a high Jewish population – within the Russian Empire. His father was a rich merchant, but the family found themselves in poverty after business went sour and his mother’s death when he was only thirteen. Rabinovich was educated in the Hasidic tradition, but his Solomon Rabinovich, better known under his pen name, Sholem Aleichem.
father also encouraged him to engage with secular texts as well as consider the Jewish Enlightenment movement known as the Haskalah.
After completing school, Rabinovich worked as a tutor to Olga Loev, the daughter of a wealthy landowner, but was fired after their relationship came to light; the two would later marry and have five children. He also served from 1880 to 1883 as a crown rabbi in Lubny, a position given to a member of the community that served as middle-man between the Russian Empire and the town. It was here that his writing career began, and his works were published in newspapers. His unhappy father-in-law died in 1885 and left his land to his daughter and her husband, but poor decisions in the stock market led to bankruptcy and forced the family to move from Kiev to Odessa. Rabinovich continued his writing, producing numerous works from 1883 to 1890, which are considered some of his most prolific and successful year. At the time of his writing, Yiddish was not considered an “artistic” language; he hoped to create a successful Yiddish canon, and initiated its construction with six completed novels. Rabinovich also had a strong interest in literary criticism, though he interestingly seemed to enjoy his light feuilletons the most, in which he created his persona as a comedic devil and played literary pranks. Due to financial struggles, he was less productive throughout the 1890s, though he did create some of his best-known characters, Menakhem Mendl and Tevye, the dairyman, who would later become the catalyst for Fiddler on the Roof.
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In the early 20th century, Rabinovich composed monologues, stories about children, and imagined the the quintessential shtetl of Kasrilevke that became central to his body of work. In 1905, he began to write for the theatre and produced his first play, but the rising frequency of pogroms led his family to flee to Geneva. He spent some time in New York City, where he made some notably crass remarks about the American Yiddish literary community, which he regarded as “trash,” and alienated political allies by aligning himself with conservative papers in the face of a staunchly left-wing population. However, his negative experience inspired his work Motl, the Cantor’s Son. Back in Europe, Rabinovich toured the Pale of Settlement as a performer until was diagnosed with tuberculosis and confined to his bed. During World War I, the family officially immigrated to New York, where he passed away in 1916, and was mourned by the Yiddish community.
MUSICAL ADAPTATION The musical Fiddler on the Roof is based on Sholem Aleichem’s Tevye the Dairyman stories about a family in the early 20th century living in a Jewish shtetl in the Pale of Settlement. Aleichem himself actually began adapting his stories for the stage, which were performed by the Yiddish Art Theater of New York City, many of them produced after his death. Another precursor to Fiddler on the Roof includes the 1950s Off-Broadway musical called Tevye and his Daughters by Arnold Perl, a playwright and screenwriter, that featured a cast almost entirely comprised of actors that had been
The Company of ATC’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.
blacklisted by the anti-Communist activity of the House Un-American Activities Committee.
Fiddler on the Roof initially struggled to find investors, combating fears that the work was too culturally specific; this fear would eventually prove unfounded as the show was widely welcomed across the globe. While the source material is heavy, the musical found an optimal balance between the original text and what audiences wanted to see on Broadway in 1964. The show was created by librettist Joseph Stein, composer Jerry Bock, and lyricist Sheldon Harnick who had previously worked together on Fiorello!. Harold Prince produced, replacing Fred Coe under the condition that Jerome Robbins, who was best-known known for his work on West Side Story, would direct. He agreed, despite a long history of downplaying his own Jewish heritage. 9
The show had a trial run in Detroit during the summer of 1964, moving afterward to Washington before landing at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway. It also played at the Majestic Theatre and The Broadway Theatre, running for a total of more than 3,000 performances featuring Zero Mostel as Tevye. The production was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning nine, before opening in 1967 at West End’s Her Majesty’s Theatre, where it ran for 2,000 performances with Chaim Topol as Tevye, in a role he would revise onscreen. Throughout the years, Fiddler on the Roof has gone on to have numerous tours and five Broadway revivals, with the most recent set to close at the end of the year.
JUDAISM Judaism is the oldest of the monotheistic faiths, which affirms the existence of one God, Yahweh, with whom the descendants of Abraham entered into a covenant as God’s chosen people. The holy writings of the Jewish faith include the Torah (specifically the five books of Moses), generally referred to as the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old Testament by Christians, and the Talmud, a compilation of oral tradition which includes the oral law, or Mishnah. According to Scripture, Abraham departed northern Mesopotamia for Canaan at the behest of God, who blessed the faithful among his descendants. Jacob (also known as Israel) was the son of Isaac, son of Abraham; twelve The Great Synagogue, a Jewish house of worship in Plzen, Czech Republic
families descended from Jacob were enslaved in Egypt and led out of bondage by Moses. The Hebrews returned to Canaan after 40 years in the desert, claiming the Promised Land granted them by God from the local inhabitants.
The twelve tribes of Israel lived in a covenant association, with leaders known for wisdom and heroism, through the 11th century BC; the first monarchy was established by Saul in the early 11th century BC, during which Jerusalem was developed as the religious and political center of Israel, and a great temple was built. Following the death of Saul’s son, Solomon, the kingdom was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel, and the southern kingdom of Judah; during the rule of the kings, the writings of prophets in Israel and Judah emphasize Yahweh as God of Israel and the universe, the danger of worshiping other gods, and demands for social justice. Israel was then conquered by Assyria in 721 BC, and Judah was conquered by Babylon in 586, resulting in the mass exile of Judeans to Babylon.
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The Judeans returned to Judea in 539 BC, which was then ruled as a Persian province. During this period, the scribes emerged as a new group of religious leaders, who would eventually become known as the Pharisees. Alexander the Great conquered Palestine in 332 BC, ending Persian rule; after his death, Judea was alternately ruled by Egypt and Syria. Syrian ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to eliminate Judaism and sparked a revolt led by the Maccabees resulting in Jewish independence in 128 BC, until the Romans conquered Jerusalem in 63 BC. Different interpretations of Judaism appeared during this period, primarily divided according to the teachings of the Sadducees (temple priests) and the Pharisees (teachers of the law). Several smaller sects also emerged, including the Apocalyptists, who awaited divine deliverance led by the Messiah; the Zealots, who sought national independence; and Hellenist Jews who combined Jewish religious tradition with Greek culture. The Zealots revolted in 70 AD, inducing Rome to destroy Jerusalem and its temple. The Jews were subsequently scattered out of Israel and became targets of persecution throughout the world. Rabbinic Judaism developed as the primary expression of faith, emerging out of Pharisaic practice, and focused on Torah and synagogue; the Talmud began to take shape, the Scriptures were codified, and the 13 Articles of Faith were formulated by the Maimonides in the 12th century. Two distinct branches of Judaism developed during the Middle Ages: Sephardic Judaism, based in Spain and aligned with Babylonian Jews, and Ashkenazic Judaism, emerging from the Franco-German region and affiliated with Rome and Palestine. Medieval Hasidism and attention to the Kabbalah also emerged as two forms of Jewish mysticism. Anti-Semitism experienced a strong resurgence in the 19th century, culminating in the Holocaust of World War II, which claimed the lives of more than 6 million Jews. The Zionist movement was forged in response, resulting in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.
Modern Judaism includes synagogue worship, which includes readings from the Law (the five books of Moses known as the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) and the Prophets, and prayer. The commandments of the Torah are central to religious life, and include the practices of circumcision and observation of the Sabbath. There are three primary expressions of Judaism today: Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. Generally, Jews do not attempt to covert others to their religion, but do accept newcomers to the faith; additionally, Jewish identity is not necessarily tied to acceptance of the Torah but rather to a cultural and historical identity, creating a strong secular, atheist, and agnostic presence within Jewish life.
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Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Jews follow traditional faith and practice, including a strict kosher diet and observance of the Sabbath. Â Conservative Judaism Conservative Judaism emerged during the mid-18th century, and follows most traditional practices including the authority of the Talmud, though change is more broadly incorporated into traditional practices than in other Judaic expressions. Reform Judaism Reform movements emerged out of the Jewish Enlightenment (Haskala) during the 18th century in western Europe; Reform Jews emphasize the ethical and moral teachings of Judaism, and do not consider the Talmud (oral law) a divine revelation.
JEWISH TRADITIONS
The Company of ATC’s production of Fiddler on the Roof.
Judaism is an ancient Abrahamic monotheistic religion in which adherents believe in one God, and involves personal, daily experiences with Him. There are many branches and sects and therefore many variations in beliefs as practices today. For example, Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah is unchanging, Conservatives follow traditional laws and customs but believe that Jewish law can develop in response to changing conditions, and Reform Jews focus more on morality rather than ritual or ceremonial laws. The Jewish identity includes not only people who follow the Jewish faith, but also generally includes those born of a Jewish mother; furthermore, rabbinical Judaism believes that once a person identifies as Jewish, they will always be Jewish regardless of later faiths. 12
While specific practices can vary, many traditional similarities appear among the various denominations of Judaism. Prayers are traditionally offered three times a day: the Shacharit, Mincha, and Ma’ariv. The fourth prayer, Mussaf, is offered on Shabbat and holidays, and the Amidah – the central prayer of Judaism – and often the Shema Yisrael – a declaration of faith. Most prayers can be performed alone, but communal prayer is favored; prayers are also often offered throughout the day in daily life. Shabbat is the weekly day of rest that lasts from sunset on Friday until Saturday night, during which people are not allowed to work. The woman of the house lights candles and offers a blessing before the family recites the Kiddush blessing over wine, and the Mohtzi blessing over bread (often braided challah bread).
There are three main holy festivals that recognize events in Jewish history, and which have historically consisted of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The first holy festival is Passover, which is a week-long holiday observing the Hebrew Exodus from Egypt in which the family begins with a Seder, a ritualistic meal. Next is Shavuot, which is meant to give thanks for the gift of the Torah. Finally, there is Sukkot, during which families build temporary housing in which to dine in order to recognize the forty years spent with Moses in the desert.
The High Holidays are also important and focus on the process of redemption. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and the beginning of the ten days of atonement, ends with Yom Kippur, a day of penance during which people fast and pray. Purim is another holiday that celebrates the escape of the Persian Jews from the genocide of Haman as recounted in the Book of Esther, and often involves charitable acts. Perhaps the most well-known holiday to gentiles is Hanukkah, also known as the festival of lights, which is an eight-day recognition of the rededication of the Temple and the Miracle of the Oil; according to the Talmud, after the Maccabees reclaimed the Temple, there was only enough oil for one day, but it burned for eight days until more oil was produced. On a micro-level, there are many rituals and practices surrounding life events in Jewish households and communities. First, there is the brit milah (or bris) which is the ritual of circumcision for eight-day-old boys. When entering adulthood, twelve=year-old girls undertake a bat mitzvah and thirteen-year-old boys have a bar mitzvah, which is marked by revelry and the ability of the youth to lead some observance or prayer. Weddings are also marked by a series of traditions, such as the importance of being wed under a chuppah (wedding canopy) symbolizing a happy home, and the breaking of a bottle by the groom to express the continual sorrow of the Jewish people.
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Kashrut is the dietary laws, which dictate how to create kosher food and are mostly related to animal products. The Kashrut includes rules for preferred slaughter (shechitah) and information about the purity of animals as dictated in the Torah; for example, pigs are not kosher. Other requirements exist about the length of time between eating meat and dairy, as they cannot be consumed together. There are often therefore two sets of pans in a kosher home, as one used on dairy cannot be used for meat. There are also certain traditional articles of clothing worn in many Jewish communities, such as the brimless kippah cap sometimes worn by men, or prayer shawls sometimes worn by women.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT The Russian Revolution Unrest in early 20th-century Russia manifested in a series of revolutions which spanned the first half of the century. First was the Russian Revolution of 1905 which was catalyzed by the inability of emancipated serfs to earn a living, discrimination and repression toward minorities, a resentful and unprotected working class, and a radicalized educated class. When serfdom was abolished by Tsar Alexander II in 1861, allowing all social classes to own land, but often on unfavorable terms that further increase revolutionary sentiment. The broken economic system led to the migration of many serfs around Russia looking for work and sustenance, often leading to violence.
Next, despite the ethnically diverse country, descendants of non-Russian cultures and Tsar Alexander II.
religions were often perceived as second-class citizens, particularly Russian Jews. The country enacted a policy of Russification in which unique cultures were forced to
assimilate to a more Russian way of life. Economic conditions worsened as laissez-faire policies and agriculture failed, the trade gap widened, and foreign debt increased. The minister of finance, Sergei Witte, launched a strong industrialization program that, ironically, exacerbated social tensions and increased social consciousness among disadvantaged groups. The government did enact some protective laws, though enforcement and effectiveness were not widespread. Schools in particular were considered problematic as a meeting ground for the spreading of revolutionary ideas; the government began to feel threatened by increases in individualistic opinions and distributable literature. As a result, more revolutionary political parties began to form and strikes, riots, and protests by socialist revolutionaries became common occurrences. Georgy Gapon, an Orthodox priest, arrived at the Winter Palace on January 22, 1905, to 14
present a petition to the Tsar; guards opened fire on the protestors, killing hundreds in what would come to be known as Bloody Sunday, sparking the official onset of revolution. Protestors were often attacked by government or police forces, and many people died. Nationalists demanded ownership of their own cultures, but some sentiments were misguided to the point that some initiated pogroms targeted at the Jewish people.
After the assassination of the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in 1905, Tsar Nicholas II promised to create better working conditions, ensure the freedom of speech, and install more representatives of the people in government. allowing the creation of a consultative Duma as a legislative system. Once its lack of power entered public awareness, workers demanded another strike and refused to pay taxes, leading to many violent uprisings. The October Manifesto was submitted on October 14th requesting certain rights, including more power for the Duma. The manifesto was signed by the Tsar to positive response, though remaining revolutionary sentiment continued to demand the dissolution of the empire. Tsar Nicholas II
As the revolution wound down, the Russian Constitution of 1906 was established, which allowed multiple political parties in a limited constitutional monarchy, as similar to the governing system of the British Commonwealth. Nicholas II continued to disrupt the functionality of the Duma by creating a secondary legislative body in the State Council, which granted him final say in governmental decisions. When elections later began to lean toward the political left, he dissolved the Duma; however, the revolutionary sentiment remained strong and growing, and would force the collapse of the monarchy during the upcoming Russian Revolution of 1917. Pogroms Pogroms are violent demonstrations with the goal of harming an ethnic or religious group, and historically consist of attacks aimed at people of Jewish faith. The word also implies a collective assault organized by an often more powerful majority population. The word first appeared in 1882 to refer to attacks in the Pale of Settlement in Imperial Russia, where Fiddler on the Roof takes place. The region was witness to numerous anti-Semitic riots from 1881 to 1884, first sparked by the assassination of Tsar Alexander II and the believe that members of the Jewish faith were to be blamed for his death and local economic strife.
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Pogroms resulted in lost homes, as well as numerous injuries and deaths in 166 southwest Russian towns. While the government did not explicitly endorse or conduct the pogroms, legal consequences were few and lenient. Such anti-Semitic attitudes allowed the acceptance of the May Laws, enacted as temporary restrictions placed upon Jewish people in the Pale of Settlement that prevented them from settling elsewhere, among other rules. Additional restrictions were later introduced including limitations on the percentage of Jewish students accepted to schools, based on the Jewish percentage within the overall population. Many pogroms occurred throughout the end of the 19th and into the 20th century, notably the riots in 1903-1906, during which 2,000 Jewish people were killed and many were injured. The first pogrom outside of the Pale of Settlement occurred in 1905, and a third, and even more violent, wave occurred from 1917 to 1921. The lack of official consequences from the government and the rising frequency of pogroms led many Jewish families to emigrate, particularly to the United States, which would continue into the post-war years.
Imperial Russia The Russian Empire officially came into being in 1721 under the orders of Peter I, though much of its imperial expansion had taken place in the 17th century after a series of skirmishes and wars that included the conquest of Siberia. At the end of the 18th century, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth entered a period of steep economic decline, and the sovereign nation of Poland was partitioned into the Austria, Prussian, and the Russian Partitions. At its largest size, the Russian Empire comprised almost one-sixth of the world’s landmass, and included more than 100 different ethnic groups. Peter the Great
Peter I, also known as Peter the Great, became the Emperor of All Russia in 1721, and initiated major reforms intended to modernize the empire by reorganizing the army, introducing European customs and traditions that he believed were superior, ending arranged marriages among the Russian nobility, officially adopting the Julian calendar, and initiating tax numerous tax reforms. Following Peter’s death in 1725, the next major player in the expansion of the empire was Catherine the Great. She came to power in 1762 following the death of Empress Elizabeth and the presumed assassination of her husband, Peter III. She continued the trend of westernization by giving nobles more power in place of local governments, and identified serfdom as 16
a major problem for the aristocracy. Despite minor uprisings, she tried to be more compassionate regarding legal sentences, but the general sense of disillusionment remained, due in part to the huge class divide between the laboring serfs and the grandeur of the nobility. In 1812, Napoleon invaded Russia under the guise of liberating Poland, but with the additional intention of stopping Tsar Alexander II from trading with the British Empire; the offense is widely considered a disaster due to the loss of life among the French troops. Russia’s military earned a new level of prestige upon their defeat of Napoleon, but most citizens still lived in poor conditions. Nicholas I took the throne in 1825 amidst the failed Decembrist revolt that emerged in opposition to his succession, caused by a subset of Russian officers who sought to make Russia a more liberal constitutional monarchy based on what they had seen abroad. Upon his coronation, Nicholas began implementing policies of orthodoxy, autocracy, and nationality; his general paranoia led to widespread censorship and additional uprisings.
Alexander II came to the throne in 1855 when the call for reform had reached new heights. Russia seemed directionless, and a desire for westernization simmered among the populace. The empire’s reputation for military prowess suffered after their 1856 defeat in the Crimean War. Alexander II responded to progressive demands by emancipating the serfs, considered to be one of the most important events in the history of the Russian Empire, as it initiated socio-economic reform by limiting the power of the nobility. The newly-freed people flooded into cities, leading to a boom in the labor and industrial sectors and the rise of a new middle class. The new rules were still problematic, however, and tensions remained high, culminating in the assassination of Alexander II in 1881. His successor, Alexander III, echoed the sentiments of his ancestor Nicholas I, and brought about a new era of revolutionary persecution and Russification. Russia continued to expand its land mass after another of many conflicts with the Ottoman Empire leading to the loss of Bulgaria, Serbia, and part of the Balkans, among other properties. Tensions continued throughout the early 20th century as the Industrial Revolution finally entered Russia, emphasizing the continuing divide between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. More political parties were formed or gained more power, including Vladimir Lenin’s Bolsheviks. The Russian defeat in the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 and Bloody Sunday finally led to the adoption of the October Manifesto. Citizens were not completely placated, however, and the aggravation and demoralization caused by World War I led to the February Revolution of 1917, the of the Romanov family, and the end of the empire. 17
THE PALE OF SETTLEMENT The Pale of Settlement was an area of Imperial Russia that existed in some form from 1791 to 1917. Permanent Jewish residency was allowed in the Pale of Settlement, while Jewish residency beyond its varying borders were generally prohibited, with certain exceptions in larger towns. The partition of Poland attributed to the Russian Empire at the end of the 18th century was home to a large Jewish population. It was decided that they would be allowed to remain in their homes and in new annexed areas in order to serve the Russian state without inciting conflict between different faiths, as Russia was (and still is) mostly Orthodox Christian. Restrictions in the Pale increased and became more transparent under Alexander II, but residence was granted outside of the Pale
Map depicting the Russian Pale of Settlement in the upper righthand region.
for certain classes, such as university educated, affluent, or military-oriented Jews. However, the 1881 May Laws halted emigration to greater Russia for the next decade. In 1910, some Jewish members of the legislative branch proposed the abolition of the Pale, but served only as a demonstrative act. In 1915, refugees began to move increasingly inward, leading to the true end of the Pale after the 1917 Revolution.
MARXISM Marxism was first articulated by German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the latter half of the 1840s as a means of investigating class relations and societal conflict and its relationship to material production. Marx believed that conflicts naturally arise between the working class proletariat and the bourgeoisie, who own most means of productions, such as factories, and who see most of the profit. As workers become aware of the systemic inequality between the producers of goods and those who receive the benefits, they begin to feel alienated. Marx observed that the conflict would grow to revolution and inevitably leading to socialism, a system based on the idea that production and distribution Karl Marx
should be determined by the entire society. 18
Marxism advocates that capitalism is innately exploitative, because the proletariat performs labor of greater worth than the compensation which they receive. Following the revolutionary phase, Marx believed that communism would be successfully established, as a system relying on the notion “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.” Beyond economic ideology, Marxism asserts that economics influences social spheres, including politics and morals; these form the base and the superstructure of society. If the base changes, the superstructure will also change, and the new social organization can also act upon the base, creating a two-way, reflexive relationship. As methods of production improve – as they did after the industrial
Friedrich Engels
revolution and into the present day – the superstructure, or the social organization, begins to breakdown, leading to social revolution through class struggle. Marx and Engels regarded this kind of socioeconomic conflict as a driving force of human history. Marxism in Political Movements Marxism still has a following today, especially in countries dissatisfied by capitalist traditions. Thus, Marxism has been a component of many political revolutions in countries previously colonized or under imperial control. Examples include the Spanish Revolution of 1936, the only communist revolution in the West; the Chinese Communist Revolution, which placed Chairman Mao in power; the August Revolution, which freed Vietnam from French rule; and the Cuban Revolution, led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara.
THE FIDDLER BY CHAGALL Marc Chagall (Moishe Segal) was born the oldest of nine children on July 6, 1887 in Lionza, near Vitebsk in Belarus, which belonged to Imperial Russia at the time. Lionza was a picturesque city with many places of worship; half of the population was Jewish with a strong culture of Hasidic Judaism that greatly impacted Chagall’s later artistry. Restrictive laws often isolated Jewish communities, and Chagall was educated at Jewish schools before attending a Russian high school, contingent on a bribe from his mother to the headmaster. He began his artistic education there after obtaining a temporary passport, and was known for his utilization of colors, sentiment, and humor, which he brought to Paris to further his education.
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Chagall returned to Moscow in 1914, and was offered a job as a stage designer at the State Jewish Chamber that was set to produce plays by Sholem Aleichem. Chagall created large murals that included many symbols and some of his personal motifs. In 1923, Chagall and his family returned to France and was commissioned to illustrate the Old Testament, which he used as an excuse to visit the Holy Land, where he was deeply moved by a sense of history and the divine. Shortly after his assignment began, the Nazis launched a campaign against “degenerate” modern art; Chagall remained in France until the appearance of anti-Semitic laws, but was unable to afford passage to safety for his family. Thankfully, Americans Alfred Barr, Varian Fry, and Hiram Bingham IV helped smuggle artists and intellectuals to the United Stated by providing forged visas, and helped the Chagall family leave in 1941. Following World War II, Chagall returned to France and lived in the Côte d'Azur of
The Fiddler by Marc Chagall, c. 1913.
Africa until his death, as the last living European modernist. Chagall’s work is noted for his incredible and vivid use of color and a surreal, dreamlike quality. He often explored memories and life experiences with a fantastical twist expressed through motifs such as floating figures, circus people, livestock and their wombs, and the gigantic fiddler dancing on roofs, which would influence the title and original set design of Fiddler on the Roof. He is also known for echoing Jewish themes, especially regarding Hasidic Jew culture. In addition to paintings and sketches, he also produced work with stained glass, and influenced anti-realism in Russian theatre with his murals and sets. Boris Aronson, the original set designer for Fiddler, was very influenced by Chagall’s art.
GLOSSARY Cloudburst: A weather phenomenon consisting of significant amounts of rain that can cause flooding. Congregation: A group, often a gathering of people for worship.
A cloudburst.
Dowry: Property given to the bride to take into her marriage. 20
Eastern Wall: The oldest of the four walls of the Temple Mount, the holiest place in Judaism. Esther: An orphaned Jewish woman who married the King of Persia and stopped a genocide; her story is the basis of the Jewish holiday of Purim. Evil eye: A curse caught from being the recipient of an evil look meant to confer misfortune. Heinrich Heine: A German Jewish intellectual best known for his lyric poetry.
Heinrich Heine.
Jericho: A city known for its surrounding wall; the Israelites walked around the city with the ark of the covenant until it suddenly fell down, allowing the conquest of Canaan to continue. Kiev: The capital of Ukraine. King Solomon: The builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Kopek: Currency used in former Soviet countries, worth 1/100th of a ruble. Krakow: A city in Southern Poland with a vibrant Jewish quarter. Melancholy: Thoughtful despair. Obstinate: Stubborn.
A kopek.
Odessa: The third largest city in Ukraine. Petrograd: Another name for St. Petersburg, which was also known as Leningrad during the Soviet Union.
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Rabbi: A Jewish scholar or teacher often versed in Jewish law, and a religious leader. Reb: The Yiddish equivalent of sir. Ruth: A biblical woman who converted to Judaism. Siberia: A huge tundra in Russia. The inside of the Choral Ohel Yaakov Synagogue of Kaunas.
Synagogue: A Jewish place of worship. Tsar: A title for Slavic monarchs. Warsaw: The capital of Poland.
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