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Goodbye, Chaim Topol HADASS GALILI

When I arrived at Ohio University, I became many people’s “first Jew.” That is, the first Jewish person that someone has met. I know this because when I mention my Judaism, people often tell me, “I’ve never met a Jewish person before!” and ask me questions excitedly. I have learned to find much joy in being a “first Jew,” but one such interaction stands out to me above all the rest. On one of my first days of college, I mentioned to a new friend that I was Jewish. To this, she responded: “Oh! I love Fiddler On the Roof!”

This anecdote seems silly and did make me giggle when I experienced it. But, with the news of Chaim Topol’s recent passing, the interaction has become a very touching memory. Chaim Topol, born in Tel Aviv, Israel, played the character of Tevye in the stage production and 1971 movie adaptation of Fiddler On the Roof.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Fiddler tells the story of Tevye the milkman and his family. The story begins around 1905, with Russian pogroms on the rise while Tevye deals with his daughters going against tradition. Tevye and his family struggle with these realities and ultimately decide to leave Russia due to being terrorized.

Fiddler is a testament to great theater and the lasting lessons of Jews who had to make difficult decisions for the next generation to have a better life. Tevye’s daughters are frustrated with the traditions of arranged marriage, so they stray away from their family’s beliefs to marry for love. Tevye does not want to leave the place his family has lived in for over a century, but he cannot live a life of constant fear. The world, Fiddler shows, is changing, and we have to change with it.

The story of Fiddler On the Roof comes alive with Topol’s acting. As viewers, you feel all the emotions he feels. You smile and laugh along with him when he’s happy, and your eyes get misty when he’s sad. Through Topol, viewers are all transported to the Pale of the Settlement and attempt to grapple with the new and old hardships in Tevye’s life.

But Topol was much more than an actor or a singer; he was an enigma. He was a co-founder of the Haifa Theatre, won a Golden Globe for his performance in Sallah Shabati and Fiddler, as well as an Academy Award for Fiddler, and was nominated for a Tony. Later, Topol was awarded the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement for his work in founding Variety Israel, an organization serving children with special needs. He is also a founder of the Jordan River Village, a camp for Arab and Jewish children with life-threatening illnesses.

Topol wasted no time using his fame and influence to help others. His rise to stardom was just another way to bring joy into people’s lives, building off his experience in Nahal, a performing entertainment troupe in the Israeli Defense Forces. Topol gave life to the story of Tevye in a way that earned him respect and admiration both in Israel and across the globe. Although his soul has passed, his legacy as an entertainer and a righteous man will live on.

Hadass Galili is a senior studying political science prelaw at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Hadass by tweeting her at @HadassGalili.

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