March 31, 2009
'Fiddler On The Roof' and Venezuelan politics
I just finished reading a disturbing first-person piece on JTA’s Web site about how a production of “Fiddler On The Roof” seems to both incite and inspire the people of Venezuela. Its effect seems to be dependent on your view of Israel’s actions in Gaza. It also appears dependent on your view of the country’s president, Hugo Chávez (pictured right).
From the piece (written by Pynchas Brener, the chief rabbi of Venezuela and Michael Hausman, the
director of “Fiddler on the Roof“):
The majority of Venezuela’s Ashkenazi community comes from immigrants who
moved here after World War II, and their lingua franca was, and in many cases
still is, Yiddish.Several community libraries have large collections of books in the language,
and for many years Yiddish was an integral part of the curriculum of the central
Jewish school Moral y Luces Herzl Bialick, which had more than 2,000
students.Coinciding with the anniversary, a new, critically acclaimed production of
“Fiddler on the Roof” was staged at the Aula Magna at Venezuela’s Central
University.Unfortunately, the motifs of Tevye’s environment — including social
uncertainty, political upheaval and eventual exile from the village of Anatevka
– have become real possibilities in present-day Venezuela. Thus the play’s
message is hitting home with the audiences.
They go on to describe two recent attacks against synagogues in Caracas and the resulting fear and anxiety among the Jews of Venezuela. And now, because of this play, Shalom Aleichem is being likened to … George W. Bush?
Here’s more:
Through a play based on one of his stories, Sholem Aleichem became involved
in Venezuela’s political circus — sharing the limelight with President George
W. Bush, one of the favorite targets of Venezuela’s current government.In the meantime, audiences have exploded in applause at every performance of
“Fiddler.” Able performers with extraordinary voices have brought to life the
culture of the shtetl on a continent that is so different in tradition yet
shares the common ideals of love for freedom of the spirit despite material
shortcomings.
Read the full article on JTA’s Web site.