Sholem Aleichem
Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916), born Solomon Rabinowitz in the shtetl of Voronko in Russia, was one of the most renowned and wittiest of Yiddish writers ever published. The Broadway musical, The Fiddler On The Roof, is based on his series of short stories depicting the shtetl life of Tevye The Milkman.
His pen name translates literally to “peace be unto you,” or, more generally, “hello.” I’ve seen it spelled ‘Sholem,’ ‘Sholom,’ and ‘Shalom.’ Because he used a pen name and because of a similarity in writing styles, Aleichem was often referred to as “the Jewish Mark Twain.” The two men actually met at one point.
According to a description written by Saul Bellow in Great Jewish Short Stories, Aleichem became self-supporting at an early age.
Bellow said that at age 17 Aleichem gave Russian lessons and at age 21 he was appointed government rabbi under peculiar Czarist regulations in a small town.
He first wrote in Hebrew, the language of the learned Jewish community, and in Russian. He later shifted his focus away from them and began writing more and more in Yiddish, the language of the common people.
He left Russia in 1905 following the outbreak of several pogroms. At the time, he went to New York City while the rest of his family moved to Geneva, Switzerland.
During the next few years he lectured before Jewish audiences in the United States and Europe.
Around the time of the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, most of his family joined him in New York.
Sholom Aleichem died in 1916 at the age of 57. According to the New York Times, approximately 100,000 people came to his funeral. He was laid to rest at Mount Carmel cemetary in Queens.
During his career, Aleichem produced more than 40 volumes of stories and novels.
“Adored, and deservedly adored, throughout the Yiddish-speaking world, Sholom Aleichem was a man of great charm, and the wittiest of Jewish writers,” Bellow wrote.
Selected Bibliography
- The Best of Sholom Aleichem, edited by R. Wisse, I. Howe (originally published 1979), Walker and Co., 1991.
- Tevye the Dairyman and the Railroad Stories, translated by H. Halkin (originally published 1987), Schocken Books, 1996.
- Nineteen to the Dozen: Monologues and Bits and Bobs of Other Things, translated by Ted Gorelick, Syracuse Univ Press, 1998.
- A Treasury of Sholom Aleichem Children’s Stories, translated by Aliza Shevrin, Jason Aronson, 1996.
- Inside Kasrilovka, Three Stories, translated by I. Goldstick, Schocken Books, 1948.
- The Old Country, translated by Julius & Frances Butwin, J B H of Peconic, 1999.
- Stories and Satires, translated by Curt Leviant, Sholom Aleichem Family Publications, 1999.
- Selected Works of Sholem-Aleykhem, edited by Marvin Zuckerman & Marion Herbst (Volume II of “The Three Great Classic Writers of Modern Yiddish Literature”), Joseph Simon Pangloss Press, 1994.
- Funem yarid, written 1914-1916, translated as The Great Fair by Tamara Kahana, Noonday Press, 1955; translated by Curt Leviant as From the Fair, Viking, 1986
Articles about Sholem Aleichem:
October 6, 2011
Now Playing: ‘Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness’
In a few weeks, the new Sholem Aleichem documentary, “Laughing In The Darkness,” will come to my neck of the woods here in Atlanta. (You can find the schedule of screenings here.) I’m not sure what to expect. The trailer … Continue reading
October 25, 2010
Yiddish writers: Four of the best
I’ve read quite a few pieces lately on the renaissance of Yiddish literature. This death-defying language has been revived in London at the Jewish Museum, in Beersheva at Ben Gurion University’s center for Yiddish studies and in the United States … Continue reading
April 29, 2009
Newly translated Sholem Aleichem
This week’s edition of The New Yorker had a brief item about “Wandering Stars,” a novel by Sholem Aleichem that previously was available only as an abridged version. Here’s more: Best known for his stories of Tevye the Milkman, a … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading