Fiddler on the Roof was met with mixed reviews when it premiered on Broadway in 1964. It ran smack in the face of undercurrents in some circles – it was too Jewish for many.
I want you to watch the movie. I have seen the movie and the Broadway play. It is one of my favorite movies and easily my favorite Broadway production. I have seen its themes play out during the past few weeks.
It is beautifully written from a literary standpoint. The music is masterful. The message is daring. For you to understand the movie, you must understand what a pogrom is.
The Holocaust Museum defines a pogrom as…
Pogrom is a Russian word meaning “to wreak havoc, to demolish violently.” Historically, the term refers to violent attacks by local non-Jewish populations on Jews in the Russian Empire and in other countries.
Fiddler on the Roof portrays a family(likely Ukrainian) which faces persecution by locals who have decided they just don’t like their(Jewish) community. The local Constable exhibits a duplicity which is familiar in our own community here in Kingsport. On the one hand, he likes Tevye and warns him of trouble. On the other hand, he is the one who actually evicts them from their homes. Sound familiar? He tries to play both sides. His final decision was to protect the Czar.
Why did the Jewish people stay Anatevka during periodic persecution prior the the final eviction? Maybe this quote in the movie says it best…
But in our little village of Anatevka, every one of us is a fiddler on the roof trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck. It isn’t easy. You may ask, why do we stay here if it’s so dangerous? We stay because Anatevka is our home.
What the Jews of Anatevka discovered was that no matter how quiet they lived their lives, no matter how peacefully they coexisted with their neighbors….it would never be good enough for the followers of the Czar. In the end, those who knew better…betrayed people in their own community in the name of protecting their power.
I don’t think I have to really explain my reason for writing this. We each must make a personal decision if we are placed into the position of the Constable. Do we save our own skin or do we protect those in our community?
As a side note….Many years ago, a former BOE member once snidely remarked, “Has Rob become Jewish?” Indeed, I have been to Israel twice. I have also been to the West Bank. I support the nation of Israel. Jesus is my kingdom. I serve him. But I wear that former board member’s comment with pride. Even then, I wasn’t one of them(the BOE), but I sure seem to have a gift for making them mad. So be it. Like Fiddler in 1964, many of the educational ideas from my side of the aisle are often (at first) met with mixed reviews. Maybe it should be noted that Fiddler on the Roof would eventually become the first Broadway musical to surpass 3,000 consecutive performances and won nine Tony Awards. Folks, we are just getting started.
Run silent, run deep my friends. Things are in motion to the good. Keep holding your part of the battle line. And the beautiful YouTube composition by below w/ Itzhak Perlman….not a product of a data driven instruction.
יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׂחָק אֲדֹנָי יִלְעַג־לָמוֹ
Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
Sunrise, Sunset. Fiddler on the Roof (1964). Jerry Brock, Sheldon Harnick.
Licensed thumbnail photo by stockfoto.
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