Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness is a portrait of the Jewish Mark Twain, known for creating Fiddler on the Roof‘s Tevye the Milkman.

I rewatched the film just over a month ago but today marks the 109th anniversary of Sholem Aleichem–also known as Solomon Rabinowich–passing away in New York City. It was my first viewing since watching the film in 2013. Anyway, it’s a portrait of the Yiddish writer who wrote the stories that would later be adapted on Broadway and in the movies as Fiddler on the Roof. Suffice it to say that this genius writer was instrumental when it came to Yiddish literature. His writings also preserved a culture that all but vanished as a result of the Holocaust, not to mention a changing world at the turn of the century.

Fiddler on the Roof touches in themes prevalent in Sholem Aleichem’s writings, including generational divides and the disappearance of traditional Jewish life. We especially see this through Tevye’s daughters and their marriages. In the film adaptation, Tevye disowns Chava after she marries the non-Jewish Fyedka in a Russian Orthodox Church. They are more or less excommunication. Only after Golde yells “G-d be with you” does Tevye do the same. The film is more forgiving than the books.

Yiddish papers featured his work every Friday and because of this, it became something of a tradition to read what he had to say over Shabbos. One could argue that Jews had to find laughs where they could, what with the Russians restarting pogroms. For non-Jewish readers, Jews were faced with harsh conditions while being forced to live in what was known as the Pale of Settlement. Fiddler could only do so much for the world of Sholem Aleichem, even if he was one of the greatest Jewish writers of his time. Jewish Americans were looking forward, not backwards.

The fact is, shtetl life was on the way out as the 1800s gave way to the 1900s. Jews were immigrating, either to America or Ottoman Empire Palestine. Hebrew was becoming the language of the Old Yishuv while those coming to America would have to learn English sooner than later. The Yiddish theater kept the language alive for as long as it could, but eventually the Yiddish Theatre District in New York all but became extinct. Even nowadays, Yiddish is not commonly spoken in Jewish homes as it’s become something of a relic.

Many Jews had seen the writing on the walls because of the increase in pogroms. My great-grandparents were among those Jews in search of a better life. But anyway, Sholem Aleichem turned to humor to capture the changing world. In doing so, he played a substantial role in forging the new Jewish identity in a changing world. Even has his own life deteriorated, he still did his best to imbue optimism into his work. One could argue that he was Franz Kafka before the later writer was known for his bleak absurdist humor, although the optimism is what separates the two.

Sholem Aleichem initially immigrated to America in 1906 as a result of pogroms in Kyiv. Unfortunately, his family did not join him so later returned to Europe, this time with his family in Geneva, Switzerland. It wasn’t the end of the writer’s attempts to make a home for his family in America. The family made another attempt in 1914–son Misha had tuberculosis and immigration laws prevented his entry. Misha stayed behind with Emma. The Rabinowich family first settled in Harlem before later moving the Bronx, where Aleichem died at the age of 57.

The Sholem Aleichem story is no different than many Jewish family stories. The only difference, of course, is that Aleichem had a bit of fame before immigrating. Many other Jews immigrating to American would begin as peddlers or garment workers, depending on when they settled in America. The Jewish story in America is no different than that of the Irish or Italian–everyone came in search of a better life.

Joseph Dorman’s documentary captures how Jewish identity was changing in the 19th century. Antisemitic violence was on the rise–what else is new–in Eastern Europe. Sholem Aleichem captured it all through his writings. He started out in Hebrew but by 1883, he had penned his first story in Yiddish. Yiddish was the language of the shtetl so his writings were accessible to any Jew who wanted to read his work. He utilized humor as he wrote about the highs and lows of Jewish culture. Starting in 1894, he would begin publishing stories about his most famous character, Tevye the Dairyman.

Because of how he used humor, many referred to Sholem Aleichem as the Jewish Mark Twain. He also left behind a legacy in America, Israel, and the old Soviet Union. This speaks to just how important his writing meant to the Jewish community across the globe–his own funeral was the largest public funeral of its time in New York City with 200,000 people attending. Speaking of his legacy, Fiddler on the Roof premiered on Broadway and there’s likely a performance taking place every month in one community or another.

The documentary weaves in both photos and archive between expert interviews, including Aleichem’s granddaughter, Bel Kaufman. Having a number of experts on hand help to better paint a picture of what life must have been like for Sholem Aleichem. The film also gives us an idea of who he was not just as a writer but as a person. He brought both complexity and depth to his writing and it shows. He lived during a very dark time for Jewry in Europe and he brought laughter to his brethren through his writing. In addition to expert interviews, four actors also voice his writings.

Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness not only introduces Sholem Aleichem to a new generation but reminds audiences why he is one of the greatest Jewish writers of all time.

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Joseph Dorman
NARRATOR: Alan Rosenberg
FEATURING: Mendy Cahan, Bel Kaufman, Hillel Halkin, Sheldon Harnick, Aaron Lansky, Dan Miron, Avram Nowersztern, David Roskies, Michael Stanislawski, Ruth Wisse
VOICE CAST: Peter Riegert, Rachel Dratch, Jason Kravits, Daniel Lerman

International Film Circuit released Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness in theaters on July 8, 2011. Grade: 4.5/5

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