Tevye the Dairyman, By Sholem Aleichem
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Fiddler on the Roof took Aleichem's yarn-spinning, world-weary milkman from the shtetls of 1890s Ukraine to a global audience, but the musical did little for the standing of this best-loved of Yiddish writers.
His virtuoso monologues soar way above the cosy folklore and endearing eccentricities of a lost Jewish world. This superb new translation (by Aliza Shevrin) deserves an ovation.
Beyond all the wit and charm, the volume (including Aleichem's stories of emigration to the US, Motil the Cantor's Son) depicts Tevye and his kin as torn souls in transit between worlds, not a timeless peasantry. In flight from Tsarist pogroms, Motil even has a stopover in Whitechapel: it smells of fried fish.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments