The dangers of Yiddish Fiddler On The Roof.

[DAME]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 12:26pm

First let me say that this production is extraordinary and not to be missed.  One of the highlights of my recent trip.  I have read the link below twice.. and oh dear lord..

"There was once a war between Yiddish and Hebrew. For a motley band of pro-Israel Yiddish-haters, that battle is still raging - and a production of Fiddler on the Roof, in Yiddish, has triggered them"

 
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-israel-s-latest-fearsome-national-security-threat-yiddish-1.7947906?fbclid=IwAR1m9Mx41pY2kj9YNmjnGGeAbQwEo-YUIMeE0eMqn6DuukeT4_D0FNGXTt8

Updated On: 10/8/19 at 12:26 PM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 12:34pm

If it triggers you, don’t go.


Problem solved.

[DAME]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 12:36pm

TotallyEffed said: "If it triggers you, don’t go.


Problem solved."

 

Agreed!   But WTF!

 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 12:40pm

Soon, people will be offended by running water and the presence of oxygen on this earth.

Stop playing the victim. Take responsibility for yourself. Stop trying to make other people change for you. And if you don’t like something, don’t participate in it. It’s very simple.

To quote Whoopi Goldberg, “if you don’t like gay marriage, don’t marry a gay person.”

[bdn223]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 1:27pm

The reviewers unease likely stems from the increased scrutiny Israel has faced in the past few years. As someone who is Jewish, gone on birthright to Israel in the past few years, and am still in touch with my Israeli contacts from the trip. I must say at least in my opinion, they have become increasingly defensive of any criticism of the Israeli government, often trying to equate it with Antisemitism. This is clearly untrue as one can believe Israel has a right to exist, and disagree with its government. The thing is though, many forget modern Israel, and more specifically Tel Aviv was founded by 66 families who wanted to raise their kids speak Hebrew and practicing Hebrew traditions. Yiddish culture is nearly non existent in Israel, and is much more a staple of American-Jewish culture as most of the Yiddish speaking Jews fleeing the Holocaust came west to the US and Western Europe and did not go to Israel.

One way to explain this in a more basic premise, one of my favorite Jewish foods is my aunt's kugel (noodle pudding), and its the first thing I am sure to eat on a Jewish holiday. When I was on birthright, I asked my Israeli guides, we had 8 Israeli citizens with our group, and only 1 new what kugel even was, and that was after explained it was noodle pudding. It was then I truly eye opening, and highlighted the difference between Yiddish Jewish culture which is prevalent in America, and Israeli Jewish culture. I also would bring up Fiddler to them, which is a cultural touch stone of Jewish American households, and they looked at me like I was crazy. It brings up the bigger point that Ashkenazi Jews (Yiddish),  only make up about 1/3 of the population of Israel. Many of which are part of the Orthodox and Ultra Orthodox sects of the faith, which purposefully isolate themselves from greater Israeli culture. These Jews are often at the heart of political issues, as they are currently exempt from the mandated service requirement for Israeli citizens, which has caused resentment by others within the Israeli community.  Due to this there isn't much of an Yiddish culture within Israel, and is more often associated with those who see Israel as a religious state, and not a political state. 

In a more basic premise I think many Israeli Jew's are frustrated that Western/American Jews more commonly associate their cultural heritage with the holocaust, rather than Israel. Many American Jews point to themselves being of Eastern European heritage, and would point to Ukraine, Russia, Poland, or Germany, being their homeland instead of Israel. This stems from the shared Yiddish heritage of their ancestors.  This is one of the main reasons Fiddler has become such a cultural staple of the American Jewish experience, as its about a Yiddish family fleeing persecution like most American Jews Ancestors. The irony of the criticism is that Tevye's original stories were written in Yiddish, and the language that Tevye and his community would be speaking is Yiddish, so arguably the production is a truer adaptation Scholem Aleichem's short stories then the original English text.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 2:12pm

Is it just me or are people getting offended over A LOT recently?

[Kad]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 2:22pm

This is literally the concerns of one man, who the article stresses is an extreme outlier. 

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 4:11pm

There are also a crapton of far right wing and long time anti-semites who now because Trump likes Bibi Netanyahu have "I stand with Israel" plastered all over their social media accounts. I've stopped being amazed by anything and just lump it under one overarching and undeniable truth.

There are some really stupid people out there. 

 

Updated On: 10/8/19 at 04:11 PM

[DAME]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 5:10pm

bdn223 said: "The reviewers unease likely stems from the increased scrutiny Israel has faced in the past few years. As someone who is Jewish, gone on birthright to Israel in the past few years, and am still in touch with my Israeli contacts from the trip. I must say at least in my opinion, they have become increasingly defensive of any criticism of the Israeli government, often trying to equate it with Antisemitism. This is clearly untrue as one can believe Israel has a right to exist, and disagree with its government. The thing is though, many forget modern Israel, and more specifically Tel Aviv was founded by 66 families who wanted to raise their kids speak Hebrew and practicing Hebrew traditions. Yiddish culture is nearly non existent in Israel, and is much more a staple of American-Jewish culture as most of the Yiddish speakingJews fleeing the Holocaust came west to the US and Western Europe and did not go to Israel.

One way to explain this in a more basic premise, one of my favorite Jewish foods is my aunt's kugel (noodle pudding), and its the first thing I am sure to eat on a Jewish holiday. When I was on birthright, I asked my Israeli guides, we had 8 Israeli citizens with our group, and only 1 new what kugel even was, and that was after explained it was noodle pudding. It was then I truly eye opening, and highlighted the difference between Yiddish Jewish culture which is prevalent in America, and Israeli Jewish culture. I also would bring up Fiddler to them, which is a cultural touch stone of Jewish American households, and they looked at me like I was crazy.It brings up the bigger point that Ashkenazi Jews (Yiddish),only make up about 1/3 of the populationof Israel. Many of which are part of the Orthodox and Ultra Orthodox sects of the faith, which purposefully isolate themselves from greater Israeli culture. These Jews are often at the heart of political issues, as they are currently exempt from the mandated service requirement for Israeli citizens, which has caused resentment by others within the Israeli community.Due to this there isn't much of an Yiddish culture within Israel, and is more often associated with those who see Israel as a religious state, and not a political state.

In a more basic premise I think many Israeli Jew's are frustrated that Western/American Jews more commonly associate their cultural heritage with the holocaust, rather than Israel. Many American Jews point to themselves being of Eastern European heritage, and would point to Ukraine, Russia, Poland, or Germany, being their homeland instead of Israel. This stems from the shared Yiddish heritage of their ancestors. This is one of the main reasons Fiddler has become such a cultural staple of the American Jewish experience, as its about a Yiddish family fleeing persecution like most American Jews Ancestors. The irony of the criticismis that Tevye's original stories were written in Yiddish, and the language that Tevye and his community would be speaking is Yiddish, so arguably the production is a truer adaptation Scholem Aleichem's short stories then the original English text."

Very well explained.  Thank you. 

[keen on kean]

Posted: 10/8/19 at 6:26pm

bdn223, thank you for a helpful and illuminating explanation.