Sholom (Sholem) Aleichem (February 18 (O.S.) = March 2 (N.S.), 1859 - May 13, 1916) was a popular humorist and author of Yiddish literature, including novels, short stories, and plays. He did much to promote Yiddish writers, and was the first to pen children's literature in Yiddish.
Born Sholem Yakov Rabinowitz in Pereyaslav (near Kiev), Ukraine, he adopted the pseudonym Sholom Aleichem. Drawn to writing as a youth, he worked as a teacher and a rabbi. At first he wrote in Russian and Hebrew, but from 1883 on, he produced over forty volumes in Yiddish. Most writing for Russian Jews at the time was in Hebrew, the language used exclusively by the learned Jews. Sholem Aleichem wrote for the three million uneducated Russian Jews, whose only language was Yiddish.
Besides his prodigious output of Yiddish literature, he also used his personal fortune to encourage Yiddish writers. For a while he edited the annual Die Yiddishe Folksbibliotek. He lectured in Europe and the United States. His work has been widely translated. The popular musical comedy "Fiddler on the Roof" (1964) is based on Sholom Aleichem's stories around his character Tevye.
Fleeing persecution, he left Russia in 1905, settling first in Switzerland, and later, in 1914, in the United States, where he made his home in New York City. He died there at the age of 57.
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2 Quotes 3 Some writings of Sholom Aleichem in English 4 Reference 5 External link |
A short passage to illustrate Sholom Aleichem's style
Quotes
Some writings of Sholom Aleichem in English
Reference
External link