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IT'S
HARD TO BE A JEW1,
by Sholem Aleichem
(Yiddish: Shver tsu zayn a yid)
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He has
often been called the Mark Twain of
the Jewish people (and Mark Twain,
on one occasion, bestowed upon
himself the title of “The American Sholem Aleichem”), yet the
manner in which Sholem Aleichem
deals with problems can find no
adequate analogies.
He is
truly racial – truly Jewish; and though is wit
and humor is scintillating, yet there is a
poignancy and tragedy underlying it, which in
his sympathetic portrayal of Jewish life, even
approaches the realm of propaganda. Such is the
case in his comedy, 'It’s Hard to Be a Jew'.
Beneath the humor of the situation of a Jew and
a Gentile changing identities, and the risible
situations which arise from this change, there
is the undercurrent of tragedy which stalks
through the life of the Russian Jew; the
oppressions, pogroms, and prejudices with which
he has to contend. Ivanov,
the gentile, becomes more than
convinced that it is hard to be a
Jew."1
“There
is, perhaps, no other writer in the
Yiddish language who has so endeared
himself in the hearts of the Jewish
people as Sholem Aleichem (the pen
name of Sholom Rabinowitz). Though
the humorist, Sholem Aleichem, is
loved mainly for his wit and his
deftly drawn humorous
characterizations, yet there is a
far deeper purpose in his work.
photo:
Maurice Schwartz as "David Shapiro
in Sholem Aleichem's "Hard to Be a
Jew". Courtesy of the Museum of the
City of New York. |
The Yiddish Art
Theatre staged this play a number of times, the
first being on 1 October 1920. "Hard to be a
Jew" is a play in three acts by Sholem Aleichem.
Direction: Maurice Schwartz. Second Avenue, New
York, N.Y. In this production the cast included:
Abraham Fishkind, Misha German, Berta Gersten,
Jacob Goldstein, Solomon Krause, M. B. Samuiloff,
Saltche (Sally) Schorr, Maurice Schwartz, Louis
Shapiro and Moony Weisenfreund (later known as
Paul Muni.)
The play was also
revived by them in December 1949 in N.Y., and it
also was staged on the road, e.g. in Los
Angeles, a few years later (as well as in 1929).
Place of Action: A
City in Czarist Russia where Jews were not
permitted to reside. Time--about 1913.
Scene from First
Act of "Hard to be a Jew" (1920 Yiddish Art
Theatre production).
So, here is the
synopsis of Sholem Aleichem's "Hard to be a Jew"1. The
name of the actor or actress who portrayed the particular
role in the 1920 production is listed in parentheses):
SYNOPSIS
PROLOGUE
Ivanov (Moony
Weisenfreund) and a group of his
Mohilev gentile students are making merry
in a cafe following his graduation from gymnasia
for the university. Schnyrson (Misha German) a
Jewish student, who is stilling apart, is asked
by Ivanov to dome and join them. Schnyrson
declines, saying that he does not belong to the
group, being a Jew. Ivanov pooh-poohs the idea,
but Schnyrson tells him that he does not now
what it means to be a Jew, and that to be a Jew
for even one year is very hard. Ivanov, in a
sporting spirit, takes him up on it, and they
finally agree to change identities for one year.
ACT ONE
Ivanov, now posing
as Schnyrson, has come to enter the university
and enters the Shapiro home in search of
lodging. He is taken for a gentile at first, but
when he doesn't mind being overcharged, agrees
to coach young Siomke Shapiro (Louis Shapiro)
free of charge, tells him that his grandmother,
of whom he is the only heir, is worth two
hundred thousand, and to top it all, that he is
a Jew, Mrs. Shapiro's (Saltshe Schorr)
admiration is unbounded. David Shapiro (Maurice
Schwartz) gives him his first object lesson in
the life of a Jew, telling him that his gold
medal will be no help in getting him in the
university -- that it is done by drawing lots
among the Jewish applicants. He is also told
that he must immediately get a certificate of
permission to allow him to remain in the city,
and to do so must arrange with a dentist and
register himself as the dentist's assistant.
Though they accept him as a Jew, yet they are
appalled at his ignorance of Jewish life. He is
forced to telephone the real Schnyrson to come
and help him out, introducing him to the
Shapiros as Ivanov. Schnyrson impresses the
family as a gentile who knows much about Jewish
life -- more than his supposed Jewish chum.
Ivanov is smitten with Betty's (Berta Gerstin),
but Schnyrson warns him to be careful how he
acts and talks before her, for, after all, he is
a gentile and she is a Jewish daughter.
ACT TWO
Sarah Shapiro is
indignant over her daughter having accepted a
present of a bracelet from Ivanov, telling her
that the engagement comes first. When Schnyrson
comes to see his chum, Sarah comes to glean what
information she can from him regarding Ivanov.
Schnyrson realizes that Ivanov has made some
approaches to Betty and tries to find out more
about it, but Sarah is evasive. David is angry
when he learns of Betty having accepted the
bracelet. He has been running around with Ivanov
still having to arrange a Jew's permit for him.
While Ivanov and Schnyrson are talking things
over together, Schnyrson is very gay. David
tells him that he may have cause to be merry,
but if he were a Jew for only a year, he would
find that life is not so easy. This strikes the
two boys as being coincidentally funny and they
laugh heartily. David tells them of a threatened
pogrom due to accusations of a ritual murder. An
argument follows in which Schnyrson takes the
Jewish side, while Ivanov, not understanding
correctly, takes the gentile side. This strikes
the family as being a very queer outlook for
both the boys to have. Guests arrive to
celebrate Betty's nineteenth birthday. A
discussion follows in which Ivanov tries to
obtain Betty's opinion of a Jewish girl marrying
a gentile. It seems that the opinion is not much
in his favor. Ketzele (Abraham Fishkind) enters
and tells them that as the Schnyrsons were
always considered very pious Jews, the police
are searching for a Schnyrson on whom to avenge
the ritual murder. When the guests leave the
room, Ivanov and Schnyrson argue over Betty.
Schnyrson tells his chum that he can never marry
her, and when Ivanov leaves angrily, Betty
enters to find out what is wrong. Schnyrson
tells Betty that he loves her, but she, thinking
him a gentile repulses him. He hints to her that
everything will come out well for his benefit
and hers.
ACT THREE
David comes home
and tells Sarah about Ivanov visiting the rabbi
with the intention of becoming a Jew. She blames
Betty for having instigated it, but the latter
swears she knew nothing about it. When Schnyrson
enters, Betty blames him for having gone to the
rabbi. He denies it and at first does not
understand. Then it dawns on him that the real
Ivanov wishes to become an actual Jew for
Betty's sake. When Ivanov comes in, he and
Schnyrson quarrel about Betty, and they both
declare themselves in open battle for her hand.
In the middle of the Passover feast, which
follows the police arriving to search for
Schnyrson. Ivanov gives himself up, as Schnyrson
[is] heaping abuse on the ignorance of the
police and the Russian people in general for
their medieval prejudices. Schnyrson, unable to
keep the secret longer, finally divulges their
true identities, and tells the story of the bet.
The bewildered police take them both. The
Shapiros are dumbfounded but feel assured that
the boys will get off. Schnyrson and Betty bid
farewell to Ivanov who has cheerfully lost Betty
to his friend, but has learned much of the
Jewish people. David tells Ivanov to tell
everyone that no matter what they say about the
Jews, their lives are not easy. In fact -- it's
hard to be a Jew.
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