‘Fiddler on the Roof’ may be many Americans’ image of Judaism – but American Jews’ heritage is stunningly diverse

The Conversation

Religion News Service

Lean Left

View article

Reposted by

Religion News Service

Center

Factuality

Ownership

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ may be many Americans’ image of Judaism – but American Jews’ heritage is stunningly diverse

Students prepare for their bar and bat mitzvahs at a camp for Jewish children of color in California. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin“Tradition!” rings out the opening line of “Fiddler on the Roof,” the Broadway play that brought Jewish life to stages around the world. The 1964 musical gives audiences a window into Yiddish-speaking, rural Jewish life in 19th-century Europe. For many people, this image represents Jewish history as a whole. When most Am…