There's probably no character in Jewish fiction more well known than Tevia the Dairyman.

Fiddler on the Roof is one of the best known and most widely performed musicals of all

time, and the film adaptation is the quintessential American

portrayal of Jewish life in the old world. But long before he sang his way into the hearts

of theater goers around the globe, Tevia was the protagonist of the great Yiddish writer Sholam

Alejim's most important short stories. At turns poignant, funny, and

wise, Tevia was the character in whom Sholam al-Aheem poured the most of himself, and it was

Tevia, to whom he turned when Sholm Alecham was to comment on the great issues facing the Jews

of his day. Through the figure of Tevia, we see Sholeim's

analysis of the Jewish condition at the dawn of modernity. Welcome to the Tikva podcast. I'm your

host, Jonathan Silver. This week we're joined by Tikva's distinguished senior fellow, Ruth Weiss,

who's been teaching the tales of Tevi the Dairy Man for decades at

McGill and Harvard Universities. Professor Weiss recently released a free eight-episode online

course that brings her lifetime of learning to screens everywhere. This week, we are

rebroadcasting a conversation between Professor Weiss and Tikva Fund executive director

Eric Cohen that takes a close look at the second story in the Tevia series. Tevia blows a small

fortune. They explore the character and principles that guide Tevia's decisions and what this

country Jew can teach us about rootedness, tradition, and faith.

If you enjoy this podcast, you can enroll in Professor Weiss's free online course

on Tevia the Dairyman at tevia.ttaFund.org.

That's tev-v-y-e dot t-I-K-V-A-H-F-U-N-D.org.

If you enjoy this conversation, you can subscribe to the Tikva podcast on iTunes, Stitcher,

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