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Who are the Jewish people?

The Jewish people are a religious and ethnic group originating in the middle east around the second millenium BCE. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. It is an ancient, monotheistic, Abrahamic religion with the Torah as its foundational text. It encompasses not only the worship and philosophy, but also the culture of the Jewish people. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the covenant that God established with the Children of Israel. Today, however, many people identify as Jews without subscribing to it's relgious tenets. With between 14.5 million and 17.4 millions followers worldwide, Judaism is the world's 10th largest religion.

What is torah?

The laws and commandments of the Jewish religion are set down in scripture called torah.  For the Jewish people, the concept of torah is much broader than the books themselves. Torah can refer to all of traditional Jewish learning, but “the Torah” usually refers to the she’bi’ktav (the written Torah) also known as the 5 books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Dueteronomy).  

What is Yiddish?

Literally speaking, Yiddish means “Jewish.” It is the language spoken by Ashkenazi Jews — Jews from Central and Eastern Europe, and their descendants. Though its basic vocabulary and grammar are derived from medieval West German, Yiddish integrates many languages including German, Hebrew, Aramaic and various Slavic and Romance languages. Tevye and his family would have spoken Yiddish in their homes exclusively, but also been fluent in Russian for their everyday business in town.

What is shabbos?

The characters in Fiddler on the Roof Jr. often reference shabbos as an important moment in their week.  Shabbos (also known as "Shabbat" in Hebrew or the "Sabbath" in English) is the centerpiece of Jewish life. According to torah, Shabbos is equal to all the other commandments combined. Shabbos is a day of rest and celebration that begins on Friday at sunset and ends the following evening after nightfall. Shabbos is celebrated by abstaining from work and other regular activities to focus on God and the family.  There are many special prayers, meals, and traditions that go along with shabbat and mark it as a holy day for the Jewish people.

What are the prayer shawls?

In an effort to be historically and culturally accurate, the male characters in Fiddler on the Roof Jr wear prayer shawls or tallit over their shirts.  These prayer shawls are prescribed in the Torah to be worn as a reminder of the duties and obligations of being a Jew.  Different branches of Judaism approach the wearing of the tallit differently.  In the time and place our show is set, all Jewish men would have worn tallit every day outside their clothes as a physical reminder of the promises God had made with their people and what they were expected to do in order to receive those promises.

                       Torah scroll                                       traditional shabbos table