Christian Theology in Fiddler on the Roof

I have thought recently to do a thread on Christian theology found in the movie Fiddler on the Roof. It was first written as a play by Schlomo Aleikim, who wrote about life in the Jewish stetl of Anatevka, Russia just before the Russian Revolution. The film centers around the family of the milkman Tevya, the relationship with his wife, his daughters and members of the community. The film is about tradition and the universal theme of love and acceptance.

I have found Christian themes contained, and this is certainly not meant to be offensive to any Jewish person who is observant, nor is it meant to be offensive to any who are descended from Jewish people, I am myself. This study is meant for those Christians who have never been treated to any Jewish understanding of the foundation of our faith. I also wanted to express how closely we are connected, maybe some not knowing, to what the Bible says.

Tevya is an observant traditional Orthodox Ashkenzai Jewish father in the stetl Anatevka. A stetl is a town or community of Jewish residents. His wife Golde is very loving of their 5 daughters and both desire their daughters have more in life.

The daughters:
Tzeitel
Hodel
Chava
(2 younger not named)
These daughters and their husbands represent three types. The Christian may understand these, once we delve into understanding.

Tzeitel is the most traditional, the eldest daughter. She breaks the first tradition by pledging to marry Model Kamzoyl the tailor. She refuses to be forced to marry Lazar Wolf. What she and Model represent to the Christian is the pledge we make, it is an oath and vow of marriage, to be united as one. Their marriage ceremony is found in the Bible...

Matthew 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Mark 10:7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

Revelation 21:2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

The second daughter Hodel, still traditional, she falls in love with Perchick, the revolutionary. He is the one who wants to change the world for the better, and this is supposed to be the Christian ideal, to make the world a better place, even if we have to leave the home we love. That home is not just our family, but everything we held before.

Matthew 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother

Luke 14: 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Matthew 19:29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Chava, the very name is life. She falls in love with Fyetka, the gentle one, the one who represents the leaving of tradition.

Zechariah 9:9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

John 12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

In these girls we see the Christian theology of the Bridegroom coming for His Bride. Remaining true to the pledge we have given Christ, forsaking all others, and into new life with Christ.

Interesting ideas. I had never really looked at it from that perspective before. In every case, though, the daughters went against tradition and chose to marry the men they loved. I'd have to look again for more perspective, to see if there are other bits of correlation.

It's an excellent story. I read the book (play script version) many years before locating the film online. I was a little disappointed not to get to hear Zero Mostel singing, though, having been used to the soundtrack from the Broadway play.

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes
Interesting ideas. I had never really looked at it from that perspective before. In every case, though, the daughters went against tradition and chose to marry the men they loved. I'd have to look again for more perspective, to see if there are other bits of correlation.

It's an excellent story. I read the book (play script version) many years before locating the film online. I was a little disappointed not to get to hear Zero Mostel singing, though, having been used to the soundtrack from the Broadway play.

There is so much more that can be said.

I saw the interviews with the cast and Topol made a joke about Norman Jewison. He said that Jewison is a Christian but going to convert and change his name to Norman Christianson...lol.

I could spend days talking about everything in it. Another one of my favorite parts is Tevya sing to Golde, Do you love me?

a reply to: WarminIndy

That's funny, the bit bout the name! Always enjoyed the story, and the songs are very much a part of my growing up. My dad always had music going, and that was a favorite album. Awesome stuff!

a reply to: WarminIndy

Sorry, but I'm not seeing it. Just because Jesus refers to the relationship between the soul and the body to the church and the Christ, being like a marriage, that doesn't make falling in love a "Christian" theme. Jesus certainly never encouraged young people to ignore their parent's wishes or their culture.

a reply to: WarminIndy

Christianity is based in Judaism so it's not a leap that these values are shared.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: WarminIndy

Sorry, but I'm not seeing it. Just because Jesus refers to the relationship between the soul and the body to the church and the Christ, being like a marriage, that doesn't make falling in love a "Christian" theme. Jesus certainly never encouraged young people to ignore their parent's wishes or their culture.

Oh, but I did say (using my film study terminology) that the movie contained universal themes.

Those universal themes contained are the desire and need for love, the relationships between parents and children and the relationships between spouses.

Because those are universally shared themes, it arises not simply out of culture or society, but a deeply inward spiritual idealism. Even Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists share the same universal ideas.

When this movie was shown in Japan, it received standing ovations because it also connected with their own sense of changing traditions.

And Jesus would approve if you had to leave home to go out into the world to make it a better place for everyone. Sometimes that's what people have to do.

"go ye therefore into all the world, teaching them to observe all things I have commanded you". If Jesus taught us to love our neighbor as ourselves, then is that such a bad thing to go out into the world showing how to love your neighbor as yourself?

That's why we have a nation of immigrants. Certainly they left their homes for better opportunities. I think Jesus would agree, and you agree with immigration, I assume.

a reply to: WarminIndy

The movie is about The Diaspora of the Jews. Having been "scattered" they faced challenges from the new and different cultures and societies, and were forced to adapt. Their hope was that they would be treated with the same respect they treated sojourners in their own land. They were NOT loved in Christian lands, as Jesus commanded, and were NOT welcome in their lands.

Leviticus 19:
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Jesus only reiterated what was already commanded and what was already a part of Jewish scripture.

originally posted by: windword
a reply to: WarminIndy

The movie is about The Diaspora of the Jews. Having been "scattered" they faced challenges from the new and different cultures and societies, and were forced to adapt. Their hope was that they would be treated with the same respect they treated sojourners in their own land. They were NOT loved in Christian lands, as Jesus commanded, and were NOT welcome in their lands.

Leviticus 19:
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.

33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

Jesus only reiterated what was already commanded and what was already a part of Jewish scripture.

It was also about anti-Semitism in the pogroms.

Yes, I know about the Diaspora, and I know about how they were not accepted, not even today by the anti-Jewish posters on ATS.

Then don't you think this movie would be a criticism of the way Christians were treating them, calling them "Christ-killers" and tearing up their homes and businesses?

You can look at this movie in many ways, including that. But as I said in my OP, this was for people who call themselves Christian who don't even know the Jewish roots of their own faith.

You take away from this film what you see in it, and that is good because you picked up what speaks to you.

Remember though, I am a descendant of that same Diaspora, it has personal meaning for me. My own mother's third cousins were in Dachau, I must stand with them and say "Never Again!". And not only for them, but the Roma today who live in countries where they are also treated as second class citizens, I say with them "Dosta!" Enough.

Dosta! Enough!

Unless I show my fellow Christians that they have failed in honoring our mother, then nothing will change. Nothing will change for the Jews who are constantly being called part of "Jewish conspiracy". Nothing will change for the Roma either.

The next time you hear "Jewish Conspiracy" on these threads, do you ever wonder who is actually saying it and why? The same exact lies against the Jews in Europe for over a thousand years is still be preached on these threads. The same lies.

Anti-Semitism is a terrible cancer, so heal us Oh Lord and we shall be healed.

And why is it that our society is conveniently allowed to be anti-Semitic but every other racism is abhorred? Dosta!.

Christians have for so long denied not only their religious heritage, but many times their own Jewish ancestry. Spain has apologizedand is now offering dual citizenship for descendants of the expelled Sephardi. That means that I, as a descendant of Avraham Cohen and Schmeul benShanan, Sephardi Jews of Baltimore, am able to petition Spain for dual citizenship.

Applicants for Spanish citizenship need not speak Ladino or even be religious. They need only be able to show a link to Sephardic culture (it could be as little as a Sephardic family name). In most cases, however, the simplest route to Spanish citizenship would be to have a local rabbi certify their Sephardic ancestry, or to get certification of their Sephardic heritage from a recognized Spanish-Jewish community.

Is it so wrong to show Christians where their faith comes from?