Shtetl

Pronunciation: SHTEH-tuhl
Definition: a small town in which Jews lived, mainly in Eastern Europe.
Example Sentence: “Shabbat made the Shtetl what it was” - Elie Wiesel 1976.

Some Fun Thoughts:

Hello! Avoiding apologizing for being gone for so long, I will, instead, thank you all for being understanding of my absence. I hurt my back, then went on vacation. Now I’m home, working, and actually pre-scheduled posts for the whole week, so you’ll actually see me! My goodness! Or, should I say, Oy gevalt!

Today’s word is fascinating and rich—like so many beautiful Yiddish words—and the beauty is found in its connection to the Jewish experience. I’m going to give you a taste, but I highly encourage you to check out My Jewish Learning’s post on shtetl myths here. If you have seen Fiddler on the Roof, you are familiar with the shtetl, as it is the setting for Tevye and his family for most of the show. (If you haven’t seen Fiddler on the Roof, stop reading. Go. Watch. NOW!!! Literally, what are you even doing? Stop reading…

Do you looooove me? Do I what? Do you love me? Do I love you?

Deep cut song, right there.)

Aaaanyways, the shtetl in Fiddler conjures up a familiar image: a relatively poor, connected, devoutly Jewish community, attempting to cling to their ways against an outside world set on changing and controlling them (it is impossible to understate this mythos of the shtetl in contemporary Jewish memories of the past). And, though this depiction is accurate for some shtetls, according to My Jewish Learning, this Fiddler image “neglects the great diversity of ideas and experiences that characterized these communities.” To name just one—and I again, highly recommend reading the article posted above—shtetls in Eastern Europe can be separated by the “gefilte fish line.” This is an imaginary line that extends across Eastern Europe, dividing those Jews to the West, who season their gefilte fish with sugar, from those to the East, who season the fish with pepper. There are so many subtle differences that separate the shtetls of Europe and learning about those can broaden our understanding and give us a rich appreciation for the breadth of experience within a shared identity.

Tomorrow, instead of a word, I will be starting a brief series of posts on some popular authors who wrote in Yiddish, starting with the creator of Tevye, Sholem Aleichem. Hope you enjoy!