Sholem Aleichem and Evolving Jewish Traditions

  • Talks & More

Thursday May 14  |  7 - 8 PM                                                            Miles Nadal JCC (750 Spadina, Room 318) 

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Co-presented by Koffler Arts and Miles Nadal JCC

Join us for a compelling panel discussion organized leading up to the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company's upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.

The conversation begins with the timeless writings of Sholem Aleichem, focusing on his beloved character Tevye the Dairyman and other tales from the shtetls of the Pale of Settlement. These tales served as rich source material for the renowned musical production Fiddler on the Roof - to be performed in Yiddish.

A renowned scholar of Yiddish mass culture, theatre, and music addresses how Aleichem's stories vividly depict Jewish life, traditions, and struggles in Eastern Europe. A distinguished Rabbi offers insights into the evolution of Jewish traditions, examining how these stories reflect both the preservation of heritage and adaptation to new realities. And a contemporary playwright whose works parallel some of Aleichem’s themes brings us into the present, offering a theatrical perspective on Jewish cultural identity, resilience, and change. This conversation will deepen understanding of Jewish history, literature, and the enduring spirit of the shtetl community.

 

Moderator:

Josh Heuman, Head of Artistic Engagement, Koffler Arts

 

Panelists:

  • Dr. Anna Shternshis, Al and Malka Green Professor of Yiddish studies and the director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto
  • Jordi Mand, playwright
  • Rabbi Samuel Kaye, Associate Rabbi, Holy Blossom Temple

 

Dr. Anna Shternshis is the J. Richard and Dorothy Shiff Chair in Jewish Studies and director of the Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto. She is the author of critically acclaimed monographs, including  Soviet and Kosher: Jewish Popular Culture in the Soviet Union, 1923 - 1939 (Indiana UP, 2006), When Sonia Met Boris: An Oral History of Jewish Life under Stalin (Oxford UP, 2017), and Jews in the Soviet Union: Post-War Life, Hopes, and Fears, 1945-1953 (NYU Press, 2026). Together with artist Psoy Korolenko, Shternshis created and directed the Grammy-nominated Yiddish Glory project, an initiative that brought back to life forgotten Yiddish music written during the Holocaust in the Soviet Union.

 

Jordi Mand is an award-winning writer for theatre, TV, and film. Her plays include Between the Sheets, Caught, This Will Be Excellent, Brontë: The World Without, In Seven Days, and a new stage adaptation of Little Women. Mand has collaborated with many of Canada’s most respected and innovative theatre companies, including the Stratford Festival, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Grand Theatre, Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Nightwood Theatre, and more. She is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Bell Media Prime Time TV Program and the National Theatre School of Canada's Acting program.

 

Rabbi Samuel Kaye is the Associate Rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. He was ordained from the Hebrew Union College in 2018. He served as the Assistant Rabbi at The Temple in Atlanta, Georgia before moving to Canada. He is an alumnus of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and Allegheny College. Rabbi Kaye has studied at the iCenter, the Elaine Breslow Institute, and is a fellow with Amplify Israel. He has served on the board of ARZA Canada and sits on the Executive of the Toronto Board of Rabbis.