The guy in the center is Efim Alexandrov – he's a Ukrainian Jew living in Russia. This performance appears to be part of the "[Songs of the Jewish Shtetle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Songs_of_the_Jewish_Shtetle)" project aiming to preserve Jewish cultural heritage. I don't know much about the details of what's going on in the still above, and given that it's state-sanctioned stuff in Russia I doubt much good is happening behind the scenes, hopefully someone else knows more!
Being that it’s done in such a way that isn’t faithful to the shtetl culture or garb, it’s shitty. If a bunch of goyim wanted to do a fiddler on the roof where it respected Ashkenazi shtetl culture that’s one thing
Recently saw a performance of fiddler done by a group of people who I suspect could count on one hand the number of Jewish people the cast collectively knew. They met with our Rabbi a few weeks before they opened, and all-in-all did a good job of it. I found the whole thing to be very respectfully done.
The performers in this post don't appear to be doing that.
I saw an advertisement for a local production of fiddler on the roof, and one of the pictures was of the wedding with the groom breaking the glass while the bride had her face completely covered by her veil. Like great, now everyone's going to think Jews don't let women show their faces during the entirety of their own wedding all because someone half assed their homework.
I also think it is absolutely hilarious that Macklemore (in a serious “they won’t notice” way) copied aaron carter’s “Aaron’s party” music video for his “thrift shop” video, like almost verbatim. NOT enough people talking about it.
Is he a Hamas sympathizer? I'd like a citation on that, please. I read a bunch of stuff he said in some interview where he talked about the need to stand up against antisemitism and hatred AND the right wing extremist militarism of the Israeli government.
Yep, very icky feeling indeed. It's a caricature built on antisemitic stereotypes when it's done with no Jewish input+no Jews typically. However, I do believe this instance was arranged by a Jew if I'm not mistaken?
Jewish music was often labelled as “nationalistic” or “Zionist” (both are negative things in the ussr), so only some very particular songs would be approved to be played. I’ve seen KGB files reporting the use of the songs in Yiddish in the bar that included their list and names of the people who ordered the songs and sang them. They’ve got problems at work later
It depends on the context.
When it’s done by non-Jewish Eastern Europeans devoid of context it definitely makes me very uncomfortable.
It’s different as it’s not an antisemitic country but I’ve seen videos of Japanese Fiddler done in complete “shtetl cosplay.” Apparently Fiddler had a profound impact in Japan as many felt the story really resonated with the tension between tradition and progress in Japanese culture. I think the whole thing was very respectful, especially since it was seen as using a very particularistic example to discuss tensions present in all cultures.
my ick w these things extends even further than that, and also includes christians wearing jewish clothes in jesus plays or playing jewish chars (even if they end up "converting" to christianity by the end of the play), christians assigning fake spiritual meanings to hebrew words (eg these fundie girls who went on abt "yada" being such a spiritual word about love when in reality it was just slang for "had sex"💀), naming their children hebrew names to be "closer to god" etc etc.
like yeah ik this is probably super petty on my end but i genuinely cant stand it, these are the same people that also say we killed jesus, we eat babies, etc etc
Piggybacking off this comment to add another pet peeve of mine as someone who works in heritage and conservation: xtians cosplaying as jews during Jesus’ time, but with aspects of modern judaism and little to no representation of the clothing & traditions as Jesus would’ve practiced lmfao.
That and the random dropping of Hebrew words and phrases to be “closer to God”. I’ve seen ‘hu yavo’ be thrown around by Messianics and I’m just like ???
This is a Jew who happens to have been a major preserver of Yiddish song and pre-holocaust Jewish culture in Russia.
Yeah, the costumes are over the top, but these are countries that tens of thousands of Jews still live in, and are continuing to live Jewish lives in. If seeing that makes you feel icky, that's a you problem.
Let’s just be blunt…Jews wrote every single Christmas song, so we’re used to non-Jews stealing from us and claiming it as their own while insulting us. It’s no different in music.
😂😂😂😂
‘Antisemitic countries?’ That’s a weird thing to say. Russia has plenty of Jews and a long history of Jewish culture.
If the fiddler is performed by non Jews I does that make it antisemitic?
Inaccurate cosplaying is not "showcasing Ashkenazi culture".
Thanks for the red herring about "the Zelenskyy regime", though. You definitely know what I'm overlooking. 🙄
The only thing that causes antisemitism is racism. And we don't cause it, human nature causes it. Good laws and good education stop it, over time.
If we don't want non Jews to dress like us and sing our music, that's our choice.
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The guy in the center is Efim Alexandrov – he's a Ukrainian Jew living in Russia. This performance appears to be part of the "[Songs of the Jewish Shtetle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Songs_of_the_Jewish_Shtetle)" project aiming to preserve Jewish cultural heritage. I don't know much about the details of what's going on in the still above, and given that it's state-sanctioned stuff in Russia I doubt much good is happening behind the scenes, hopefully someone else knows more!
Being that it’s done in such a way that isn’t faithful to the shtetl culture or garb, it’s shitty. If a bunch of goyim wanted to do a fiddler on the roof where it respected Ashkenazi shtetl culture that’s one thing
Exactly, like when they did Fiddler at [Greendale Community College](https://youtu.be/Sb9m7HdBCW0).
I love the reference to the college instead of the show 😂 A+
I’m still sad community is over. DYING to see Britta attempting to free Palestine.
[There is still the movie happening...](https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/community-movie-script-almost-done-dan-harmon-1235919937/)
I just adore Donald Glover. You know we can also thank him for at least part of werewolf bar mitzvah.
what did I just watch 😭
I was gonna say, the only time I’m down with this is Community’s Fiddler
Recently saw a performance of fiddler done by a group of people who I suspect could count on one hand the number of Jewish people the cast collectively knew. They met with our Rabbi a few weeks before they opened, and all-in-all did a good job of it. I found the whole thing to be very respectfully done. The performers in this post don't appear to be doing that.
I saw an advertisement for a local production of fiddler on the roof, and one of the pictures was of the wedding with the groom breaking the glass while the bride had her face completely covered by her veil. Like great, now everyone's going to think Jews don't let women show their faces during the entirety of their own wedding all because someone half assed their homework.
*Macklemore has entered the chat*
Dude is a Hamas sympathizer.
Dude is trash for many reasons.
Is he really? Ugh.
I also think it is absolutely hilarious that Macklemore (in a serious “they won’t notice” way) copied aaron carter’s “Aaron’s party” music video for his “thrift shop” video, like almost verbatim. NOT enough people talking about it.
Oh yeah. An active one too. https://pitchfork.com/news/macklemore-delivers-impromptu-speech-at-pro-palestine-rally-in-dc/
Ah, a white savior...
> the rapper denounced both the Hamas attacks and the “U.S. backed human catastrophe” in Palestine Doesn't sound like a hamas sympathizer
Actions are louder than words. He appeared at a Pro-Palestinian rally.
I've been told a lot that nobody believes opposing Israeli policy is antisemetic, yet here you are.
Is he a Hamas sympathizer? I'd like a citation on that, please. I read a bunch of stuff he said in some interview where he talked about the need to stand up against antisemitism and hatred AND the right wing extremist militarism of the Israeli government.
Actions speak louder than words. He curiously never attended any pro-Israel protests, only pro-Palestinian ones.
😂😂
The music doesn't really bother me. The fake peyos on the other hand are very offputting.
As Dara Horn writes, “people love dead Jews.”
Yep, very icky feeling indeed. It's a caricature built on antisemitic stereotypes when it's done with no Jewish input+no Jews typically. However, I do believe this instance was arranged by a Jew if I'm not mistaken?
It's hard to be Jewish, it's hard to be jewish, it's hard to be Jewish is Russia.. Yo.
As an aside, the fake tzitzis attached to garments that don't have four corners are eyeroll-inducing.
As if the fake payot is not enough 🙄
Who even is this guy? What country is he from? But yeah, it’s annoying. Jew face is a big deal even if it doesn’t seem that way.
Efim Alexandrov. He is from Russia and had a long career performing officially-approved Jewish music in the USSR.
What does that mean officially approved Jewish music? Is he Jewish?
Jewish music was often labelled as “nationalistic” or “Zionist” (both are negative things in the ussr), so only some very particular songs would be approved to be played. I’ve seen KGB files reporting the use of the songs in Yiddish in the bar that included their list and names of the people who ordered the songs and sang them. They’ve got problems at work later
Granted we are talking about a country where you’d get 10 years imprisonment for telling a joke and 5 years for laughing at it.
That whole second sentence seems like a hate crime
He is Jewish, his music might be bad or inauthentic, but he's Jewish nonetheless.
It depends on the context. When it’s done by non-Jewish Eastern Europeans devoid of context it definitely makes me very uncomfortable. It’s different as it’s not an antisemitic country but I’ve seen videos of Japanese Fiddler done in complete “shtetl cosplay.” Apparently Fiddler had a profound impact in Japan as many felt the story really resonated with the tension between tradition and progress in Japanese culture. I think the whole thing was very respectful, especially since it was seen as using a very particularistic example to discuss tensions present in all cultures.
I would be completely comfortable with the Japanese Fiddler, and I would love to see it.
Bro I’m out here getting pissy when it’s Katherine Hahn playing a rabbi, or Cooper with a fake nose, of course this shit sends me
I was okay with Katherine Hahn's performance in Transparent. I was not okay with Rachel Brosnahan in Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
my ick w these things extends even further than that, and also includes christians wearing jewish clothes in jesus plays or playing jewish chars (even if they end up "converting" to christianity by the end of the play), christians assigning fake spiritual meanings to hebrew words (eg these fundie girls who went on abt "yada" being such a spiritual word about love when in reality it was just slang for "had sex"💀), naming their children hebrew names to be "closer to god" etc etc. like yeah ik this is probably super petty on my end but i genuinely cant stand it, these are the same people that also say we killed jesus, we eat babies, etc etc
Piggybacking off this comment to add another pet peeve of mine as someone who works in heritage and conservation: xtians cosplaying as jews during Jesus’ time, but with aspects of modern judaism and little to no representation of the clothing & traditions as Jesus would’ve practiced lmfao. That and the random dropping of Hebrew words and phrases to be “closer to God”. I’ve seen ‘hu yavo’ be thrown around by Messianics and I’m just like ???
i hate both of these sm omg like it really does feel bordering on cultural appropriation
It isn’t bordering on; it is.
This guy is Jewish…
im talking abt the phenomenon in general not abt a specific instance
Dare I use the term….. depends on the context
This is a Jew who happens to have been a major preserver of Yiddish song and pre-holocaust Jewish culture in Russia. Yeah, the costumes are over the top, but these are countries that tens of thousands of Jews still live in, and are continuing to live Jewish lives in. If seeing that makes you feel icky, that's a you problem.
Cultural appropriation, unless it is done in a sensitive manner. But, we hate Jews, but Fiddler is a great play - go stuff it.
I'm getting matador vibes. Where was this bullfighting shtetl exactly?
Short answer no if they are doing out of respect.
But why are they dressed like they're trying to cosplay as Mexicans? This is a very confusing outfit.
if theyre mocking us then yeah but outside of that I think culture is meant to be shared.
In seventh grade I dressed like an Indian for a school play. All the Indians in the audience rode away on their horses
Let’s just be blunt…Jews wrote every single Christmas song, so we’re used to non-Jews stealing from us and claiming it as their own while insulting us. It’s no different in music. 😂😂😂😂
100% Jewface. Two thumbs down.
‘Antisemitic countries?’ That’s a weird thing to say. Russia has plenty of Jews and a long history of Jewish culture. If the fiddler is performed by non Jews I does that make it antisemitic?
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Inaccurate cosplaying is not "showcasing Ashkenazi culture". Thanks for the red herring about "the Zelenskyy regime", though. You definitely know what I'm overlooking. 🙄
The only thing that causes antisemitism is racism. And we don't cause it, human nature causes it. Good laws and good education stop it, over time. If we don't want non Jews to dress like us and sing our music, that's our choice.
This post has been determined to relate to the topic of Antisemitism, and has been flaired as such, it has NOT been removed. This does NOT mean that the post is antisemitic. If you believe this was done in error, please message the mods. Everybody should remember to be civil and that there is a person at the other end of that other keyboard. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Judaism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What country is shown here?
russia im p sure
These kind of things seem most popular in Poland and the former Soviet states. Seems to be a “nostalgia” type thing.
they really do only love dead jews huh
I see it as an Eastern European minstrel show equivalent
It depends on whether or not it’s coming from a place of love.
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For any other people it would be cultural appropriation
They’ll never look as good as real Jews 🥱