Fiddler on the Roof

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Briefly research the multiple meanings of the word “diaspora.” From social studies classes, what examples of diaspora can you identify? How might being a part of a diaspora affect a community and culture immediately and in the following decades?

Teaching Suggestion: This question encourages students to think about the concept of diaspora before being introduced to Jewish diaspora. The diaspora of Jewish peoples is a shared experience for many communities throughout history. The combination of the lack of a “homeland” of their own, the antisemitic policies of the powerful Catholic church during the Middle Ages, and stereotypes regarding Jewish people and religion led to European Jewish communities being falsely targeted as scapegoats and instigators of unrelated crimes.

Fiddler on the Roof takes place in 1905 Russia, 12 years prior to the Russian Revolution, which overthrew the Russian Empire and established Lenin’s Communist Soviet Union. This idea of a changing world is referenced by characters in the play; however, despite any progress that Tevye’s family makes in embracing new ideas, Tsar Nicholas II and his antisemitic edicts force the Anatevka community to leave their homes and find sanctuary elsewhere. The events of the play provide an example of the marginalization and mistreatment of Jewish communities by governments and authoritarian influences.

Students will likely make the connection that following their centuries-long discrimination, the Jewish community was persecuted by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, Hitler’s attempted genocide of the Jewish people.

This question presents an opportunity to introduce the themes of Jewish Tradition and Cultural Erasure and Jewish Tradition and the Concept of Home.

Students may benefit from a foundational definition and historical investigation of sources like those below if their background in this topic is minimal.

• “Diaspora Community” by Harvard University’s The Pluralism Project shares information about the Jewish diaspora community.
• In this resource, the Wiener Holocaust Library discusses the emigration of Jews from the Russian Empire during Tsar Nicholas II’s reign as an example of modern antisemitism.
• This reference page from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum discusses the development of the Jewish state of Israel in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

Short Activity

Working in small groups, create a shared mind map on a large sheet of paper that explores the concept of “community.” On your mind map, write definitions, characteristics, and examples of community. Then, draw lines and make notes on the map to explain the connections between your peers’ responses. After displaying each group’s mind map, develop a whole-class “working definition” of the concept of community.

Teaching Suggestion: This conversation can be continued by asking students to first discuss how traditions, family relationships, home life, and individuals are all impacted and influenced by the concept of community, and then to evaluate the importance of maintaining community. This question links with the theme of Jewish Tradition and the Concept of Home.

Differentiation Strategy: For English learners and students who benefit from writing strategies, it might be useful to encourage students to identify words that relate to the concept of community, rather than full definitions. This would allow students to participate in this group activity independently. Students who are visual learners may benefit from illustrating their ideas about community.

Short Activity

Musical theater is a form of artistic expression that brings literature and works of art to life. Working in small groups, research famous musical theater productions and select one to share with the class. Use the following questions to guide your research:

• Is the musical an original production or an adaptation of a work of literature/movie?
• Does this production speak about political, economic, or social issues?
• How was this production received during its release? For example, was it well received?
• Was this production adapted to film and/or revived by later productions?

Present your answers briefly to the class as you share with them the general storyline of your selected musical; you might also share any relevant videos or audios.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity orients students with the genre of musical theater, particularly as a form of commentary on political, economic, and social issues. In a transition from the Vaudeville stage showcases of the early 20th century, large-scale musical theater productions became a popular form of entertainment, particularly in the Broadway theater venues in New York City during the 1930s and 1940s. These larger shows sometimes focused on historical, social, political, and/or economic themes.

The 1964 production of Fiddler on the Roof was a hit that connected with audiences across the United States; it won nine Tony Awards in 1965, including Best Musical, and was frequently revived on Broadway, as well as performed in countries around the world. In 1971, Fiddler on the Roof was adapted to film, earning eight nominations and three wins at the 1972 Academy Awards.

• This article from Playbill lists important productions in American musical theater history.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the play.

Consider the dichotomy between adhering to tradition and following one’s dream. If a person defies traditional cultural norms and expectations in the process of following their own dream, how might this person be considered by others, their family, or society? Are there instances when defying tradition is appropriate or inappropriate, or even disobedient? Have you ever felt the pull between tradition and your dreams?

Teaching Suggestion: To continue this discussion, invite students to identify stories they have previously read or watched in which a character defies traditions or norms in order to follow their own dreams. Was the character the protagonist? In Fiddler on the Roof, the protagonist, Tevye, is not the one to defy traditions, but the one to watch those he loves defy traditions. Throughout the play, he grapples with the expectations of his traditional way of life in the Anatevka community and the desires of his forward-thinking offspring. Each of his daughters represents a sequentially more progressive departure from the Jewish Tradition and the Concept of Home: Tzeitel selects her own match, Hodel selects her own match and does not ask her father’s permission, and Chava selects her own match outside the faith. Other than Chava, whose act of disobedience results in Tevye excluding her from the family, the daughters are forgiven by Tevye, even though they defy him. Reflection in a reading journal might be an appropriate method with this prompt.