PEREYASLAV-KHMELNITSKY, Ukraine, April 8 (JTA) — Little in this sleepy central Ukrainian town is reminiscent of the time when Sholem Aleichem was born here 145 years ago. Yet a tiny group of Jews who still call Pereyaslav home used this year’s anniversary to rekindle a spark of Yiddishkeit in the region, once heavily populated by Jews whom the Yiddish writer depicted so colorfully in his books.
The birthday of Sholem Aleichem, born Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich, was celebrated last month in this and a few other Ukrainian towns where he lived and wrote his stories. Organized with the help of Jewish cultural groups from Kiev, the festivities were similar in all of the towns.
After flowers were laid at Sholem Aleichem’s monument in Pereyaslav and on memorial plaques, ceremonies were held, then amateur concerts for groups of mostly elderly local Jews. The concerts included performances of Yiddish and Hebrew songs, Jewish dances, readings of Sholem Aleichem works and mini-plays based on his books. Read more...
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