The exhibit “ Through the Eyes of David Labkovski – Sholom Aleichem and His Heroes” will be on display in The Soraya Gallery in Northridge September 13 to December 31, debuting with three performances of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.
Shalom Aleichem (1859-1916) was a renowned Yiddish author and playwright, best known for his stories about Tevye the Dairyman, which was adapted into the Broadway classic Fiddler on the Roof.
Through his storytelling, Sholem Aleichem commemorates the past, while David Labkovski (1906-1991), uses his art to document over five hundred years of Jewish life in Eastern Europe before the Holocaust.
Through an art exhibit curated by the David Labkovski Project, a unique fusion of literature and visual art that preserves generations of cultural heritage while providing a deep understanding of historical events and their importance today is presented.
Lithuanian-Israeli artist Labkovski was dedicated to the commemoration of the Jewish “world that was.” Labkovski turned to Aleichem’s stories as his muse to remember the past, to be swept back to his own childhood. The parallels between Labkovski’s Aleichem series and his work depicting his own memories of prewar life are unmistakable. The settings and the characters from his illustrations are intentionally interchangeable with his work representing the “real” townspeople, as if they are one and the same—his love for the characters and for his community can be seen in every brushstroke and pencil line. We meet them all as they are walking in the streets, selling their wares, or enjoying a moment of gossip.
Aleichem captures the zeitgeist of Jewish life at the turn of the century. The stories may be specific to a time and place, but the quirks and peccadillos of the characters, the humanity Aleichem shares, are universal and eternal.
His humorous tales address complex issues: antisemitism, emigration, modernization and poverty. His characters play the cards they’ve been dealt, just as his readers were facing the same challenges. Aleichem’s world was the world before the Holocaust. In the aftermath, his stories take on new meaning; his words resurrect a world that no longer exists.
Among Aleichem’s most beloved characters is Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, whose trials and tribulations continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. Tevye’s stories are filled with humor and tragedy, unfolding in a classic Aleichem style that captivates readers through winding, immersive storytelling. In Tevye Strikes It Rich, Tevye recounts his journey from a log-hauler to a dairyman, after a fateful act of kindness rewards him with money, food, and a dairy cow.
The exhibit at The Soraya will be open to the public for self guided tours and private group tours can be scheduled. The multigenerational exhibit appeals to audiences of all ages as Aleichem’s stories have universal appeal and humor with many of the same issues from the past relevant to life today.
The Soraya at California State University at Northridge is a world class venue. It houses over 3,500 seats and has had, and will continue to have world class performers.
It is located at 18111 Nordhoff Street. For more information visit the soraya.org.
