Customer Reviews

World of Sholom Aleichem [VHS]

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During the Golden Age Of Television, there were many wonderful dramas that were not afraid to showcase ethnicity. Dramas such as "The Tenth Man", and"The World Of Shalom Aleichem" showed universal truths. Here you can see a preview of Zero Mostel in his environment, long before his emmy winning "Fiddler On The Roof." Here, Jack Gilford performs his wonderful pantomine soon to be used for Cracker Jack commercials. The three stories show the depth of Aleichem's humor; the wise foolishness of Chelm; the sarcastic tale of the meek inheriting the earth, and the poignant tale of quotas in education which existed in the 1950's and 1960's. Besides, I had a chance in high school to play "Bontche Schweig", and seeing the master at work is a dream come true.

Don't miss out on this one.

THIS VHS SHOULD BE REVIEWED BY ALL PERSONS REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND--BONTSHA SHVAGH WILL MAKE YOU CRY

What a gentle and charming film! Amazing. This film includes three short stories done in the style of the Yiddish theatre at the turn of the century. Today when we are used to extraordinary special effects, virtual reality, digitally enhanced images, the simple props of the Yiddish Theatre

bring back a world lost to time. The first story is about a

Jewish fool played by Zero Mostel who repeatedly gets tricked when he goes out to buy food provisions for the family. He

needs to bring back a she goat but (behind his back), this is

turned into a he goat that does not deliver milk. Zero Mostel

turns in a wonderful performance as he dances through the story with that wonderful love of life peculiar to the Jewish life of the shtetl. The second story is a fable about an unfortunate

poor man who never complains to God about his miserable lot on earth. For his stoic attitude, he is greeted in heaven as a saint worthy of Moses, superior to Job - who did complain!

The last story is the most interesting. It concerns a husband and wife who struggle to get their intelligent son into a

Russian high school when the authorities routinely restrict the

number of Jews who are admitted. Delightfully acted. For those

who can't get enough of "Fidder on the Roof", this is the movie for you.