Famous People

Sholom Aleichem: The Voice of the Shtetl

Sholom Aleichem (1859–1916), born Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich, was a transformative Yiddish author, playwright, and satirist. Best known for his Tevye the Dairyman tales—the inspiration for Fiddler on the Roof—he earned the moniker "the Jewish Mark Twain." Through his wit and profound empathy, he elevated Yiddish from a common dialect to a sophisticated literary language, capturing the fading world of the Eastern European shtetl during a time of immense cultural upheaval.

From Voronkov to Boguslav: A Formative Youth

Though born in Pereyaslav in 1859, Solomon spent his formative years in Voronkov, moving there at the age of two. This era represented the "happy childhood" of his memoirs, defined by his father’s success as a merchant and a traditional education in the local heder. However, this stability shattered in 1872 when a cholera epidemic claimed his mother, Chaye-Esther. In the wake of her death and his father’s subsequent financial ruin, thirteen-year-old Solomon was sent to Boguslav to live with his maternal grandparents, Gitl-Yossi and Moishe Gamarnitskih.

This period in Boguslav served as a vital bridge to his future career. While his grandfather was a quiet presence, his grandmother Gitl-Yossi was a formidable woman whose vast vocabulary of colorful Yiddish curses fascinated the young boy. Solomon began meticulously recording these linguistic flourishes in a satirical "dictionary"—his first real literary endeavor. This exercise taught him to find comedic rhythm within domestic hardship, providing the archetypal voices and "laughter through tears" philosophy that would later define his greatest works.

Education and the Forbidden Romance

After returning to Pereyaslav in 1873 to attend the Russian gymnasium, Solomon proved to be a brilliant student, graduating with distinction in 1876. His academic success led him back to the Boguslav region in 1877, where he was hired as a private tutor for the children of Elimelekh Loyev, a wealthy landowner in the village of Sofiyivka. For three years, Solomon educated Loyev’s daughter, Olga (Hodel), and a deep, forbidden romance blossomed between the tutor and his student.

In 1877, Solomon returned to the Boguslav region to serve as a private tutor for the children of Elimelekh Loyev, a wealthy Jewish landowner in the nearby village of Sofiyivka. He spent three years educating Loyev’s daughter, Olga—often referred to by her Yiddish name, Hodel—and during this time, a deep and forbidden romance developed between the tutor and his student. When Elimelekh discovered the affair, he was outraged by the social disparity between them and promptly fired Solomon, forcing a years-long separation. Despite this exile, the couple remained devoted to one another and eventually married in 1883 against her father's wishes. This real-life drama became the emotional cornerstone of Sholom Aleichem’s literary legacy; the name Hodel was later immortalized as the name of Tevye the Dairyman’s most strong-willed daughter, who, much like Olga, defies traditional social structures to follow her heart.

An article from Commentary Magazine explores the life and legacy of Sholom Aleichem.  

The Preservation of Yiddish Culture Project has details of his life as well as collected writings and archival letters and photos.