In the vibrant, captivating musical, Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye and his Jewish brethren give voice so brilliantly to the longings of their heart.
There is celebration. There is dancing. There is toasting. Laughter. There is commiseration. There is sadness. Tears. There is hope.
And, most importantly, there is an embracing of reality
Tevye and his cohorts in Anatevka have found their way to this all important EMBRACE and it is sourced in their honoring of community and in the way they care for each other.
Though they live their lives steeped in the architecture of tradition, they unmistakably express themselves… they chirp, they warble, they whine, they shout. They cantillate and croon lullabies in a metaphorical and literal manner. They sing their joy. They sing their misery.
They do this because SOMEONE is listening.
In Anatevka Everyone is listening. Listening.
There is caring. There is concern. There is COMPASSION.
In Anatevka people want to know. They want to understand. They may not agree with each other but they want to hear each other’s stories. They are counseled by the HEART.
Is Anatevka a reminder to us of how we were created…to engage with each other, to learn from each other, to find our way by sharing our perceptions of how to SEE our journey?
We all have a great need to be heard, understood, and loved.
Ultimately, we are all Fiddlers on the Roof in search of community, connection, and meaning.
Marie Helena
Image from Fiddler on the Roof (the musical Broadway poster) Playbill Store
