Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem 

By Sheryl Rowling 

Sheryl Rowling
Sheryl Rowling
Theodore Bikel at the Lawrence Family JCC, Feb. 4, 2015
Theodore Bikel at the Lawrence Family JCC, Feb. 4, 2015

LA JOLLA, California — In a special pre-opening, underwriters-only screening on Wednesday, Feb. 4, the San Diego Jewish Film Festival presented Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem. Narrated by Alan Alda, with commentary from numerous notables including Gilbert Gotfried, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Fyvush Finkel, and Aleichem’s recently deceased 102 year-old granddaughter Belle Kaufman, the film links the stories of Sholom Aleichem and Theodore Bikel.

Bikel reflects on his own life as well as Aleichem’s, interspersing stories, historical accounts and songs. As a child, Bikel fled with his parents to Palestine upon the Nazi takeover of Austria. The young boy was inspired by the Jewish-Austrian experience, shtetl life, Aleichem’s books and the Yiddish language, and soon launched himself into the world of entertainment. The film seamlessly intertwines Aleichem and Bikel, portraying them (according to Alda) as “two links in a golden chain of an all-but-vanished world of Yiddish language, culture and art.”

film festival logo 2015Filled with heart, nostalgia and music, Theodore Bikel: In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem paints the portraits of two Jewish cultural greats. The film was inspired by Bikel’s stage play Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears – and came to be after playgoer Elie Weisel told Bikel that the play had to be made into a movie.

The film will be shown at 6:15 p.m., Saturday, Feb 7 at the Carlsbad Village Theatre, 2822 State Street, Carlsbad, and again on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 5 p.m. at the Reading Cinemas 14 at 4665 Clairemont Drive, San Diego.

Festival participants will, unfortunately, not get the extra treat of our pre-opening show: a live appearance of Mr. Bikel himself! At age 90, he’s not as young as he used to be. Bikel admitted “Walking is easy; getting up is hard.” Yet singing and endearing himself to the audience seemed as easy to him now as it was decades ago.

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Rowling is a freelance writer who covers such subjects as personal finance and the cultural arts.  Your comment may be posted in the space below or sent to sheryl.rowling@sdjewishworld.com