Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

54 | JANUARY 20 • 2022 

A Yiddish Literary Giant
L

ast fall, I read about a “lost” novel 
of the great Yiddish author and 
playwright Sholem Aleichem. 
For some unknown reason, this novel, 
Moshkeleh Ganev or Moshkeleh the Thief, 
was left out of Aleichem’s 28-volume 
collected works. First published in a 
Yiddish Warsaw newspaper in 1903, 
it was rediscovered by writer Curt 
Leviant, who translated Moshkeleh into 
English for the first time. 
A “lost” novel? I had to 
read it. I figured I could 
do with a bit of enlight-
enment. I was rewarded 
by this brief, entertaining 
read.
The protagonist, 
Moshkeleh, is a horse 
thief from a long line of 
horse thieves, a real tough guy, always 
ready to fight, but also known to be a 
clever fellow. In Aleichem’s portray-
al, he is a professional, not unlike a 
skilled lawyer or doctor. In the book, 
Moshkeleh is recruited by a tavern 
owner to bring back his daughter, 
Tsireleh, who had eloped to a monas-
tery with a non-Jewish tax collector. 
The story is also a parody upon rela-
tionships between elites and the lower 
classes.
Universally known by his chosen 
pen name, Sholem Aleichem, the writ-
er Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich 
(1859-1916) was one of the foremost 
creators of Yiddish literature. Born in 
Russia, his stories of life in the shtetl, 
told with humor, are literary treasures 
today. The play and movie Fiddler on the 
Roof was inspired by Aleichem’s short 
stories about “Tevye the Dairyman.
” 
I decided to search in the William 
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History to see the local scope of 
Aleichem’s impact. It was overwhelm-
ing. “Sholem Aleichem” is cited 4,705 
times in the Archive; 790 for “Sholom 
Aleichem.
” 
It should be noted that Sholem 
Aleichem is Yiddish for the Hebrew 
“Shalom Aleichem,
” or may “Peace be 
upon you” or “Peace to you.
” It can also 

be spelled Sholom Aleichem, which 
is indeed the spelling used for the 
novel, Moshkeleh the Thief. Some of 
the citations in the Archive, there-
fore, refer to the greeting, not the 
author.
Suffice it to say that Aleichem has 
a huge presence in the Archive. Over 
the years, there have been hundreds 
of events at men’s and women’s clubs, 
Hebrew schools, and synagogues and 
congregations featuring readings and 
plays from Aleichem. Readings of his 
work were aired on local Jewish radio 
shows. And, in 1926, the Shalom 
Aleichem Institute was established 
in Detroit and is still going strong, 
preserving the Yiddish language and 
presenting educational programming 
in honor of the writer. 
Aleichem’s work was featured in 
other ways. The Detroit Jewish Chronicle
published several of Aleichem’s 
short stories in full: See “Passover 
in a Village,
” in the April 15, 1927, 
Chronicle, for one example. The 
Yiddish Playhouse on Hastings Street 
in Detroit would present his plays 
(March 3, 1926, Chronicle). There are 
also many reports and discussions of 
Aleichem’s work and his place among 
the global literati in the Archive.
Aleichem made several trips to 
America and moved permanent-
ly to New York City a few years 
before his death. He traveled to 
Detroit in May 1915. On his first 
visit to America, Aleichem was 
introduced to Mark Twain as 
the “Jewish Mark Twain.
” Twain 
retorted, “No, I am the American 
Sholom Aleichem!” (Dec. 4, 1931, 
Chronicle). 
Sholem Aleichem 
was a literary giant. 
The Davidson 
Archive offers proof 
of his status. 

Want to learn more? Go 
to the DJN Foundation 
archives, available for 
free at www.djnfounda-
tion.org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

A Yiddish Literary Giant

Suffice it to say that Aleichem has 

a huge presence in the Archive. Over 
the years, there have been hundreds 
of events at men’s and women’s clubs, 
Hebrew schools, and synagogues and 
congregations featuring readings and 
plays from Aleichem. Readings of his 
work were aired on local Jewish radio 

preserving the Yiddish language and 
presenting educational programming 

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

short stories in full: See “Passover 
in a Village,
” in the April 15, 1927, 

Yiddish Playhouse on Hastings Street 
in Detroit would present his plays 

). There are 

also many reports and discussions of 
Aleichem’s work and his place among 

Aleichem made several trips to 

retorted, “No, I am the American 
Sholom Aleichem!” (Dec. 4, 1931, 

Yiddish Playhouse on Hastings Street 

). There are 

also many reports and discussions of 
Aleichem’s work and his place among 

Sholom Aleichem!” (Dec. 4, 1931, 

Go 

Sholom Aleichem!” (Dec. 4, 1931, 

