Nachmen (a tailor) |
S. Levin |
Gavriel "Shed" (a
drunkard) |
M. Friedman |
Chaim Plut (a city
gossiper) |
L. Freilich |
Reb-Motele
Chernobiler (chief rabbi) |
S. Nagoshiner |
Tsalia (Rabbi
Motele's trustee) |
A. Cohen |
Rochele (Tsalie's
daughter, a divorcee) |
L. Eisenberg -
B. Lelchuk |
Shloime Psayoches
(community leader) |
O. Schreiber |
Broche, his wife,
a (deaf mute) |
Ch. Spiner |
Hersh Lieb, their
son (the village fool) |
J. Levenstein |
Pinches der Roiter
(a Lessee, a Chasid) |
S. Anisfeld |
Frumele (Pinches's
daughter) |
G. Russler |
Velvl Gulevate (a
freeholder) |
H. Bender |
Isroel Ukrainer (a
lumber merchant, a young Chasid) |
M. Eisenberg |
Aaron Kluger (the
rich of the city, the "enlightened") |
S. Eisikoff |
Perele (his wife) |
F. Biro |
Lifshe (an old
maid, an innkeeper) |
L. Rymer |
Econom (manager in
Count Nibilitzky's Court) |
M. Schneiderman |
Young Peasant |
M. Goldstein |
Old Peasant |
D. Holtz |
Vasil (a deserter
of the army) |
A. Horwitz |
Agofonovitch (a
drunkard, a fortune teller) |
M. Kirsch |
First Invalid |
S. Kulman |
Soldiers of the
State: |
|
Second Invalid |
N. Gwirtzman |
Leizer Krivoshei
(a master tailor) |
I. Velichansky |
First Tailor
Apprentice |
H. Rosen |
Second Tailor
Apprentice |
J. Shrogin |
Butcher |
A. Hirshbein |
Cobbler |
A. Shapiro |
Bahelfer (a
teacher's helper) |
Ch. Brisman |
Chantze (a
matchmaker) |
Ch. Fraimen |
Boy (an orphan) |
Ch. Kramer |
Woman |
A. Eisen |
Nachman's Mother
(a blind) |
T. Todrina |
A Lackey (at Aaron
Kluger's) |
M. Kirsch |
First Dayon
|
T. Wendi |
Associate
Justices: |
|
Second Dayon |
N. Gwirtzman |
First Haidamack (a
"cossack") |
M. Pitkiowitz |
Second Haidamack
(a "cossack") |
D. Farber |
A Drummer |
J. Gostinsky |
|
SYNOPSIS
In he year 1827 Czar Nicholas
the 1st passed the Ukase impressing Jews into military
service. Recruits were rent from home and family and sent to
the most remote parts of Russia for a period of service
lasting twenty-five years. Besides this, required quota
children were caught and spirited away to far-off districts
and reared as soldiers. Under pressure of their superiors ,
these "Cantonists" were often converted to Christianity and
never returned to their homes.
So it was that the town of
Nibivala was visited with this Ukase:
The entire Community --
proprietors and workers -- is smitten with consternation.
The first impulse is to run to the Rabbi Motele and demand
that he abolish this Ukase. Rabbi Motele, a charlatan
catering to the wishes of the Community Elders, goes into a
trance and finally rejects the Ukase. When, however,
soldiers come to have the Ukase ratified, the town is again
appalled. To make matters worse, a group of workers or
"Batchers" (Patritches) as the call themselves, led by the
tailor Nachmen, protest against the unjust levying of taxes
that exempt such rich as the lessee Reb Pinchus and Reb
Aaron, the town's richest member and friend of County
Nobilitzky. The Batchers wish to resign from the Community
which seeks only to exploit them. Workers will form a
Community for themselves: -- levy their own taxes and
send their own recruits. The indignant elders have but one
hope now; -- the resourcefulness of "Reb Aaron the
Wise."
Reb Aaron, a shrewd,
enlightened Jews, expounds the magnanimity of the Czar's
Ukase: "There will no longer be discrimination against the
Jews." "Jews will now answer the noble calling of a
soldier, who protects the realm, the property and lives of
all. It is therefore essential that the choice of recruits
be a careful and precise one!" However, despite Reb Aaron's
convincing discourse, it occurs to the Elders that this
punishment was meted out to them because Rochel, a young
widow, has committed the sin of adultery. Again they rush to
Reb Motele for help.
To purge the town of its sin,
Reb Motele condemns Rochel, and the rumor spreads that the
dreadful Ukase has now been withdrawn. Nachman and his
Brothers expose this as a mere maneuver of the Elders, so
that mothers will no longer hide their children. The
intervention of the Botchers who censure the Community's
right to judge, saves Rochel. The Elders realize that it
would be well to be rid of this upstart Nachman. They
therefore sanction Reb Aaron's plan of enticing Nachman to
his home under pretext of meeting Frumale, whom he loves.
There, believing that he is signing a marriage contract, he
signs as volunteer in the army instead. Only when soldiers
arrive to take him does Nachman realize that he has been
tricked and denounces them all.
|