The Story of the Storyteller

“Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness,” a film by Joseph Dorman, opens Friday, August 5 at Laemmle’s Town Center 5 in Encino. The film tells the story of the monumental literary figure, who not only left behind a body of work that includes “Fiddler on the Roof” and other riveting classics, he also helped shape a modern Jewish identity in the face of crisis.

Aleichem, who was born Solomon Rabinowitz in 1859, sparked a renaissance in Yiddish literature, memorialized shtetl life right before it vanished, and lived a colorful life himself.

Peter Riegert, Rachel Dratch and Jason Kravits read selections from Aleichem’s writings, and Alan Rosenberg narrates. The film is in English and Yiddish with English subtitles.

To read more about the film, visit