Tevye the Dairyman

Tevye the Dairyman is a fictional character created by Sholem Aleichem. He is a pious Jewish dairyman living in the Russian Empire with his wife and seven daughters. The stories tell of Tevye's life and the challenges he faces as a father and a businessman. In one story, Tevye's daughter Tzeitel falls in love with a poor tailor named Motel. Tevye is reluctant to let her marry him because he is not a wealthy man, but he eventually agrees. In another story, Tevye's daughter Chava marries a non-Jewish man. This causes a great deal of conflict in the community, and Tevye is forced to leave his village with his family. The Tevye stories have been adapted for stage and film many times. The most famous adaptation is the 1964 Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof.