The Famous Chelm Players

The legendary town of Chelm has always been one of the most important places in Jewish folklore. Its residents are some of the most foolish people who ever lived, and stories about them have been told for generations. Authors such as Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer have even given them attention.

In truth, the existence of a local theater troupe was not a part of shtetl, or village, life. There was no place for it in the Jewish culture of the time. But traveling groups of actors and musicians must have certainly passed through places like Chelm, and it is not unimaginable that one of its inhabitants would find it attractive.

As the story goes, Farfel Klotz, a local Yeshiva teacher - much to the consternation of his wife,

Kasha - got it into his head that he could better explain the Jewish holidays and the stories of the Scriptures if he became the director of his very own theater company. He also probably felt a little glory in the prospect.

Thus was born "The Famous Chelm Players," made up of his friends and neighbors, Minde Tsimmes, the baker's wife; Mendel Nudnik, the tailor; Shmendrik Krank, the carpenter; Shmuel Greps, the dairyman; Teresh Gribbenes, the butcher and Tseitel Kugele, a young mother.

Of course, they couldn't help but live up to the reputation of their beloved town of Chelm, and so approached everything with as foolish an attitude as possible!

The Famous Chelm Players have been traveling far and wide, and currently appear in four plays:

The Triumph of the Maccabees, a Chanukah celebration,

It Happened in Shushan, a musical Purimspiel,

The Parting of the Waves, the story of Passover,

Mendel who treasured the Sabbath, for any week of the year.