The Jews of New York -- A WLIW production premiering January 23rd on New York Public Television
Sheldon Harnick, lyricist for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
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Sheldon Harnick offers insight into the process of writing lyrics for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, from the original to his thoughts on how his own life mirror his creation.

4 responses
Dr. Amy Eisenberg -- March 1st, 2008 at 2:56 am

Wonderful
Shabbat Shalom
Chazak chazak v’tit chazek
may you go from strength to strength

Terry Greenberg -- March 24th, 2008 at 2:22 pm

Is there a transcript available for someone who does not hear well?

jan descoteaux -- March 25th, 2008 at 9:49 pm

my maiden name is harnick – my grandfather was makar and grandmother was eurine – just wondering if we are related as the harnick name is not exactly a common name – don’t exactly know what he means by mirroring his own life as a jew – i was lead to believe that my heritage was russian – don’t really expect you to answer but i had to ask…..

Michael Greengard -- March 26th, 2009 at 4:46 am

The Merry Middle Eastern Minuet (with apologies to Sheldon)

They’re rioting in Syria
There’s strife in Bahrain
There’s fighting in the Lebanon
Qadafi’s insane.

The Middle East is festering with unbalanced jerks.
The Arabs hate the Persians, the Greeks hate the Turks.
Egyptians hate Libyans, the Maronites hate the Druze.
On one thing they all agree – to hate the Jews.

But we can be thankful, and need have no fear.
Our leaders waste billions of dollars each year.
And thus, it may happen that some lovely day
Israel may be foreclosed, and we will have to move away.

They’re striking in the hospitals.
And I’ve got the blues.
What our enemies don’t do to us
Will be done by our fellow Jews.

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Sheldon Harnick, lyricist for FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

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