Up the Down Staircase

Up the Down Staircase is the title of a novel by the famous writer and granddaughter of Sholem Aleichem, Bel Kaufman. This 1964 novel, which tells the story of an idealistic teacher who comes to work at a school and faces harsh realities, is partially based on Kaufman's own experiences. The title of this book has captivated me since my youth - its beauty, symbolism, and life-affirming message are all deeply compelling.

This joyful optimism is exactly what Kaufman inherited from her famous grandfather, Sholem Aleichem, one of the most widely read Yiddish writers, whose stories - imbued with gentle sadness - wonderfully convey the atmosphere of life in the shtetl at the beginning of the last century. These shtetls, small semi-urban settlements with a predominantly Jewish population, were home to most Eastern European Jews until the Holocaust.

And it is precisely this life in the shtetls that some American Orthodox Jews long for, dreaming that one day they will be able to return to such a way of life. They try to preserve Yiddish as a living, spoken language, even maintaining 19th-century Polish fashion as a way of life, much like the Hasidim. Life in the shtetl, however, was often a difficult struggle for survival, with large families, many children, and often insufficient income.

Sholem Aleichem's stories depict the life of a simple shtetl dweller as it was, with all its sorrows and joys. Despite all the hardships, his characters choose life. This idea of finding joy in life is reflected in the Hebrew expression "to rejoice," which literally means "to make life" - a characteristic approach of the Jewish people throughout their complex history. We have learned to laugh through tears and find joy in the little things.

My great-aunt was fortunate to meet Kaufman at the age of 96. Despite her age, she was full of life - wearing high heels and dancing passionately with her husband, who was six years her junior. Bella, who was born in 1911 in Berlin, had a difficult and fascinating life, yet still, she managed to climb up the down staircase.

Photo from wikipedia