Kasrilevka


Kasrilevka is a fictional shtetl introduced by Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem. Located "exactly in the middle of
that blessed Pale", it is an idealized town of "little Jews", who met their misfortunes with humor and the ultimate belief in justice. It has become an archetype shtetl. Other famous imaginary places of Sholem Aleichem are Yehupetz and Boiberik. The latter gave name to Camp Boiberik.
The name of the shtetl is derived from the Yiddish word kasril / kasrilik, an optimistic pauper, as Sholem Aleichem wrote: "However, there is still another name - kasril, or kasrilik. That name is spoken in a different tone altogether, almost a bragging tone. For instance, 'Oh, am I ever a kasrilik!' A kasrilik is not just an ordinary pauper, a failure in life. On the contrary, he is a man who has not allowed poverty to degrade him. He laughs at it. He is poor, but cheerful." Dan Miron remarks that this term is based on the Hebrew name Kasril
The prototype of Kasrilevka was the Ukrainian town of Voronkov of the Russian Empire where Sholem Aleichem grew up.
Kasrilevka continues the tradition of humorous Jewish towns, such as the fictional Chelm of the "Wise Men of Chelm" popularized by Isaac Bashevis Singer and Kabtzansk of Mendele Mocher Sforim.
A detailed glimpse at Voronkov, the prototype of Kasrilevka, may be found in Funem Yarid: lebns-bashraybungen, Sholem Aleichem's unfinished autobiographical novel. Still, Funem Yarid describes not a real Voronkov, but something resembling Kasrilevka. Dan Miron makes a comparison of the real Voronkov from the memoir My Brother Sholom Aleichem of writer's brother Wolf Rabinovich, with its fictionalized image.
Early Sholem Aleichem's feuilletons published in Dos Yidishe Folksblat in 1886-1887 anticipated Kasrilevke.

Stories involving Kasrilevka

Kasrilevke is the place for numerous author's novellas, short stories, sketches and plays and its description, rich in detail, was a considerable part of his work.
  • Dreyfus in Kasrilevke
  • A Yom Kippur Scandal
  • Motl, Peysi the Cantor's Son
  • The Town of the Little People
  • Kasrilevka was the title of the 1935 collection of Sholem Aleichem's stories printed in Yiddish in Moscow
  • "Der Zeyger"
  • "Kasrilevker Tramvay," "Kasrilevker Hoteln," "Kasrilevker Restoranen," "Kasrilevker Vayn un Kasrilevker Shikirim," "Kasrilevker Teater," "Kasrilevker Sreyfes," and "Kasrilevker Banditn"
  • "Ven Ikh Bin Roytshild"
  • "Oysgetreyselt"
  • Inside Kasrilevke translated by Isidore Goldstick includes:
  • *Dos Naye Kasrilevke
  • *Kasrilevke Nisrofim
  • *Kasrilevke Moshav Z'kenim
  • Relatives of Tevye the Dairyman, including his wife Golde and their distant relative Menachem-Mendl hail from Kasrilevka, as hinted in the story "Eighteen from Pereshchepena".
  • ''The Further Adventures of Menachem-Mendl: ''