R. Sender Blanḳ un zayn fulgeshetsṭe familye: a roman ohn a liebe

Sholem Aleichem, 1859–1916

R. Sender Blanḳ un zayn fulgeshetsṭe familye: a roman ohn a liebe (Reb Sender Blank and His Highly Esteemed Family: A Novel Without a Love Story)

S. Peterburg, 1888

R. Sender Blank un zayn fulgeshetste familye: a roman on a libe is one of Sholem Aleichem’s earliest novels, written in 1887 and published the following year in St. Petersburg. It is also one of Sholem Aleichem’s earliest satirical works, where he displayed the humor and sharp wit so redolent of classical Haskalah comedy.

Sholem Aleichem was part of the generation of maskilim in the late 19th century who saw the Haskalah movement give way to modern Yiddish literature. A language spoken by the Jews in the Pale of Settlement of the Russian Empire, Yiddish presented more nuanced emphases on realism in its literature.

In this comedy, Sender Blank, the wealthy head of a household, suddenly falls gravely ill. This prompts his family to reveal their true feelings when they eagerly approach him about his will, thus openly anticipating his imminent demise. Much to their surprise and dismay, however, Sender unexpectedly recovers and confronts them about their greed and insincerity. Sholem Aleichem later adapted the main theme of the novel for his famous comedy Dos groyse gevins (The Big Win).