Sad news. Fyvush Finkel, 93, is dead. Finkel was one of the last of the true Yiddish theater stalwarts — as well as an actor on Broadway, in the movies and on television. Played many roles in “Fiddler On The Roof,” from its Broadway debut in 1964 until it closed in 1972. “Fiddler” kept Fyvush in funds. When it closed, Fyvush had a long run as a “cantankerous lawyer” (as described in his NY Times obituary), in “Picket Fences”, the 1990s TV series. Finkel was the embodiment of “Yiddishkeit” (Yiddish speaking Jewishness). A gifted comedian and storyteller, Fyvush performed before any audience (big and small) that had an affection for “mamalushen” (Yiddish–the mother tongue). He appeared at scores of Florida condominiums and at the few remaining old fashioned hotels in the Catskill Mountains. You can capture some of the essence of Fyvush (and his Jewish waiter jokes) by reading his obit in the Aug. 15, 2016 NY Times and in HG’s’ post, “The Jewish Waiter R.I.P.”, Sept. 25, 2014.
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