"Vayt Fun Mayn Liber Heym" (Far From the Home I Love) from NYTF's FIDDLER ON THE ROOF in Yiddish.

Some audition processes leave a deeper mark than others, even when you don't book the job. In the process of auditioning first for the role of Fiddler, then for female swing and cover for Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava in the 2022 Off-Broadway all-Yiddish production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF directed by Joel Grey, I ended up learning a significant portion of the show's songs - and a handful of scenes, too! The task was a daunting one for both auditions, but despite the many hours of work it required, it ended up being a fascinating and incredibly rewarding experience to learn how to speak - and sing - the language of my ancestors. Like many Ashkenazi Jews living in the US, I grew up hearing a handful of Yiddish words and phrases - many of which may not be repeated in mixed company - but I was not taught the language. As far as I can tell, the fluent language really ended in my family with my great-grandparents. My grandmother and grandfather, I believe, knew more words and phrases and understood a fair amount, but did not speak Yiddish fluently. It was a deeply moving and fulfilling experience, then, to learn how this language - once our language - felt and sounded in my own mouth, in my own voice.
All in all, I'll always remember my time in the casting room with the Fiddler team. Specifically, I'll always cherish that Joel Grey laughed at my jokes and, more importantly, that he believed in me. The gift of a lifetime in this biz! Even in my short time working with him in that room, I could tell what a generous, tender, and hearty spirit he has! That his lifetime as an actor made him a fantastic director was also markedly evident in the final production, which I got to see just before it closed. The biggest regret I had walking out of the show was that I didn't get to meet and work with Steven Skybell; what an actor, what a performance!
Alas, many months out from this audition process, I still can sing this song by heart. "Far From the Home I Love" was the first song that I ever sang in a vocal performance class, back at Tisch's CAP 21 summer pre-college program. At the age of 17, I was a complete novice, but I remember this song feeling quite natural. Over ten years later, I find that I prefer singing it in Yiddish!
I hope you enjoy.
(I do not own the rights to this song, nor am I affiliated with this production! I was not cast - the original 2019 cast remained largely in tact - and the one female swing track went to another talented performer.)
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Miyuki Miyagi is an Okinawan Jewish American singer, dancer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist based in New York City.
For more, visit www.miyukimiyagi.com