Stephen Sondheim was unmistakably Jewish, but did he live a ‘Jewish Life?'
“I look at it as a form of Americanized Yiddishkeit: his nature, his worldview, his sense of humor,” said Daniel Okrent in an interview last week.
Stephen Sondheim, a renowned figure in American musical theater, was undoubtedly Jewish, but his personal life did not necessarily reflect a strong "Jewish life." According to Daniel Okrent, a journalist and former public editor of the New York Times, Sondheim's Jewish identity was "very deep," rooted in the fact that many of his artistic idols were Jewish and that art itself felt like a religion to him. However, Sondheim's life and work did not prominently feature Jewish themes or characters.
Born on New York's Upper West Side to a prominent dressmaking family, Sondheim was raised in a Reform Jewish household. After his parents' divorce, he moved to Pennsylvania and later attended Williams College, where he faced exclusion from fraternities due to his Jewish background. Despite not undergoing any formal Jewish education or undergoing a bar mitzvah, Sondheim's professional life was heavily influenced by Jewish colleagues and collaborators, such as Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins.
Sondheim's collaborations with these artists led to iconic shows like "West Side Story," "Company," "A Little Night Music," "Sweeney Todd," and "Sunday in the Park with George." While some of his work drew inspiration from Jewish history, such as "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Milk and Honey," Sondheim himself rarely approached his craft with a focus on Jewish themes or characters. Instead, he sought stories that resonated with him through his collaborators.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
