Coen Brothers Call for Yiddishists

By Sarah Kricheff June 20, 2007

Velvel is a hardworking peasant who lives in a Polish shtetl; his wife, Dora, is a staid woman who stands by her convictions, and the convivial Reb Groshkover possesses Old World humor and charm. They might seem like characters straight out of a Sholom Aleichem story, but they are, in fact, three yet-to-be filled Yiddish-speaking roles in the Coen Brothers’ newest script, “A Serious Man.” The filmmakers have put out a casting call for unknown thespians who are fluent or near fluent in Yiddish, and familiar with the customs of a Jewish wedding.

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