The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-17
STOLEN ALEICHEM'S WILL
4 REMARKABLE DOCUMENT
Translation of Jewish Mark Twain's Last Message,
Written After Orthodox Fashion, Reveals Strange
Blending of Pathos, Humor, Wisdom and Religion.

The will Of Sholem Aleichem. the Jew
ish humorist. whose funeral on nda
was one OF the most largely attended
ever held in this city. has been trans
lated by DR.. j. l.. Magnes from the
original Yiddish in which II was writ
ten. 1t Is a document Of great interest
In Itself. because It presents a fine ex-
ample OF the traditional ethical will left
in all ages by the great men Of Israel.
The translation follows:
VIII Of Sholem Aleichem.
IL ask that 1t be opened and published
on the day Of my death.
To-day, the day after Yon kippur.
q new year has just begun. and a great
misfortune has befallen my family. MY
Oldest son. Misha tMichaeD Rabinowitz,
has died, and with him part of my lie
has gone down into the grave. IL re-
mains for me now to redraw my Will.
which l had written In Nerve. italy
when sick there in 1905. j.
Being In good health and OF sound
mind, / write my will. which consists or
ten parts:
II. Wherever I die I want to be placed
not among arIstocrats or among the
powerful, out di1DHk pIdlh JS"'Sh o"
borers, among the very people ITSELF, so
that the grave stone that Is to be placed
upon my grave should illumine the sim
ple graves about me and these simple
graves should adorn my grave stone.
even as the plain, good people during
my lifetime illumined their folkes-
schreiber.
III. No titles OF any kind. with praises,
with Rabbinical honors, should be placed
upon my grave stone, with the exception
OF the name Sholem Alelchem on the
che side and the Jewish inscription
herewith enclosed on the other side.
iii. There should he no kind Of de-
bate or discussion among my colleagues
as to making my name eternal, as TO a
monumen to he erected In New York,
sc. / shall not be able to rest quietly
In my grave II my colleagues make
themselves foolish. The best monument
for me will be. II my works are read
ard II there be found among the better
to do classes OF our people M@cenases
who will publish and distribute my
works in Yiddish or in other languages
and thus give the people the possibility
of reading. and my family-an honorable
existence. II | have not been worthy
or have not earned Macenases during
my lifetime. perhaps l shall be worthy
OF them after my death. 20 away from
the world in the fun belief that the
people will not forsahe my orphans.
Nv. At my grave II throughout a
whole year and then every year on the
Jahrzeit my remaining son, and my sons
II law. II they are so minded. should
say kaddish after me. Mud If they
do not wish to do this, or IL they have
nc time for It. or If II be against their
religious convictions, they can be alb
solved from this duty only II they all
come together with my daughters and
my grandchildren and with good friends
and read this my will, and also select
one Of my stories, one Of the really
joyous ones. and read It aloud in what
ever language they understand best
and let my name hc mentioned by their
with laughter rather han not be men
toned at all
"N. My childVn and children's chill.
dren can have whatever religious con
v~ictions they will. But | beg Of them
to guard their Jewish descent. Those q.
my children who want TO cut themselves
off from their race and want to join an
other faith have by that very desire al
ready cut themselves off from their rae.
and their family. and have thus erased