Hershel of Ostropol

Hershel of Ostropol is a legendary figure in Jewish humor, believed to have lived in the late 18th or early 19th century in what is now Ukraine. Originally a shochet from Ostropol, in what was then Crown Poland (now Ukraine), he later became a badchen. He lived in poverty and aimed his tricks at the wealthy and powerful, whether Jewish or Gentile. Ordinary people were not entirely spared, though they usually got off with lighter treatment. Among Ukrainian Gentiles, he is remembered as a kind of ethnic folk hero, someone who could challenge much larger establishment forces using only his wit. According to folklore, his career took a turn after he offended some townspeople with his humor, left home, and eventually found work as a court jester for the Baal Shem Tov’s grandson. Much of the publicity for his reputation as a jokester came from a 1920s writer named Chaim Bloch and a book he wrote.

Though his exploits have been mythologized, the character is based on a real person who likely lived in what is now Ukraine in the late 18th or early 19th century. According to legend, he may have used his cleverness to get by, eventually earning a permanent position as a sort of court jester to Boruch of Medzhybizh. In the stories, members of Boruch’s court chose Hershel to counter the rebbe’s notorious temper and lift his chronic melancholy. Folkloric accounts claim that Hershel died from an accident caused by one of Boruch’s angry outbursts, lingering for several days and dying in Boruch’s own bed, surrounded by Boruch and his followers. His burial is traditionally believed to be in the old Jewish cemetery in Medzhybizh.

In later culture, Hershel has appeared in several epic poems, a novel, a 1930 comedy performed by the Vilna Troupe, and a 1950s US television program. Two illustrated children’s books—*The Adventures of Hershel of Ostropol* and *Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins*—were both written by Eric Kimmel and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. A tale about him, “When Hershel Eats” by Nathan Ausubel, was included in Joanna Cole’s 1982 collection *Best-Loved Folktales of the World*. In 2002, a play titled *Hershele the Storyteller* was performed in New York City.