Set in the little village of Anatevka, the story centers on Tevye, a poor milkman, and his five daughters. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his daughters and instill them with traditional values in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Rich in historical and ethnic detail, Fiddler on the Roof's universal theme of tradition cuts across barriers of race, class, nationality and religion, leaving audiences crying tears of laughter, joy and sadness.
Tevye and Golde want the best for their daughters,Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava including a husband of their dreams, but mostly to provide a stable life. The traditions and God's law provide the balance in the villagers' lives but Yente, the matchmaker, provides just enough meddling to find suitable husbands. Perchik (a young revolutionary student), Lazar Wolfe (the butcher), Motel, (the tailor) and Fyedka, (a Russian youth) all have an interest in Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava.
But little remains stable in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. It is not long before Constable brings the news that everyone in the town has to sell their houses and household goods and leave their beloved Anatevka in three days.