Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm

Some things are very important to remember, especially if you are a Wise Fool, or even a Wise Fool Emeritus. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

How does a Wise Fool improve his memory? From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Fortunately, they escaped the Cossacks...and we'll leave it at that. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

The Cossacks are mean. The Cossacks are dangerous. The Cossacks are...not smart, even when compared to the Wise Fools of Chelm. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

A Wise Fool knows how to find the best salesperson...for a pitch to the Pope. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

The tiny village of Chelm needs more money. The solution? Worthy of the Wise Fools. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

What happens when the Wise Fools ponder the deeper mysteries of life--such as how many seconds there are in a year? From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Art is in the eye of the beholder, especially among the Wise Fools. (A note: it's not Passover time yet, that's in a couple of months and we'll have a Passover story ready.) From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Wise Foolishness and gambling...not the best partnership. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Jewish Holidays aren't all that confusing...unless you're a Wise Fool. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Eat healthy, and live a very, very long life as a Wise Fool of Chelm. As only a Wise Fool can. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Don't just slap the food onto the plate; even if you're among the Wise Fools, present it nicely. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Need a performer for your big fundraiser? Have we got an act for you! From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Never, ever drive drunk. Even an ox-cart--you or the ox. But be as clever as a Wise Fool. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Tony and Emmy winner Hal Linden returns to the Wise Fools for the fourth of our four stories with him. In this era, everyone needs a town woodcutter. (We do not condone the environmental result this story presents. We've only got one Earth.) [A little help: a mohel, pronounced "moil" rhymes with "toil," is the specialized rabbi who performs the ritual circumcision of the male baby.]

Marry well. Or...not. Or not, but still well. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Never talk about the grandchildren during the card game! From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

The bar or bat mitzvah of a son of daughter is a great day of pride for a parent...even for a Wise Fool. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Never mind Roswell. Never mind Devil's Tower. They visited the Wise Fools of Chelm. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Wrist watches--the latest invention by the Wise Fools. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

This is a real turkey of a story...just in time for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday...with a problem that has a solution only the Wise Fools could create. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

We can recommend a great dentist. But not the one in Minsk who takes care of the Wise Fools of Chelm. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Even among the Wise Fools, does anybody even want this job? From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Before there were these things called "non-fungible tokens," the Wise Fools were ahead of their time in matters of exchanging "goods." From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Even among the Wise Fools--perhaps especially among the Wise Fools--everyone deserves a proper burial. [Starring the one person perhaps most responsible for keeping these Tales alive, Rabbi Jan Goldstein, with a special appearance by the great Nancy Sullivan. ] From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Marooned on a distant, deserted island? Not to worry--even for some Wise Fools. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

For the Wise Fools of Chelm, a "pleasure trip" vacation is what you make of it. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Here is the only story from the collection based directly on an original tale by Sholem Aleichem himself. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

What happens when a rabbi...Chelm's own rabbi, no less...goes golfing on the holiest day of the year? (The sound quality isn't perfect, but "live" is authentic, no?) Special guest performer Rena Strober! www.renastrober.com Recorded LIVE on October 5, 2022, at the Yom Kippur celebration of Bayit Shelanu, courtesy of Rabbi Jan Goldstein. https://www.bayitshelanu.org/ From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Did you know that the "ancient" Jewish tradition of hiding a piece of matzah during Passover was really invented in Chelm, the village of Wise Fools? Now you know. This story was inspired by an idea from Barbara and Joe Ruskin. (Unrelated trivia: Joe, a fine actor and better Human, played six fun roles on various Star Trek series...never as a Human.) From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Whose duck is it, anyway? From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Who's giving Mama the best birthday gift this year? [Note: the haftarah is commentary that accompanies the torah, and mishuga means "Crazy."] From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

You should know that everyone was rescued safely, but other than that--no spoilers. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Tony/Emmy Award winner Hal Linden is back for a tale about the perfect rememberance of Chelm's dear departed Wise Fool Shpilkas. (With additional thanks to Nancy Sullivan.) From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Confession is good for the soul, including the Jewish soul. (Not integral to the story, but a mikva is a ceremonial bath.) From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

In an era of "arranged marriages," you have to be special to be worthy of Chelm's most eligible Nice Jewish Boy. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

What happens when a Wise Fool shops at the finest establishment in St. Petersburg? IMPORTANT NOTE: to "schlep" is (for our purposes at the moment) to haul a heavy load from one place to another, like schlepping a heavy suitcase to the car after a train ride. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Reading is fundamental...unless you're a Wise Fool in the right place at the right time... (Quick note, a word not integral to the story but you should know it if you don't: a pogrom is "an organized massacre of helpless people," which, sadly, the Jewish villages of the time period of our tiny village too often endured.) From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

A Balagoola, a pet, a Rosh Hashanah service, and a bet. What could possibly go wrong? [Note: goyim, the -im being a plural form in Hebrew, idiomatically means non-Jews; also a mikva is a ceremonial cleansing bath.] From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Even for the Wise Fools, a proper diet is important. No animals were harmed in the making of this story. (A mamser is an annoying no-good so-and-so, and brocha is a generic term for a simple prayer.) From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

It's not easy finding the perfect role for a young actor. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Did you know that the Wise Fools invented the sport of ice hockey, right there in Chelm? Now you know! Well, you will after you hear this tale. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y Go Kings Go.

Tony and Emmy winner Hal Linden is back, to visit the finest restaurant in Chelm. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Even in the village of Wise Fools, a fundraiser simply cannot afford to lose money...even when math is hard. [A little help: goyim are non-Jews, and challah is traditional bread.] From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

If the coat fits...wear it! From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Even a Wise Fool wants to come out ahead once in a while, especially when it comes to fancy wheels. A personal note: this story debuted in June of 1991, just three weeks after my father, the author of these stories from the mid-70s, passed away suddenly. It was the first story I was responsible for providing for the monthly Friday night services. There's no particular emotional connection to the story itself, but I will always remember it...as do many who were there that evening...as the first. The show must go on, and so it continued. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Wonderful Nancy Sullivan joins us to rescue our marooned friend Boris the Balagoola, surviving as only a Wise Fool could manage. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

Mama-Lushen means "mother tongue," your first language. This is a quick story about Yiddish. You won't be disappointed. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

This tale suits the podcast quite well. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y

An age-old feature of Jewish humor is finding humor, sometimes rueful, in matters of life...and death. From "Tales of The Wise Fools of Chelm," available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle. https://amzn.to/3VpWj7y