Monsa Monster

Yiddishkayt•www.yiddishkayt.org

Broadcasting the treasures of Yiddish and exploring cultural treasures, not only of the riches of the Yiddish past, but also of the cultures around us.

Last refreshed: August 16th, 2025 at 7:22 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

The Power of the Tongue - Al Franken

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue," the Proverb teaches. In this midrash-inspired monsa, the parts of the body are caught in a power struggle to determine where real human power lies.

Oct 01, 2016•4 min

Labzik the Depression Dog - Chance Bone

The great Chaver Paver created the king of all underdogs — Labzik — in 1935. Here, Chance Bone reads a new translation of this classic Yiddish story accompanied by his own original music.

Sep 02, 2016•13 min

Domestic Bliss - Mindy Sterling

In our second tale by Y. L. Peretz, Chaim, a hardworking street porter, may not know much about the holy books but he is eager to take comfort in the hope of heavenly reward. But is the promise of divine bliss all that it can be?

Aug 01, 2016•10 min

The Pious Cat - Eli Batalion

A super sanctimonious cat tries to find the best way to deliver the sinful canaries of the world from evil — with murderous results. A Y. L. Peretz classic, written in 1893.

Jun 30, 2016•7 min

Rachel the Clever - Laurie Metcalf

In a classic tale from Poland, Rachel, a young woman of profound intelligence, solves a series of riddles that take her far beyond her humble origins and into the ranks of nobility... with some puzzling results.

May 31, 2016•6 min

The Market Wedding - Anne Meara

When Morris the fishmonger and Minnie the hat seller fall in love, Morris comes up with a wedding plan designed to deliver the very best for his beloved bride-to-be . . . with unexpected consequences.

May 02, 2016•14 min

The Neighborhood Sneezes - Hershey Felder

Sholem Aleichem's young hero Motl gets involved in a get-rich-quick scheme that leaves the neighborhood in an uproar. From Aliza Shevrin's translation of Motl the Cantor's Son, by Sholem Aleichem. Read by Hershey Felder.

Mar 31, 2016•15 min

The Feather Merchants - Leonard Nimoy

The famed wise men of Chelm enter the world of commerce and learn the truth behind Emily Dickinson's poem: “Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul/ And sings the tune without the words/ And never stops at all.”

Mar 01, 2016•10 min

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