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Have I Got a Story For You is a new podcast from PJ Library, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. In 2025, PJ Library relaunched Have I Got a Story For You! with eight beautifully told, calming, stories from the Torah and other Jewish texts. Sleepytime visuals accompanying each episode can be found on YouTube as well.
Episodes
Tuesday Sep 08, 2020
Tuesday Sep 08, 2020
Welcome to the first mini mini-sode of Have I Got a Story For You! This week a special guest from a recent episode is here to answer a listener question.
Eden wants to know: "Why do we celebrate Rosh Hashanah?" Listen along to learn.
And if your family is looking for help celebrating the High Holidays at home this year, visit pjlibrary.org/HighHolidays for a free digital guide and print at home resources.
Tuesday Aug 25, 2020
Tuesday Aug 25, 2020
Carly makes beautiful, delicious, inventive, cupcakes in her bakery. Carlotta keeps the synagogue running and dreams of trying one of Carly's cupcakes, but doesn't have the money to splurge on sweet treats. When the two cross paths, a sweet tale of tzedakah and community begins.
Want to experiment with cupcake flavors and cupcake baking? Visit gotastorypodcast.com for a special "short-cut cupcake" recipe that's easy to customize.
Episode Credits
Have I Got a Story For You is a production of PJ Library
Executive producers: Meredith Lewis, Alli Thresher
Director: Alli Thresher
Additional production: Craig Rossein
Website design: Christina Rizer
Audio editing, mixing and mastering: Peter Moore
Score: Peter Moore
Recorded at Palace of Purpose Studios in Malden, MA.
Cover art: Barb Bastian
Original story, Carly's Cupcakes by Naomi Shulman
Podcast episode written by Jan Schwaid
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Carly: Gwen D'Angelo
Carlotta: Deirdre Wade
Rabbi Naomi: Jennifer Kenneally
Carlotta's Children: Danielle Geist and Payton James Osborne
Tuesday Aug 04, 2020
Tuesday Aug 04, 2020
Have you ever felt as ornery as an ostrich? Or as prickly as a porcupine? In a very special episode, Rita Toomey reads the book Tali Under the Table, written by Tamar Weiss-Gabbay.
When Tali is angry and refuses to join everyone seated at the table for lunch at Grandma’s, her cousin Shira knows exactly what to do: she joins Tali under the table, and slowly leads her back to the family gathering in this story inspired by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s, The Turkey Prince.
Tali Under the Table, a Sifriyat Pijama selection, was written by Tamar Weiss-Gabay and translated in to English by Shira Atik. Learn more at gotastorypodcast.com.
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Tali: Wednesday Alice
Shira: Danielle Geist
Savta, Ima: Deirdre Wade
Saba, Cousin: Rich Wentworth
David, Abba: Walter Sickert
Tuesday Aug 04, 2020
Tuesday Aug 04, 2020
Meet Og the Giant! He's a former king of Bashan, obsessed with bagels, and on a mission to rescue some animals--with the help of his new friend Dr. Noa and Rita Toomey.
Grab your fanny pack, a box of egg matzah, and some comfy sandals as the Have I Got a Story For You team does a mitzvah -- saving animals!
Learn more at gotastorypodcast.com.
Episode Notes
Episode Credits
Have I Got a Story For You is a production of PJ Library
Executive producers: Meredith Lewis, Alli Thresher
Director: Alli Thresher
Additional production: Craig Rossein
Website design: Christina Rizer
Audio editing, mixing and mastering: Peter Moore
Score: Peter Moore
Recorded at Palace of Purpose Studios in Malden, MA.
Cover art: Barb Bastian
Original story by: Joshua Chefitz
Story editor: Alan Silberberg
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Dr. Noa: Gwen D'Angelo
Og: Walter Sickert
Shari (Kid caller): Audrey Wentworth
Larry (grown up caller); Dad Tourist; Boat Captain: Rich Wentworth
Special thanks to our "Kids on Liberty Island Ensemble:" Audrey, Henry, Wednesday, and Bowie.
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
What is the sweetest sound in the world? A perfectly tuned harp? A 25 piece klezmer band? A local scream-grind sensation? Join Rita and world famous rockers Kreplach Riot, as they search for the perfect opening act. Will they find it? Or will picky front-man Mendelsohn and a small bout of "hanger" break up the band?
Episode Credits
Have I Got a Story For You is a production of PJ Library
Executive producers: Meredith Lewis, Alli Thresher
Additional production: Craig Rossein
Website design: Christina Rizer
Audio editing, mixing and mastering: Peter Moore
Score: Peter Moore
Recorded remotely
Mixed at Palace of Purpose Studios in Malden, MA.
Cover art: Barb Bastian
Story editor: Alan Silberberg
This episode was written by Jan Schwaid
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Mendelsohn: Tau Zaman of The Whisper Forge
Loretta: Jen Kenneally
Max: Kristofer Jenson
Kazoo Player, Klezmaniac Magee Front-person: Payton James
Minyan Makers Band leader, Harpist, Haverton Symphony Conductor: Rich Wentworth
The Pizza Guy: Peter Moore
Tuesday May 26, 2020
Tuesday May 26, 2020
The residents of Haverton are furious -- the wind is messing up all of their plans and ruining everyone's day! From lost balloons to spoiled cakes to popped kick balls, the townspeople want justice, and that's where Rita Toomey and Judge Solomon come in.
This episode is based on a King Solomon story -- learn more at gotastorypodcast.com.
Episode Credits
Have I Got a Story For You is a production of PJ Library
Executive producers: Meredith Lewis, Alli Thresher
Director: Alli Thresher
Additional production: Craig Rossein
Website design: Christina Rizer
Audio editing, mixing and mastering: Peter Moore
Score: Peter Moore
Recorded at Palace of Purpose Studios in Malden, MA.
Cover art: Barb Bastian
Story editor: Alan Silberberg
This episode was written by Jan Schwaid
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Judge Solomon: Tau Zaman of The Whisper Forge
Justine Hazelworth: Jen Kenneally
Michael: Payton James
Little Leah: Wednesday Alice
Arlo Sumpkin: Rich Wentworth
Peter Grossbaum: Kristofer Jenson
The Sailor: Walter Alice Sickert
Tuesday May 19, 2020
Tuesday May 19, 2020
Rita Toomey's favorite holiday, Shavuot, is coming up -- but her trusty audio engineer Al, doesn't know much about it. Listen in as Rita and Al get together via video chat for a cheesecake baking session and a quick run-down of Shavuot history and traditions.
Looking for more kid-friendly, high quality, Jewish audio content? Check out pjlibrary.org/listen.
Episode Credits
Have I Got a Story For You is a production of PJ Library
Executive producers: Meredith Lewis, Alli Thresher
Director: Alli Thresher
Additional production: Craig Rossein
Website design: Christina Rizer
Audio editing, mixing and mastering: Peter Moore
Score: Peter Moore
Recorded at Palace of Purpose Studios in Malden, MA.
Cover art: Barb Bastian
This episode was written by Alli Thresher
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Al: Rich Wentworth
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
Rita Toomey and Al the engineer are wrapping up the mini-season when Al admits that he doesn't know the Four Questions. Rita and a friend from PJ Library (pjlibrary.org) help Al get seder-ready.
Episode Credits
Have I Got a Story For You is a production of PJ Library
Executive producers: Meredith Lewis, Alli Thresher
Director: Alli Thresher
Additional production: Craig Rossein
Website design: Christina Rizer
Audio editing, mixing and mastering: Peter Moore
Score: Peter Moore
Recorded at Palace of Purpose Studios in Malden, MA.
Cover art: Barb Bastian
This episode was written by Alli Thresher
“Dr. Seuss’ Four Questions” used with permission from Uncle Eli’s Passover Haggadah, by Eliezer Segal, available through No Starch Press in San Francisco.
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Al: Rich Wentworth
Four Question Narration: Lori Hoch Stiefel
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Claire and Jamie open the door to welcome guests to their seder and Rita Toomey walks in – followed by a pirate! Find out what happens when a bearded scallywag leads the hunt for the afikomen.
Episode Credits
Have I Got a Story For You is a production of PJ Library
Executive producers: Meredith Lewis, Alli Thresher
Director: Alli Thresher
Additional production: Craig Rossein
Website design: Christina Rizer
Audio editing, mixing and mastering: Peter Moore
Score and “Pirate Dayenu” by Peter Moore
Recorded at Palace of Purpose Studios in Malden, MA.
Cover art: Barb Bastian
This episode was written by Danny Paller with Alli Thresher
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Claire: Nina Sly
Jamie: Cyrus Nations
The Pirate: Peter Moore
Monday Mar 16, 2020
Monday Mar 16, 2020
Life is perfect for the candy-loving fairies of Sweet-Town! Well, except for the presence of a colony of stinky, mushroom-loving trolls at the edge of the neighborhood. Fairies and trolls have never gotten along – that’s just the way it is. But a young fairy Aviva wonders, why? And why can’t things change?
Episode Credits
Have I Got a Story For You is a production of PJ Library
Executive producers: Meredith Lewis, Alli Thresher
Director: Alli Thresher
Additional production: Craig Rossein
Website design: Christina Rizer
Audio editing, mixing and mastering: Peter Moore
Score: Peter Moore
Recorded at Palace of Purpose Studios in Malden, MA.
Cover art: Barb Bastian
Story editor: Alan Silberberg
This episode was written by Jan Schwaid
Cast:
Narrator, Rita Toomey: Madelaine Ripley
Aviva: Lyra Ericson
Sarah: Nina Groskin Sly
Etan: Cyrus Nations
Bubbe: Deirdre Wade
Tamar: Cassandre Charles
Murray and other troll friends: Tau Zaman of the Whisper Forge
Troll ensemble: Pat Bordenave