Dave’s Gone By Skit: RABBI SOL SOLOMON’S RABBINICAL REFLECTION #201 (2/14/2026): Noam Chomsky

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Rabbi Sol Solomon’s Rabbinical Reflection #201 (2/14/2026): NOAM CHOMSKY

This Rabbinical Reflection first aired Feb. 14, 2026 on the Dave’s Gone By video podcast. 

Rabbi Sol’s Rabbinical Reflections are heard on the long-running Dave’s Gone By radio/video podcast program (davesgoneby.com) and then archived as text and audio on the Rebbe’s blog, Shalomdammit.com, where a transcript of this Reflection may be read. 

Rabbi Sol is also the creator of the stage show, “Shalom Dammit! An Evening with Rabbi Sol Solomon,” which played in NYC in Nov. 2011 and Aug. 2012.

© 2026 TotalTheater Productions. All Rights Reserved.

More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com 

 More on Rabbi Sol: shalomdammit.com

TRANSCRIPT:
Shalom Dammit! This is Rabbi Sol Solomon with a Rabbinical Reflection for mid-February 2026. 

I had no idea! I was completely in the dark. There were rumors, but who listens to gossip?

We’ve heard these excuses from everyone from children who deny taking the last cookie to Polacks living a mile away from Auschwitz: “we were oblivious.” 

That same convenient blindness now attaches itself to so many people whose names are in the unredacted files of one Jeffrey Epstein, handsome rich guy, philanthropist, party animal and, oh yeah, sex trafficker and pedophile. From Donald Trump to Prince Andrew to Woody Allen to Bill Clinton to New York Giants owner Steven Tisch, the elite were happy to hobnob with this hobgoblin because he could write a check and make your dreams come true. Or at the very least invite you to his idyllic island, complete with fruity drinks and hot-and-cold-running concubines. 

Did these millionaire celebrities really know-know that what their friend was doing was a no-no? Benefit of a doubt: probably not to a full extent (Prince Andrew excepted). But there’s also not wanting to know what you know, you know? And that’s where we are with the latest name to crop up in the Epstein Chronicles: Noam Chomsky. Blathering intellectual, cunning linguist, and relentless Israel basher — he was an enemy of the state even before it became de rigueur on college campuses. 

When it came to Jeffrey Epstein, however, this know-it-all, knew it not. And it isn’t that, back in the day, he hung with Epstein at social gatherings and probably looked down Ghislaine Maxwell’s blouse a time or two. No, Epstein and Chomsky exchanged letters long after the former was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor. What he was doing in in a mine, I don’t know. But the point is, Jeffrey asked Noam, “Hey, I’m in legal tzuris here, and the press is up my tuchas. What do I do?” And Chomsky’s advice was not, “Don’t pimp children.” (Or he might have found a more syntactically interesting way to put it.) Instead, the professor told him, “Ignore the press. Shtup the hysterical media. It’s all hashtag-Me-Too overreach. Don’t they know what a fantastic wealthy decent wealthy entertaining wealthy influential wealthy man you are? And by the way, your wife has an okay rack.”

Following a stroke in 2023, 97-year-old Chomsky is unable to communicate — which may be the best news so far this year. But his wife, a translator and legal analyst, has piped up in Noam’s defense. She says, yes, in retrospect, their pal Epstein was a weentzy bit evil. She chalked her husband’s ignorance up to “careless research.” Hmm. Makes you wonder what else this M.I.T. academic, who published over 150 books, got wrong. Could it be everything? An anti-Communist who defended Pol Pot, an anti-capitalist with a very profitable stock portfolio, and a Jew, whose defense of free speech was really helpful to Holocaust deniers, Noam Chomsky can’t tell the heroes from the villains. Which means that perhaps his positing of Israel as the boogeyman proves he’s the bullshit-man. 

So let the leftists quote him, let the intifadans venerate him. I say shtup him, which I guarantee you’d have to pay a 15-year-old girl from Saint Thomas a huge bonus to do. 

This has been a Rabbinical Reflection from Rabbi Sol Solomon, Temple Sons of Bitches in Great Neck, New York. 

(c)2026 Rabbi Sol Solomon & David Lefkowitz

Dave’s Gone By Interview (2/7/2026): DEBORAH ZECHER & Rabbi Sol Solomon

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Rabbi Sol Solomon chats with singer and Rabbi DEBORAH ZECHER 

Topics include: Israel, cabaret, Jewish Caroling

Segment airs Feb. 7, 2026 as part of episode #1019 of the “Dave’s Gone By” radio/video podcast program hosted by Dave Lefkowitz.

Please Note: Segments extracted from “Dave’s Gone By” may have music and other elements removed for timing and media re-posting considerations. For the full interview with all elements, please visit the audio of the complete original broadcast.

All content (c)2026 TotalTheater Productions.                                                   

More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com 

More information about Rabbi Sol Solomon: shalomdammit.com

Dave’s Gone By #1019 (2/7/2026): ZECH’S APPEAL

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Here is episode #1019 of the long-running radio show/video podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired live on Facebook, Saturday morning, Feb. 7, 2026.

Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews singer Deborah Zecher and sings “Hey Jews”; Greeley Times; Bunion Watch; Colorado Limerick of the Damned (Clarke Farms); Dave’s Big Dictionary (imbue); StoryTime (“Funny Faces”); Dave Says Bye (Harry Haun).

00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce: winter
00:17:00 BUNION WATCH
00:19:30 DAVE GOES FURTHER IN: new toys, bad drawing, Super Bowl
00:58:30 GREELEY TIMES
01:28:00 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Rabbi Deborah Zecher
02:15:30 STORYTIME: “Funny Faces”
02:27:00 DAVE’S BIG DICTIONARY: imbue
02:37:30 DAVE SAYS BYE: Harry Haun
02:59:00 Friends of the Daverhood
03:07:30 COLORADO LIMERICK OF THE DAMNED: Clarke Farms, CO
03:10:00 DAVE GOES OUT: Toelio

Feb. 7, 2026 Playlist: “Hey Jews” (02:50:30; Rabbi Sol Solomon)

Deborah Zecher
Rabbi Sol Solomon
This.
Harry Haun
Your host.

Dave’s Gone By Skit: STORYTIME (1/31/2026): Rabbi Sol Solomon Reads “Rudy Garcia-Tolson Biography”

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For this week’s StoryTime segment on Dave’s Gone By, Rabbi Sol Solomon reads Ann Weil’s Rudy Garcia-Tolson Biography.

This segment aired Jan. 31, 2026 as part of episode #1018 of the “Dave’s Gone By” video podcast program hosted by Dave Lefkowitz.

Full episodes also available on youtube, Facebook (davesgoneby), and on DavesGoneBy.com.

All content (c)2026 TotalTheater Productions.                                                   

More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com More information on Rabbi Sol Solomon: shalomdammit.com.

Dave’s Gone By #1018 (1/31/2026): CRITICS’ CHOICE

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Here is episode #1018 of the long-running radio show/video podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired live on Facebook, Saturday morning, Jan. 31, 2026.

Featuring: Dave interviews Florida arts critics Jay Handelman and Carrie Seidman; StoryTime w/ Rabbi Sol Solomon (“Rudy Garcia-Tolson Biography”); Greeley Times; Colorado Limerick of the Damned (Churchill Downs); Dave’s Big Dictionary (short shrift); Dave Says Bye (Woodie King Jr.).

Guests: Florida theater and dance critics Jay Handelman and Carrie Seidman; spiritual leader Rabbi Sol Solomon

00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce: Wither Cop Log?, passings (Demond Wilson, Catherine O’Hara)
00:17:30 DAVE SAYS BYE: Woodie King Jr.
00:36:00 DAVE GOES FURTHER IN: snow days, inventions
01:09:00 GREELEY TIMES
01:27:00 GUESTS: Jay Handelman and Carrie Seidman
02:13:30 STORYTIME: Rabbi Sol Solomon reads Ann Weil’s “Rudy Garcia-Tolson”
02:28:00 Belated Birthday!
02:41:00 DAVE’S BIG DICTIONARY: short shrift
02:50:00 Friends of the Daverhood
02:59:30 COLORADO LIMERICK OF THE DAMNED: Churchill Downs, CO
03:01:00 DAVE GOES OUT

L-R: Carrie Seidman, Jay Handelman
your host
Churchill Downs, CO

Dave’s Gone By Skit (1/24/2026): STORYTIME – Rabbi Sol Solomon Reads “Exploring Water and the Ocean”

For this week’s StoryTime segment on Dave’s Gone By, Rabbi Sol Solomon reads excerpts from Gayle Bittinger’s “Exploring Water and the Ocean.”

This segment aired Jan. 24, 2026 as part of episode #1017 of the “Dave’s Gone By” video podcast program hosted by Dave Lefkowitz.

Full episodes also available on youtube, Facebook (davesgoneby), and on DavesGoneBy.com.

All content (c)2026 TotalTheater Productions.                                                   

More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com

More information on Rabbi Sol Solomon: shalomdammit.com.

Dave’s Gone By #1017 (1/24/2026): GRAVITTE’S RAINBOW

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Here is episode #1017 of the long-running radio show/video podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired live on Facebook, Saturday morning, Jan. 24, 2026.

Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews singer Debbie Gravitte, reads “Exploring Water,” and offers a Colorado Limerick of the Damned (Chromo); Greeley Times; Dave’s song “It Won’t Get Long”; Dave Says Bye to Uncle Floyd

Guests: actress Debbie Gravitte; spiritual leader Rabbi Sol Solomon

00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce: Dave’s 62nd birthday – Texas Roadhouse, Yasou, novelties, The Chosen One
01:28:00 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Debbie Gravitte
02:13:00 STORYTIME: Rabbi Sol Solomon reads “Exploring Water and the Ocean” (Bittinger)
02:38:30 GREELEY TIMES
03:02:00 Friends of the Daverhood
03:09:00 DAVE SAYS BYE: Floyd Vivino
03:30:00 COLORADO LIMERICK OF THE DAMNED w/ Rabbi Sol: chromo
03:33:00 DAVE GOES OUT

Debbie Gravitte
Rabbi Sol Solomon

Dave’s Gone By #1016 (1/17/2026): SPLIT ENSS

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Here is episode #1016 of the long-running radio show/video podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired live on Facebook, Saturday morning, Jan. 17, 2026.

Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews author Chris Enss; Dave’s Big Dictionary (notorious); Bunion Watch; StoryTime (“First Peek-a-Flap Potty” and Time IBD); Colorado Limerick of the Damned (Chipeta); Greeley Times; Dave’s song “The New Tzuris.”

Guests: author Chris Enss; spiritual leader Rabbi Sol Solomon

00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN: bad hair days, snow
00:28:00 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Chris Enss
01:24:00 DAVE GOES OFF: Marque el ocho!
01:38:00 GREELEY TIMES
01:57:00 STORYTIME: “First Peek-a-Flap Potty” and Time Magazine on IBD
02:14:30 BUNION WATCH
02:17:00 DAVE GOES FURTHER IN: Angry theater guy
02:28:00 DAVE’S BIG DICTIONARY: notorious
02:47:30 Friends of the Daverhood
02:54:30 COLORADO LIMERICK OF THE DAMNED: Chipeta, CO
02:58:00 DAVE GOES OUT

Jan. 17, 2026 Playlist: “Tzuris” (02:40:30; Dave)

Chris Enss
Rabbi Sol Solomon
Chipeta, CO

Dave’s Gone By Interview (1/12/2026): CHRIS ENSS & Rabbi Sol Solomon

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Rabbi Sol Solomon chats with author CHRIS ENSS 

Topics include: Wild West, Margaret Dumont, John Wayne, Daughters of Daring, stunt women, writing

Segment airs Jan. 17, 2026 as part of episode #1016 of the “Dave’s Gone By” radio/video podcast program hosted by Dave Lefkowitz.

Please Note: Segments extracted from “Dave’s Gone By” may have music and other elements removed for timing and media re-posting considerations. For the full interview with all elements, please visit the audio of the complete original broadcast.

All content (c)2026 TotalTheater Productions.                                                   

More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com 

More information about Rabbi Sol Solomon: shalomdammit.com

Dave’s Gone By Song: THE NEW TZURIS

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THE NEW TZURIS

(Sung to the melody of E. Barton, M. Barton, Irv Carroll, and Wright’s song, “Tzooris”)

“Heyyyy lucky!”

“What I’m lucky? Couple years ago I’m in Israel at a music festival. Suddenly, the concert stops, and everyone’s screaming.”

“Could be worse.”

“Could be worse? We were attacked! Hamas came swarming in, shooting people right and left, killing, maiming, torturing—a massacre!”

“Could be worse.”

“Worse? The terrorists beat me to a pulp, stabbed my wife, raped my daughter, and left us all for dead.”

“Could be worse.”

“Could be worse? How could it be worse???”

“It could’ve happened to me.”

Oy, Tsuris, Tsuris. Trouble all day long.
It’s hard to feel all right these days when everything is wrong.

“Heyyyy lucky!”

“What I’m lucky? Months later I’m go to teach my class at Columbia University, and I can’t get to the building. All these kids were occupying the campus, marching on the lawn, shouting how much they hate Zionism.”

“Oy, did you engage?”

“Yes, `cause I saw one of my own students, a Jewish kid, waving a Palestinian flag and hollering that Jews don’t deserve Israel.”

“Gevalt, stupid kids. What can you do?”

“What I could do was tell him: `Jews have always lived in Israel. And God knows, we’re entitled to it after the Holocaust.’”

“Good for you!”

“Not so good. The kid says his other professors taught him about colonialism and how Israel is stolen from the Arabs. Finally, I said, `You wanna talk about stolen? The ground you’re standing on was stolen from the Indians. The house you grew up in sits on land stolen from a different tribe. Those sneakers you’re wearing were made by Indonesian children laboring in factories that steal their childhood. And that essay you turned in last week? You stole it from the internet.’ The student got quiet. Then he hugged me, and I walked away.”

“That’s wonderful!”

“It was wonderful all the way to the subway. Then I realized…the little momzer stole my wallet!”
Oy, Tsuris, Tsuris. Everything’s the worst.
If trouble were a suitcase, my hernia would burst.

“Heyyyy Lucky!”

“Again with the lucky? Last week I’m passing by my synagogue, and I see this young twerp in a hoodie with sweatpants, spray painting on the front door.”

“Oy, grafitti?”

“Not just graffiti! It’s a swastika. I tell him, `I’m calling the cops. You can’t make this garbage!’ He says, `Don’t talk to me like that. I’m an artist!’ I say, `Mona Lisa is art. Impressionism is art. Even dogs on velvet playing poker is more art than this.’”

“I’m guessing he didn’t agree?”

“You’re guessing right. So I tell him, `If you’re so proud of your “street art,” why don’t you sign it? Not tag it; put your full name under the swastika and really own your work.’ And he does.”

“Really? Did the police get him?”

“Police? The next day men in suits take the door off the hinges, wrap it, and put it in a van. Two months later a gallery sells the door for $80,000.”

“Well, could be worse.”

“It was worse. The artist donated every penny to BDS.”

Oy, Tsuris, Tsuris. Trouble every minute.
Happiness is fleeting. But misery’s infinite.

Oy, Tsuris, Tsuris. Trouble, pain, and woe.
There’s more that we could tell you
But now we have to go.

(c)2026 David Lefkowitz