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Rabbi Sol Solomon chats with playwright JEREMY KAREKEN
Topics include: The Value of Names, Lifespan of a Fact, playwriting
Segment airs Dec. 20, 2025 as part of episode #1012 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)2025 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
For this week’s StoryTime segment on Dave’s Gone By, Rabbi Sol Solomon reads the children’s book, “Mendel’s Hanukkah Mess Up” by Chana & Larry Stiefel.
This segment aired Dec. 13, 2025 as part of episode #1011 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)2025 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
More information on Rabbi Sol Solomon: shalomdammit.com.
click above to watch episode #1011click above to listen (audio only)
Here is episode 1011 of the long-running radio show/video podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired live on Facebook, Saturday morning, Dec. 13, 2025.
Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews writer Matt Schatz, reads “Mendel’s Hanukkah Mess Up,” and offers a Rabbinical Reflection about Eurovision; Greeley Times; Colorado Limerick of the Damned (Cherry Creek); The Dreidel Game.
Guests: playwright Matt Schatz; spiritual leader Rabbi Sol Solomon
00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN: Chanukah, yard animals, ear wax 00:35:00 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Matt Schatz 01:22:00 GREELEY TIMES 01:46:30 DAVE GOES FURTHER IN w/ Joyce: Maryland life 02:02:00 THE DREIDEL GAME 02:24:00 RABBI SOL SOLOMON’S RABBINICAL REFLECTION #199: Eurovision 02:31:00 STORYTIME w/ Rabbi Sol Solomon: Hanukkah Mess Up (Stiefels) 02:51:00 Friends of the Daverhood 03:00:00 COLORADO LIMERICK OF THE DAMNED: Cherry Creek, CO 03:03:00 DAVE GOES OUT
Topics include: Dramaturgatory, The Burdens, Rabbis
Segment airs Dec. 13, 2025 as part of episode #1011 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)2025 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
Rabbi Sol Solomon’s Rabbinical Reflection #199 (12/13/2025): EUROVISION
This Rabbinical Reflection first aired Dec. 13, 2025 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.
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-December 2025.
Ooh, I feel like bursting into song…a song of hate! It’s dedicated to the four countries that are boycotting Eurovision 2026.
The Eurovision Song Contest, in case you didn’t know — and if you’re American, it’s like soccer: you know, but you don’t really give a shit — Eurovision holds an annual competition. Countries across the world submit their dumbest, most homogenized tunes for the honor of winning a glass microphone. The contest started in 1956, and it’s a global phenomenon, launching the careers of ABBA, Celine Dion, and Lulu, who won Eurovision 1969 with a song called “Boom Bang-a-Bang,” which should give you some idea of the profundity of this contest.
Still, who doesn’t love a catchy song? And, like the Olympics, Eurovision is supposed to be an international alliance, free of politics and posturing. And I am Marie of Romania.
Actually, Romania’s not the problem. They’re participating in Eurovision 2026, as are Finland, Albania, Serbia, Malta, Portugal, France, Italy—a host of Eastern and Western European countries with lousy songs to share. Four nations, however, have withdrawn from the competition. Why? They are boycotting because Israel has been allowed to take part. See, they feel that Israel’s revenge for October 7th has been a terrible genocide and, therefore, heaven forfend that they share the stage with Israeli Jews.
So many times I have explained that Hamas is the real cause of Palestinian suffering—not Bibi, not Trumpy, not the IDF. When you lie down with terrorists, you wake up dead. Which is an oxymoron, so I dedicate it to the maxi-morons of these useless countries: Spain, Slovenia, Netherlands, and Ireland. In fact, the head of the Irish Eurovision Fan Club told The New York Times, and I quote: “I can’t see us returning as long as Israel is involved.” Unquote. Now, granted, being Irish he was probably drunk. But that’s no excuse.
Remember when the Irish and the Jews got along? In the 1960s, Dublin even had an Orthodox Jewish mayor who had worked with the IRA. But in recent years, the IRA aligned with the PLO, so FUCK them. And that goes for Irish music, too. Van Morrison’s an asshole, Riverdance gives me headaches, and Enya puts me to sleep faster than a 30 milligram Ambien.
As for the Netherlands, their public-broadcasting arm explained that having Israel in Eurovision is quote, “not compatible with the responsibility we bear.” The Dutch, responsible? These are the people who told the Nazis, “Hey, that girl you’re looking for? She’s up in the attic.”
Another country taking a “moral” anti-Israel stand is Slovenia. Since breaking from Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia has given the world so many things, like . . . like . . . more Slovenians. I’d also make an alcoholism joke, but I already used it on the Irish.
That leaves Spain. A curious people. An inquisitive people. In fact, their inquisition murdered, tortured, or forced into conversion tens of thousands of Jews. Remember, too, that for sport, Spaniards lasso an innocent bull, infuriate it, and then stab it in various places until it collapses. ¡Qué diversión!
So this loathsome foursome—the Dutch, the Slovs, the micks and the spics—they all think that by pulling their presence and sponsorship from Eurovision, the world will join them in dumping on Zionism. Well, the joke’s on them, because the world already hates Jews anyway. If these boycotting countries had any guts, they’d write an anti-Semitic song and do that on the broadcast. Something like:
Jews are stingy, Jews are dingy
Bing-Dang Ding-Dang Ring-a-Ding-Dong!
Why hide your Jew hatred behind liberal lies about Palestinian oppression? Let all the poison out:
Nobody likes those big-nosed Kikes
Boogie-Oogie Boom-Boom Ring-a-Ding-Dong!
The final irony that I would like to point out is that one country threatened to exit Eurovision if they didn’t admit Israel. Again, I quote: “It’s a scandal this is even being discussed. Israel has a place there.” That quote comes from Friedrich Merz, chancellor of Germany. Well, gee, Fred. Schtup the past: all is forgiven! And I am Marie of Romania.
Actually, I’m not, I’m Rabbi Sol Solomon, Temple Sons of Bitches in Great Neck, New York. Boom Bang-a-Bang.
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Rabbi Sol Solomon chats with writer and TV host BILL BOGGS
Topics include: Spike the Wonder Dog, interviewing, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., television
Segment airs Dec. 6, 2025 as part of episode #1010 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)2025 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
click above to watch episode #1010click above to listen (audio only)
Here is episode 1010 of the long-running radio show/video podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired live on Facebook, Saturday morning, Dec. 6, 2025.
Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews writer and TV personality Bill Boggs; Greeley Times; Colorado Limerick of the Damned; Dave’s Big Dictionary.
Guests: broadcaster Bill Boggs; spiritual leader Rabbi Sol Solomon
00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN: play submission, Tom Stoppard, Wawa, Supermoon, clarity 00:51:00 GREELEY TIMES 01:13:30 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Bill Boggs 02:03:30 STORYTIME w/ Rabbi Sol Solomon: “Way Too Many Latkes” (Glaser) 02:26:00 BUNION WATCH 02:30:30 DAVE’S BIG DICTIONARY: sensibility 02:38:30 Friends of the Daverhood 02:48:00 COLORADO LIMERICK OF THE DAMNED: Chattanooga, CO 02:51:00 DAVE GOES OUT
click above to watch episode #1009click above to listen (audio only)
Here is episode 1009 of the long-running radio show/video podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired live on Facebook, Saturday morning, Nov. 29, 2025.
Featuring: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews writer-actress Ayun Halliday and reads StoryTime (Chapulin Colorado); Greeley Times; Colorado Limerick of the Damned (Channning); Bunion Watch.
Guests: actress Ayun Halliday; spiritual leader Rabbi Sol Solomon
00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce 00:10:00 BUNION WATCH 00:20:00 DAVE GOES FURTHER IN: TMLMTBGB, Two Days in Pikesville, yuzu 01:09:00 GREELEY TIMES 01:35:00 GUEST: Rabbi Sol Solomon interviews Ayun Halliday 02:25:00 STORYTIME: Chapulin Colorado (Rodriguez & Stein) 02:34:30 Yuzu Time! 02:51:00 COLORADO LIMERICK OF THE DAMNED: Channing, CO 02:59:00 Friends of the Daverhood 03:05:00 DAVE GOES OUT: cardiology
For this week’s StoryTime segment on Dave’s Gone By, Rabbi Sol Solomon reads excerpts from the children’s book, “The Pout-Pout Fish” by Deborah Diesen.
This segment aired Nov. 1, 2025 as part of episode #1006 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)2025 TotalTheater Productions.
More information on Dave’s Gone By: http://www.davesgoneby.com
More information on Rabbi Sol Solomon: shalomdammit.com.
click above to watch episode #1008click above to listen (audio only)
Here is episode 1008 of the long-running radio show/video podcast, Dave’s Gone By, which aired live on Facebook, Saturday morning, Nov. 22, 2025.
Featuring: host Dave Lefkowitz interviews theater critic Ben Brantley; Greeley Times; Colorado Limerick of the Damned (Carracas); StoryTime w/ Rabbi Sol Solomon (The Pout-Pout Fish).
Guests: theater critic Ben Brantley; spiritual leader Rabbi Sol Solomon.
00:00:01 DAVE GOES IN w/ Joyce: desktop drumset, theater critics, washing machine, crochet potato 00:44:00 DAVE GOES AWAY: Boston 01:15:00 GUEST: Ben Brantley 02:15:00 STORYTIME w/ Rabbi Sol Solomon: “The Pout-Pout Fish” (by Deborah Diesen) 02:33:00 GREELEY TIMES 02:48:00 Friends of the Daverhood 02:54:30 COLORADO LIMERICK OF THE DAMNED: Carracas, CO 02:58:00 DAVE GOES OUT