A rabbi visits a congregant’s home after realizing that she hasn’t been coming to synagogue as often as before. Of course, the congregant learns an important lesson in the process. This story is retold by Rabbi Leora Kaye, Director of Program at the Union for Reform Judaism.

Joseph, on his way to a new town, meets a beggar on the train. His beard is tangled, his clothing is tattered, and he appears to be dirty. When the beggar speaks to Joseph, Joseph responds that they probably shouldn’t speak to each other until they arrive at their destination. What happens next? Listen to this story, retold by Rabbi Marc Katz. For a written version of the story, read “Forgiveness” in Three Times Chai by Laney Katz Becker.

One night, a poor man dreams that there is treasure buried underneath the King’s castle in Vienna. He doesn’t think anything of it, until he has the dream the next night, and the next night, and the night after that. What does he do? Listen to this story, retold by Cantor Ellen Dreskin. For a written version, find story 264 in The Classic Tales: 4,000 Years of Jewish Lore, first edition, by Ellen Frankel.

When the Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon, she presents him with many beautiful flowers. But the flowers aren’t as perfect as they seem, and they come with a puzzle that King Solomon must solve. For a written version of this story, retold by Jerry Kaye, Emeritus Director of URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, see story 101 in The Classic Jewish Tales: 4,000 Years of Jewish Folklore, by Ellen Frankel.

A community experiences a terrible drought, so everybody, including a smart young boy, gathers together to pray for rain. Does it work, and what does it teach the community about having faith? Listen to this story, retold by Rabbi Leora Kaye.

Two brothers lived on different sides of the same mountain, one with a large family and one by himself. They didn’t see each other much, but they were supportive of each other. In fact, their support for each other was so strong that one specific act even inspired the building of the Temple in Jerusalem. What could they possibly have done to inspire such an important landmark? Listen to this retelling, by Rabbi Marc Katz, of the classic story. For a written version of this story, read “How the Temple Site was Chosen” in The Classic Tales: 4,000 Years of Jewish Lore by Ellen Frankel.

Two students speak to their rabbi as they prepare for the Days of Awe. When the rabbi asks the students if they can describe a time when they wronged somebody else, one of them can’t seem to remember any such time. How does the rabbi respond? Find out in this story, retold by Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism.

Every year for his birthday, the king invites the entire kingdom to get a glimpse of a beautiful ruby of magnificent color and splendor. For the rest of the year the ruby is tucked away in a box, making this tradition extra special and joyous. But one year, everybody’s joy turns to horror when they find a large scratch on the ruby! What will they do about it? Jerry Kaye, director emeritus of the URJ’s Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute camp tells this story, and reveals an important lesson about dealing with flaws. You can find a written version of this story in The Jewish Story Finder, 2nd edition, as story 569, The Blemish on the Diamond.

Just at the end of creation, God decides to bring the angels together for the best concert anyone has ever seen. The ten best musicians of every instrument are assembled, but for some reason, there is only one best triangle player. That’s a lot of pressure for just one musician – can they live up to it? Find out in this story, retold by Rabbi Leora Kaye, Director of Program at the Union for Reform Judaism.

In a town in Eastern Europe many years ago, all of the clocks mysteriously stopped working at the same time. The townspeople tried many different methods, but after years they still couldn’t get the clocks to work again. So, what happens when a clock expert visits the town? Listen to this story, retold by Rabbi Marc Katz, to find out.