I grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, where winters are long, and hobbies are essential for survival. When I was 10, my late father gave me a beginner’s magic kit and a Danny O’Day puppet. The magic tricks were fun, but the ventriloquism career hit a snag—literally—when the puppet’s string broke.
Years later, on a winter vacation in Montreal, I spotted a Mr. Parlanchin figure in a toy store and convinced my parents to buy it. I dabbled in ventriloquism throughout my teens, but it wasn’t until 1995—at the ripe old age of 34—that I stumbled across Axtell Expressions and ordered a couple of puppets. The only problem? I still wasn’t very good. It took another decade (and the invention of YouTube) before I started refining my technique.
Cover image: Rabbi Rob with Auntie Tanya. Above: with Peabody the Dog.
I’ve been a teacher for over 35 years, but it was my late aunt—a Jewish day school educator—who first suggested I bring a puppet into my classroom. At the time, I dismissed the idea as bizarre. What would I even do with it?
Fast-forward to a stint as a community rabbi in the U.S., and the intensity of my daily work prompted me to look for some sort of outlet. One day, I was curious, and scoured the internet to see if there were any other teachers or clergy that used ventriloquism for educational purposes. A Facebook search led me to an entire world of ventriloquists, an interest in the annual convention (which I’ve yet to attend!), and a deep dive into discovering more about hard and soft vent figures. I began purchasing both new and used figures, and I’ve become somewhat competent, with 12 soft figures in my collection – each with a distinctly different personality and voice!
Smooch the Orangutan
Gorgle the Extraterrestrial
Over time, I started making my own videos, incorporating puppetry into my online classes, and producing short clips focused on Jewish themes. Now, I run www.theshmuppets.com, create Jewish educational content, and contribute to TorahLive.com—because, as it turns out, puppets are a pretty great way to bring important ethics, values and traditions to life. My dream is to create a curriculum for US Jewish day schools using short trigger films that use ventriloquism and puppetry as the basis for classroom lessons.
Rabbi Rob with Sherwood
Thanks for sharing with us Rabbi!
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