The Sunday Simcha Radio Show

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The Sunday Simcha Radio Show

Sundays from 2-3 PM ET on WMNF Community Conscious Radio 88.5 FM Tampa Bay and globally at WMNF.org

Since 1980, The Sunday Simcha has featured Jewish entertainment, culture, and information with music from Jewish artists and communities around the globe, local Tampa Bay/Central Florida events and activities, news of Jewish culture, arts, and happenings from around the world, comedy, interviews, and weekly spiritual features. Our audience has an international listenership, both Jewish and non-Jew

ish. Among WMNF’s earliest programs after the station signed on air in 1979,The Jewish Sound (as originally named) was hosted by Oded Salpeter from 1980-1985. In 1986, when Oded took a similar position with WKAT-Miami, Mike Eisenstadt took over fully as programmer/host (after serving as a reporter/guest host frequently in the years prior), giving it the name by which it has been known since—The Sunday Simcha. Until his passing in 2005, Mike dedicated himself with whole heart to this program and to WMNF Radio as he brought news of the local Jewish community, Israel, and Jewish community worldwide and aired news and cultural features in addition to the range of Jewish music and comedy for which the program became well known. Rabbi Shalom Adler, Founder of Chabad/Young Israel of Pinellas County, brought listeners a recorded or live Weekly Dvar Torah—a tradition carried forward by his son, Rabbi Pinchas Adler, in a live interview each week. Kevin Frye and Shlomo (Steve) Schwersky served as hosts of The Sunday Simcha following Mike’s death. After Kevin’s untimely passing in 2016, Shlomo and daughter Jordyn Schwersky, co-hosted the program, dedicating themselves to giving Jewish news around the world and expanding the music library of the program. The two announced their plans to retire in spring 2019; Joy Katzen-Guthrie took over as host of the program beginning June 16, 2019. With an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary, Klezmer, Chassidic, Israeli, Yiddish, Ladino, Mizrachi, Liturgical, and a variety of Jewish folk, pop, and film music from artists around the globe, features include Milot Chochmah—Words of Wisdom—in which rabbis, cantors, and Jewish spiritual leaders from the Tampa Bay Region to share a Dvar Torah, personal insight or teaching. Programs are spiced with a touch of humor via A Bisl Freylichkayt—A Little Mirth. Community Kvell is a celebration of members of the local community, and The Kehillah Calendar provides events in the weeks ahead. We are grateful for your comments, suggestions, donations and for your ears! Join us weekly, hear our program in the weekly WMNF archive at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/, and contact us any time at [email protected].

08/03/2025

Shalom, sweet Sunday Simcha Radio Show listeners. On today's Tisha B'Av program (Sunday, August 3rd, 2-3 PM EDT on WMNF Community Radio), Myrna Wolf joins Joy Katzen-Guthrie in the studio for the last time as co-host of The Sunday Simcha before leaving Florida to join her children and grandchildren in the Northeast. Please be with us as I say l’hitraot to Myrna and wish her much fulfillment on this next journey. Today's all a-capella program in observance of this day of fasting includes Kinnot and chants for Tisha B'Av, Yerushalayim, and commemoration.

Past programs may be heard via our Sunday Simcha Dropbox Archive at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/, including last week's wonderful interview with our guests in the studio, singer-songwriter-producers Guy Ohayon and Neta Bar-El, who shared music from their ensemble JABAN and sang live in the studio as well. It was a beautiful and diverse multi-language musical program with heartfelt themes of human discovery and emotion. Guy and Neta have returned now to Israel, but we look forward to having them back in the studio with us the next time they visit family in Florida. The program can be heard via our streaming archive as well as through our Dropbox Archive linked from the Sunday Simcha page.

Hear The Sunday Simcha live every Sunday afternoon from 2-3 PM at WMNF Community Radio Tampa and globally at WMNF.org, as well as from our archive throughout the week.

We send our deepest love. Am Yisrael Chai and God Bless.

[Image Credit: (L) Fast of Ab Wood engraving from The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, Jan 1892, and (R) text from Eichah, the Book of Lamentations, chanted on Tisha B'Av in memory of the destruction of the Temples of Jerusalem and other tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people over the course of history. https://lifeofthesynagogue.charleston.edu/section/6-fasts-festivals/tisha-bav-new-york-city/]

07/28/2025

We had a wonderful program yesterday with guests Guy Ohayon and Neta Bar-El performing live in WMNF studio for The Sunday Simcha and sharing so many insights into writing their music, the creation of their recordings, and their lives and work in Israel. Enjoy these photos from the program, and visit their websites at https://www.tootrecords.com/ and https://www.jabanmusic.com/, and hear their ensembles Jaban, Luna Llena and more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyA5SDDGwxu0KPfQ46r77Kw, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeg3q6HBLI6a8le8D-jPkuA, https://www.youtube.com/, https://open.spotify.com/artist/5bwiApv5q1hdakat0qDApP

This July 27th program can be heard via livestream from our archive at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/ throughout this week until after our August 3rd program, and you may hear/download it from our Dropbox archive also linked from that page.

07/27/2025

Shalom, sweet Sunday Simcha Radio Show isteners. On this afternoon's oustanding program (Sun., July 27, from 2-3 PM EDT on WMNF Community Radio) guests Guy Ohayon and Neta Bar-El join Joy Katzen-Guthrie in the studio with original Hebrew and world music. Guy and Neta are graduates in composition from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance with their ensembles Luna Llena and JABAN, a project of musician/producer Guy Ohayon that fuses diverse musical influences into a unique, heartfelt experience in an exploration of themes of connection, emotion, and human discovery—expressed through intimate and powerful sound. They work with outstanding musicians and ensembles to produce and perform world music in several languages. We will hear them sing and play live in the studio in addition to their recordings, and they will discuss their songs, their productions and colleagues, and their lives in Israel through this war and how it has affected their music. We hope you won’t miss this stunning program on Sunday, July 27th from 2-3 PM and in our archive throughout the week.

Next week, Myrna Wolf will join Joy in the studio for the last time as co-host of The Sunday Simcha before leaving Florida to join her children and grandchildren in the Northeast. Please be with us on August 3rd from 2-3 PM as we say l’hitraot to Myrna and wish her much joy on this next journey.

Past programs may be heard via our Sunday Simcha Dropbox Archive at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/. Hear us every Sunday afternoon from 2-3 PM at WMNF Community Radio Tampa and globally at WMNF.org.

We had learned in the last two weeks of the loss of over $230,000 in grants that would have been funded to WMNF from the state and from Congress via The Corporation for Public Broadcasting—funds that were part of the rollback of $9 billion in support from the government for the arts. In an emergency fund drive on the 19th, a huge response from our community brought even more than that in donations support us. There are no words to say how grateful I and all of us at WMNF are for your support. I want to express my deepest gratitude to every one of our Sunday Simcha supporters who donated to WMNF and the Sunday Simcha in the last two weeks to support annual and emergency funds. Thank you. To donate to sustain The Sunday Simcha and Community Radio in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida areas and globally online, please visit https://www.wmnf.org/public-media-is-under-threat-wmnf-needs-you/ and click on Donate on the top menu. If you love our program, please select SIM for Simcha to show your support of us. THANK YOU.

We send our deepest love. Am Yisrael Chai and God Bless.

07/20/2025

Shalom, sweet Sunday Simcha Radio Show listeners. On this afternoon's program, (Sun., July 20, from 2-3 PM EDT on WMNF Community Radio 88.5 FM Tampa and globally at WMNF.org, Joy Katzen-Guthrie brings music to represent the peace, wholeness, and well being, both within ourselves and in our world, including the voices of Chani Livne, The Levins, MIQEDEM, Susan Colin, Sue Horowitz, Cantor Jonathan Schultz, MahTovu, Danny Maseng, Double Chai, Aviva Chernick, Alisa Fineman, Benaia Barabi, Guy Ohayon and Neta Bar El with ADVA.

Next Sunday, July 27th, our live guests in the studio will be Israeli artists Guy Ohayon and Neta Bar El with Hebrew and World music—we hope you'll be listening for a wonderful show. On August 3rd, Myrna Wolf will join Joy for our special Tisha B'Av broadcast.

I want to thank Hari Koipallil, host of WMNF's Mango Groove, for filling in last week and hosting The Sunday Simcha with an outstanding selection of music reflecting the contemporary and the centuries-long collaboration between Jews and people, music, and spiritual insight of India. It was an inspirational and informative broadcast, and I hope Hari will have the opportunity to return in the future to bring us more amazing music.

We had learned in the last two weeks of the loss of $230,000 in grants that would have been funded to WMNF from the state and from Congress via The Corporation for Public Broadcasting—funds that were part of the rollback of $9 billion in support from the government for the arts. In an emergency fund drive yesterday, a huge response from our community brought even more than that in donations support us. There are no words to say how grateful all of us at WMNF are for your support. We want to express my deepest gratitude to every one of our Sunday Simcha supporters who donated to WMNF and the Sunday Simcha in the last two weeks to support annual and emergency funds. Thank you. To donate to sustain The Sunday Simcha and Community Radio in the Tampa Bay and Central Florida areas and globally online, please visit https://www.wmnf.org/public-media-is-under-threat-wmnf-needs-you/ and click on Donate on the top menu. If you love our program, please select SIM for Simcha to show your support of us. THANK YOU.

Hear us live every Sunday afternoon from 2-3 PM at WMNF Community Radio Tampa and globally at WMNF.org. Past programs may be heard via our Sunday Simcha Dropbox Archive linked from our site at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/.

Deepest love. Am Yisrael Chai and God Bless.

07/11/2025

Shabbat Shalom, sweet Sunday Simcha Radio Show listeners. We're delighted that this Sunday's program at 2-3 PM on WMNF Community Radio 88.5 FM Tampa and globally at WMNF.org will feature guest host Hari Koipallil, who hosts WMNF's wonderful "Mangro Groove" program that follows ours. Hari will be bringing an amazing program highlighting the collaboration of musical styles between Jewish, Israeli, and Indian artists. The image below displays only a few of the many synagogues in India that represent the deep friendship and collaboration between Jews and the communities of India that has existed for more than two millennia. Tune in this Sunday from 2-3 PM live on WMNF as well as in our archive throughout the week.

Last week's program remains in our archive until after this Sunday's broadcast, and all past programs may be heard via our Sunday Simcha Dropbox Archive linked from our online page at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/.

WMNF learned last week of significant funding cuts at both state and federal levels. Despite these financial challenges, we remain steadfast in our mission driven by the continued generosity of its supporters like you and the profound impact of community radio and its importance in all our lives. At the Sunday Simcha, we are so grateful for your 45 years of support on WMNF. Any gift is beneficial to our program and appreciated. Please call our business line during the week at 813-238-8001 —or donate via the Support/Donate above on page, select SIM from the drop-down menu to give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha, and give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha. To all who have supported us during this year's fund drives and throughout the year, THANK YOU.

Hear us every Sunday afternoon from 2-3 PM at WMNF Community Radio Tampa and globally at WMNF.org. We send our deepest love and prayers for lasting peace and well being.

Am Yisrael Chai and God Bless.

[Image credit: Synagogues of India. Discover more at: http://indianjews.org/en/research/jewish-sites-in-india/103-an-introduction-to-the-synagogues-of-india]

07/05/2025

Shalom, sweet Sunday Simcha Radio Show listeners. On this week’s program, Sun., July 6, from 2-3 PM EDT on WMNF Community Radio 88.5 FM Tampa and globally at WMNF.org, Joy Katzen-Guthrie brings a stirring and uplifting collection of eloquent songs from Jewish writers/performers of Israel, America, and around the world in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish folk song, liturgical song and contemporary music. The voices include Steven Chaitman, Noam Katz, Lola, C Lanzbom, Shoshana Jedwab, Shir Yaakov Feit, Jacob Spike Kraus, Inna Barmash-Zhurbin, Nikitov, Jontef, Avraham Perera, Yaron Peer, and Rabbi Avriel Elimelech with hibbat hapiyut.

This week, WMNF learned of significant funding cuts at both state and federal levels. Despite these financial challenges, we remain steadfast in our mission driven by the continued generosity of its supporters like you and the profound impact of community radio and its importance in all our lives. At the Sunday Simcha, we are so grateful for your 45 years of support on WMNF. Any gift is beneficial to our program and we would be so grateful for your donation – at our business line during the week at 813-238-8001 —or via the Support/Donate menu on the site at https://www.wmnf.org/, select SIM from the drop-down menu to give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha, and give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha. Any amount is appreciated.

Past programs may be heard via our Sunday Simcha Dropbox on our site at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/.

Hear us every Sunday afternoon from 2-3 PM at WMNF Community Radio Tampa and globally at WMNF.org.

We send our deepest love. Am Yisrael Chai and God Bless.

[Image Credit: Jerusalem, photo by Victor Solomonik, Pixabay, used by permission]

06/29/2025

This afternoon's Sunday Simcha Radio Show from 2-3 PM EDT (Sunday, June 29) brings more musical salutes to June and July birthdays on WMNF Community Radio 88.5 FM Tampa and globally at WMNF.org. It's another eclectic program featuring the music of רוני דלומי Roni Daloomi, Barry Manilow's Broadway production, Harmony A New Musical, composers Sammy Fain and Bob Thiele, Ben Bernie & His Orchestra, Nicki Parrott, Al Jolson, Matisyahu, Arlo Guthrie, Mel Torme, Louis Armstrong, and Cilla Dagan. Wow!

Last week's program featuring the music of Lerner and Loewe, Mickey Katz, Frank Loesser, Richard Rodgers, Marvin Hamlisch and more, in addition to the voices of HALO - Hila Ben David and Cantor Chaim Stern, Carly Simon, Kitty Kallen, Dinah Shore, Jerry Lewis, Theodore Bikel, Rita, Oded Teomi and more can be heard, along with other past programs, in our Dropbox archive linked from our Sunday Simcha page at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/.

Thank you for your generous gifts in honor of The Sunday Simcha, in our 45th year on WMNF thanks so your many years of support. Any gift is beneficial to our program and we ask that you call the station during the week at 813-238-8001—or visit WMNF.org at any time and select Support/Donate on the top menu, select SIM from the drop-down menu to give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha, and donate whatever you can.

Shavua Tov, God Bless, Am Yisrael Chai.

[image credit: Israel 2019 Dance/Song Music Special Stamp]

06/22/2025

Recognize faces in this musical montage? This afternoon (Sunday, June 22) at 2 PM EDT, Joy Katzen-Guthrie brings you a musical salute to June birthdays and more on today's Sunday Simcha Radio Show on WMNF Community Radio 88.5 FM Tampa and globally at WMNF.org. It's a wonderful program featuring the music of Lerner and Loewe, Mickey Katz, Frank Loesser, Richard Rodgers, Marvin Hamlisch and more, in addition to the voices of Hila Ben David and Cantor Chaim Stern, Carly Simon, Kitty Kallen, Dinah Shore, Jerry Lewis, Theodore Bikel, Rita, Oded Teomi and more.

Last week's Father's Day program with Myrna Wolf remains in our archives through the end of today's program and can be heard, along with other past programs, in our Dropbox archive linked from our Sunday Simcha page at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/.

Thank you again for your generous donations during our Summer Fund Drive program and in the weeks since in honor of The Sunday Simcha—now in our 45th year on WMNF thanks so your many years of support. Any gift is beneficial to our program and we ask that you call the station during the week at 813-238-8001—or visit WMNF.org and select Support/Donate on the top menu, select SIM from the drop-down menu to give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha, and donate whatever you can.

God Bless, Am Yisrael Chai.

06/15/2025

With her tribute to fathers and more, Myrna Wolf brings you The Sunday Simcha Radio Show tomorrow from 2-3 PM EDT on WMNF Community Radio 88.5 FM Tampa and globally at WMNF.org. It's a lovely program featuring Barbra Streisand, Zero Mostel, Paul Simon, Shir, Nava Tehila, Joey Weisenberg and Hadar Ensemble, Danny Maseng, Craig Taubman, Richard Kaplan, and Dudu Fisher.

Last week's program with Myrna celebrating Mamaloshen remains in our archive until after tomorrow's program and then can be heard from our Dropbox archive linked from our Sunday Simcha page at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/. That program featured a celebration of Yiddish with the voices of The Barry Sisters, Nechama Lifsh*tz, Elisheva Edelson, Josh Waletzky, Mordechai Ben David, Yaacov Shapiro, Klezmer Conservatory Band, Cantor David Propis, Talila, Molly Picon, The Burning Bush, and Aaron Lebedeff.

Again, we thank you for your generous donations during our Summer Fund Drive program and since for The Sunday Simcha—now in our 45th year on WMNF thanks so your many years of support. Any gift is beneficial to our program and we ask that you call the station at 813-239-9663 tomorrow or during the week at 813-238-8001—orr visit WMNF.org and select Support/Donate on the top menu, select SIM from the drop-down menu to give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha, and donate whatever you can.

Happy Father's Day, God Bless, Am Yisrael Chai.

06/08/2025

Shavua Tov, sweet Sunday Simcha Radio Show listeners. Today from 2-3 PM EDT on WMNF Community Radio 88.5 FM Tampa and globally at WMNF.org, Myrna Wolf brings you "Mamaloshen!" A rousing celebration of Yiddish with the voices of The Barry Sisters, Nechama Lifsh*tz, Elisheva Edelson, Josh Waletzky, Mordechai Ben David, Yaacov Shapiro, Klezmer Conservatory Band, Cantor David Propis, Talila, Molly Picon, The Burning Bush, and Aaron Lebedeff.

We so appreciate your generous donations during last Sunday's Summer Fund Drive program. We came up about $300 below our goal and are still reaching out to you to ask for your donations of any amount to support The Sunday Simcha—now in our 45th year on WMNF thanks so your many years of support. Any gift is beneficial to our program and we ask that you call the station at 813-239-9663 today or during the week at 813-238-8001. Or visit WMNF.org and select Support/Donate on the top menu, select SIM from the drop-down menu to give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha, and donate whatever you can.

Please consider becoming a Circle of Friends member with a sustaining monthly donation (which will bring you the Circle of Friends T-shirt as a thank you gift) or a Circle of Chai Member — supporting the Sunday Simcha with an $18 a month donation or more. There are many other great thank you gifts available on the site that you are able to select as you make your donation. Some of the many thank you gifts can be viewed from this page: https://www.wmnf.org/support/wmnf-swag/

Deepest thanks to Myrna Wolf, Laura Taylor, Jim Coley and Joy Katzen-Guthrie, who were present for our Summer Fund Drive Program, and to all who called, made a donation, acknowledged us and wished us well. We appreciate you so.
Hear past programs in our Dropbox Archive linked from our Sunday Simcha page at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/

[Image Credit: Molly Picon & Aaron Lebedeff star in Blublitchki (Bagels), first staged January 11, 1938 in NYC's Public Theatre]

06/03/2025

Our Summer Fund Drive program from last Sunday was great fun and we so appreciate your generous donations during the program. We came up about $300 below our goal for the program, so will be reaching out to you in the days ahead to ask for your donations to support The Sunday Simcha—now in our 45th year on WMNF thanks so your many years of support.

Please visit WMNF.org and select Support/Donate on the top menu, select SIM from the drop-down menu to give a gift in honor of the Sunday Simcha, and donate whatever you are able to at this time. Please consider becoming a Circle of Friends member with a sustaining monthly donation each month (which will bring you the Circle of Friends T-shirt as a thank you gift) or a Circle of Chai Member — supporting the Sunday Simcha with an $18 a month donation or more. There are many wonderful thank you gifts available on the site that you are able to select as you make your donation.

Or call 813-239-9663 or 813-238-8001 and give your donation by phone in honor of the Sunday Simcha and ask about thank you gifts then. Some of the many thank you gifts can be viewed from this page: https://www.wmnf.org/support/wmnf-swag/

Deepest thanks to Myrna Wolf, Laura Taylor, Jim Coley and Joy Katzen-Guthrie who were present for our Summer Fund Drive Program, and to all who called, made a donation, acknowledged us and wished us well. We appreciate you so.

Hear the program in the archive from our Sunday Simcha page at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/

06/01/2025

Shavua Tov and Chag Shavuot Sameach. This afternoon (Sun, June 1st) from 2-3 PM EDT (WMNF Community Radio, 88.5 FM Tampa and globally at WMNF.org), Myrna Wolf, Laura Taylor, Jim Coley and Joy Katzen-Guthrie bring you our Summer Fund Drive Program, including music for Shavuot, which begins with tonight's sunset. We hope you'll join us and generously support The Sunday Simcha—now in our 45th year on WMNF bringing music from Jewish artists, composers, producers, and writers from around the world. We are so grateful for your support for the better part of half a century! It is an enormous achievement and we appreciate YOU.

Please join us this afternoon, enjoy the music, and make a donation to The Sunday Simcha's Summer Fund Drive. Call 813-239-9663 and speak with one of our dedicated volunteers, or visit WMNF.org, select Donate on the top menu and select SIM to honor the Sunday Simcha with your donation. There are many gifts from which you may choose in return for your donation; visit the gift page as you donate online, or request information about thank you gifts as you call to donate.

And THANK YOU for taking us into a new season and toward our 50th anniversary with your generous support.

There is still time to hear last Sunday's Yom Yerushalayim tribute, which remains in our archive until after this afternoon's broadcast, as well as previous past programs via our Sunday Simcha Dropbox Archive that you may access from our our Sunday Simcha Page at https://www.wmnf.org/events/sunday-simcha/.

Join us live this and every Sunday afternoon from 2-3 PM at WMNF Community Radio Tampa and globally at WMNF.org.

Am Yisrael Chai and God Bless.

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