The Magic Door facts for kids

The Magic Door was a special television show for children. It was also known as The Magic Door Television Theatre. The show helped teach Jewish children in Chicago about their heritage. It was also made to be fun for all kids aged 5 to 9. The Chicago Board of Rabbis created the show. It first aired on January 1, 1962, and ran every Sunday until January 1, 1982. You could watch it at 9:00 AM on WBBM-TV.

Discovering The Magic Door TV Show

The Magic Door was a popular educational TV series. It taught kids about Jewish history and traditions. The show used fun characters and stories to share important lessons. It was a weekly show that ran for 20 years.

Songs That Opened the Door

The show had two main theme songs. The first song was "A Room Zoom Zoom". It was based on the children's song "A Ram Sam Sam". The second theme song was written by Charles Gerber. It used music from Beethoven's "Pastorale" Symphony No. 6. The lyrics invited viewers to explore:

"Open, come open the Magic Door with me,
With your imagination there's so much we can see.
There is a doorway that leads to a place.
I'll find my way by the smile on your face."

Characters You'd Meet

The main characters were "Tiny Tov" and his cousin "Tina Tova". Tiny Tov looked like a small elf. This was done using special effects. Tiny lived in a house made from an acorn. The entrance to his house was the Magic Door. Before going through the door, Tiny would sing:

"Ah room zoom zoom, ah room zoom zoom, gily gily gily gily gily a sa sa.
Come through The Magic Door with me, just say these words, and wondrous things we'll see."

Many other fun puppet characters joined Tiny and Tina. These included Bubbe Beaver and Icky Witch. There were also Rabbi and Mrs. Moreh. Max the Mailbox and Rumplemyer Dragon were also part of the fun. Other characters were Bunny Rabbit, Buddy, and Worthington Warlock.

Lessons and Learning

In the early days, Tiny Tov would travel through time. He rode his Magic Feather on these adventures. Later, the show focused on teaching moral topics. Each episode had a "Hebrew Word of the Day". This word was always related to the lesson being taught. Tiny Tov taught Jewish children about Jewish history. He shared stories from the Torah and Jewish tradition. Every show also included a short Hebrew lesson. They would learn about the Aleph-Bet (Hebrew alphabet).

The People Behind the Characters

Irv Kaplan created Tiny Tov and Tina Tova. He later moved to Israel. There, he helped create Israeli Educational Television. Four different actors played Tiny Tov. Irv Kaplan was the first. From 1970 to 1973, Jerry (Jerome) Loeb played Tiny Tov. Charles Gerber, who wrote the song lyrics, also played the role. Rabbi Joe Black was the last Tiny Tov. Fran (Uditsky) Moss played Tina Tova. Helen Cirkle was the first puppeteer.

Other Magic Door Shows

Another children's show with the same name aired in Washington, D.C. It was on WMAL-TV (now WJLA) from 1969 to 1976. However, this show was not connected to the Chicago series.

Beyond the Magic Door TV Show

Beyond The Magic Door was a follow-up television show. It aired on WBBM-TV in Chicago, Illinois in the early 1980s. This show was a kind of sequel to The Magic Door Television Theatre.

The Theme Song of Beyond

The theme song for Beyond The Magic Door began with these words:

If your mind is open
And free to explore
I know a place called Dreidl
It lies beyond the magic door
It's over the rainbow, through the mighty seas,...
Come follow me, through the magic door

Who Was in Beyond the Magic Door?

Rusty Steiger was the main puppeteer for the show. Ken Raabe also worked as a puppeteer. One of his characters was J. P. Potter, a hand holding a cigar. David C. Waite was also part of the cast. Dan Castellaneta played Detective Farblonget for a short time. John Szostek later took over that role.