Ed Asner Takes Jewish Tales to Airwaves : Judaism: His radio storytelling is part of a program called ‘Sights and Sounds of Chanukkah’ to explain the holiday for people of all faiths.

Although the first Hanukkah candle won’t be lit for another two months, veteran actor Ed Asner is already telling stories about the annual Festival of Lights that commemorates the rededication of the Temple in 165 BC.

On Thursday, Asner colorfully read a story by Nobel Peace Prize winner Isaac Bashevis Singer called “A Parakeet Named Dreidel,” about a Yiddish-speaking bird that lands on the windowsill of a Brooklyn Jewish family on the eighth day of Hanukkah.

Asner’s storytelling is part of a special radio program called “The Sights and Sounds of Chanukkah” that will be distributed via satellite feed next month by local KCSN (88.5 FM). The program will also include a Hanukkah party segment with 8- to 10-year-old children playing the dreidel game, singing songs and eating potato pancakes with the show’s host, Cantor Michael Russ.

“A lot of Jews don’t know what Hanukkah is about, but certainly the non-Jews don’t know,” said Russ, whose show, “L’Chayim,” can be heard on KCSN from 10 a.m. to noon on Sundays. “A lot of people think there is a real connection between Hanukkah and Christmas. There’s really no connection, except that they come at the same time of year.”

Russ, who is cantor of the Reform congregation B’nai Emet in Simi Valley, is co-producing the show with Trish Alexander, a free-lance radio and television producer. The show will be made available to radio stations nationwide for airing near Hanukkah, which begins at sundown Dec. 19.

At the session this week at Sing Sing Recording Studios in Woodland Hills, Russ also interviewed Asner about growing up in Kansas City, Kan., where Christmas overshadowed Hanukkah for the approximate 100 Jewish families in town.

“In school, when we had to sing Christmas carols, I’d sing right along with them until I got to the word ‘Jesus’ or ‘Christ,’ then I’d shut my mouth,” said Asner, who starred in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Lou Grant” and now is appearing in the new CBS show “Hearts Afire.”

Although he celebrated the holiday at Sunday school and a menorah was lit at home, he felt a sense of alienation.

“I wanted to get through it as quickly as possible so that the separation and isolation was diminished,” Asner said.

Once in Los Angeles, however, Asner found it much easier to celebrate Hanukkah publicly with his four children.

“Whether it’s the Jewish offset to Christmas or not, it’s a lovely holiday. It’s a holiday of hope, it’s a holiday of victory, it’s a holiday of restoration,” he said.