YALDAH GIRL FUN!

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2008-10-03T12:45:00.003-04:00

Share this widget with your friends! Post it on your blog/website/profile or e-mail it! Just click 'share' on the bottom right corner to see all the options.

Vote for YALDAH to win $100,000!

2008-09-17T04:30:00.001-04:00

Yup, that's the right amount of zeros!! We won't ever bug you about fundraising again if we win!

Vote for "Evelyn from MA" at www.wellsfargo.com/somedaystories!

Attention Teens!

2008-09-08T23:02:00.002-04:00

ATTENTION TEENS!

Although YALDAH is for ages 9-15, we're now looking for observant Jewish TEEN girls (ages 13-19) to contribute to a book of advice for teens that will be published by YALDAH!

What areas do you need advice in? What areas would you like to share advice with other girls? Ever wish you had a wise older sister who had 'been there, done that'?

Please send us your questions, problems, thoughts, comments, advice and more on any of the following topics (or suggest a topic!):

-My parents drive me crazy: Relationships with parents

-Why can't I hang out with guys? Boys, tznius, shomer negia

-I'm stressed out from school: stress & other school-related issues

-I am a nothing: depression

-If I am, who am I? Finding yourself

-Who says I'm peer pressured? Issues with friends & peer pressure

-Should I start planning my future? How? Thinking about the future

-Do adults know how I feel? Feeling like no one understands you

-I'm ashamed to be different: Being Jewish around the rest of the world

-How do I resist the temptations of the modern world? TV, movies, music, magazines, books that we should stay away from

-They say I'm bummed out: reputations & what others think

-Am I fat? Healthy eating, exercise & eating disorders

-What can I do to help my friend? When your friend needs help

-I feel limited: expressing ourselves & our talents in a kosher way

All responses will be kept anonymous. You can e-mail yaldah@comcast.net, or if you want to submit anonymously submit on the YALDAH website at http://www.yaldahmagazine.com/submit.html.

What Now?

2008-09-07T14:34:00.002-04:00

Hey, this is the 100th post! Pretty cool, huh?

So, as you can see, Girl Fun has been pretty quiet for a while. I was at camp for three weeks and had an unbelievable, unforgettable, inspiring, fun filled summer - hope to see you there next year! ;-)

I was home for a short while, and now I'm back at school - as a SENIOR!

So now my question for you is...

WHAT NOW?

What do YOU want to see? Should we continue posts everyday like we had before? Weekly posts? Games on the website? What do YOU want to see that will make the YALDAH website fun (besides a forum...sorry)?

Post your answers/comments.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Matos

2008-07-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

"When are we going to finally get to go to Mount Rushmore?" Josh asked for the hundredth time.

"We have to drive up just one more mountain," his father answered patiently.

"But dad," said Naomi, "we just drove up a mountain."

"You're right, Naomi. We drove up one mountain, but there is still some more mountains to go."

"Dad, we keep doing that over and over again," Josh whined. "Every time we reach the top, we keep having to climb even higher."

"You don't know how right you are!" exclaimed Mrs. Levy.

"What do you mean, Mom?" asked Naomi.

"Well, let's think about what Josh just said. We read in the Torah about the travels of the Jewish people. The Torah tells us about the many destinations through which the Jewish people passed as they traveled in the desert. The Torah begins by stating, 'These are the journeys of the Jewish nation as they came out of the land of Egypt.'

"The verse says 'the journeys', but it only took one journey, the very first one -- from Ra'amses to Sukkot -- for the Jewish people to get out of Egypt. Sukkot is already out of the boundaries of Egypt. Then why does the Torah say 'journeys?'...

to read the rest of the article, visit http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/385641/jewish/Matot-Parshah-Lesson.htm

The content on this page is copyrighted by the author, publisher and/or Chabad.org, and is produced by Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with the copyright policy.

Joke

2008-07-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

Why was the baby ant confused?

because all it's uncles were ants!

Thought of the day

2008-07-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there's a light from within.

Game

2008-07-23T00:01:00.001-04:00

Answer:

because he wanted to get his teeth crowned.

Easy shmeezy granola

2008-07-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/8 cup cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup melted butter

What to do:
Mix together all the ingredients. That's it! Enjoy!

Decorated mirror

2008-07-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

Supplies:
any kind of undecorated mirror, preferably with a wooden frame
scrap pieces of pretty cloth, buttons, beads, coins, silk flowers, ribbon, etc- the choices are endless
glue

What to do:
Cover your work surface with a piece of newspaper so glue doesn't get all over.
Spread a layer of glue on one part of the mirror at a time. Stick on your decorations. You can overlap them or keep them separate. Don't worry about getting glue on the glass, it can be scraped off after it dries.
When you're done decorating, let the glue dry (it will become clear) before hanging the mirror.

Survey

2008-07-20T00:01:00.000-04:00

What's your favorite quote?
Post your answers in the comment section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Pinchas

2008-07-18T11:00:00.000-04:00

Little Moishy was going to shul for the first time. His family lived far from the shul. But he had just turned five and his mother felt that the long walk would not be too much for him.

“I know I can make it,” Moishy said excitedly. “And I promise I’ll sit quietly, right between Yanky and Daddy, and I’ll look in my siddur.”

Moishy was true to his word. He watched and listened carefully to the davening and to the Torah reading. On the way home, Moishy commented: “When I grow up, I want to be a kohen,” Moishy said dreamily, “Then I could be called up to the Torah first!”

“Oh Moishy!” exclaimed Yanky. “You can’t grow up to be a kohen! You’re either born a kohen or you’re not and we’re not.”

The boys’ father smiled. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he asked Yanky, “Can you think of someone who was not born a kohen but became one?” Yanky thought hard.

“It’s in this week’s parshah, ” his father hinted.

“Pinchas?”

“Yes.”

“But wasn’t Pinchas the son of Elazar the son of Aharon the kohen?”

“Yes,” replied the boys’ father. “Once Aharon and his sons were anointed kohanim, all their children born afterwards would automatically become kohanim. But Pinchas was born before Aharon and his sons were anointed kohanim. Pinchas did not automatically become a kohen when his father, uncle, and grandfather were anointed.”

“Then how did he become a kohen? ” asked Moishy.

“He earned it. A man called Zimri committed a grave sin in front of all the people. Pinchas was very troubled and he rushed to punish Zimri right away so that everyone would see that the words of HaShem must be obeyed.

“It was dangerous. Zimri was a leader, and his tribe might have harmed Pinchas for what he did. Nobody would have expected him to risk his life. But Pinchas thought only about the will of HaShem, he did much more than what anyone would have expected. To reward him, HaShem made him a kohen.

“This is a lesson for us, too,” the father continued. “We can’t become kohanim, but we can be sure that when we do more than what is expected, HaShem will reward us in an exceptional manner too.”

Our Rabbis tell us that Pinchas and Eliyahu HaNavi are the same person. Eliyahu will announce the coming of Mashiach. How can we make Eliyahu and Mashiach come more quickly? By following the example of Pinchas, and serving HaShem in an exceptional way, even beyond the call of duty.

The content on this page is copyrighted by the author, publisher and/or Chabad.org, and is produced by our content partner, Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with the copyright policy.

Joke

2008-07-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

What is the smartest state?
Alabama, because it has 4 A's and 1 B.

Thought

2008-07-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

Aim at heaven, and you will get earth thrown in; aim at earth, and you will get neither.

Zip zap zop

2008-07-16T00:01:00.000-04:00

For this game you'll need at least seven people.

One person starts by jumping up, pointing at someone, and saying "zip."

The person they point to then repeats step 1, but they say "zap."

The third person says "zop."

Keep repeating steps 1-3. The person who messes up first is out and the game is over.

You can't do it right back to the person who pointed at you.

Milkshake

2008-07-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
2 scoops of ice cream
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

What to do:
Mix all ingredients in a blender. Mix on low speed- don't blend for too long or you'll have vanilla milk! :)
Pour into a glass and enjoy.

Variations:
for strawberry milkshake, add fresh strawberries. The more you add, the more flavorful it will be.

for chocolate, use chocolate ice cream.

Rock paperweights

2008-07-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

Supplies:
rock
pictures from magazines, little pieces of scrapbook paper, etc
glue, watered down with a little water
paintbrush

What to do:
Clean the rock off.
Cover the rock with pictures! You can either pick one picture that fits the whole rock, or make a collage with little scraps of pretty paper. Glue them on the rock and use as a paperweight on your desk or give as a gift.

Survey

2008-07-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Have you made any of the crafts or recipes posted on this blog? Which ones?
Post your answers in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Balak

2008-07-11T11:00:00.002-04:00

A king was waiting anxiously with a crowd of people. From afar they were able to see a man walking slowly, as if in a trance. The man looked strange: he could see with only one eye, and that eye had come out of it's socket. As he began to speak, the crowd of people turned away from him. Some were disappointed, and others were angry.

But the man ignored them and continued speaking as if a spell had ben cast over him. The story repeated itself twice more. Each time, fewer people came out to see and listen to the strange man, while others began to mock and laugh at him. The king finally became upset with the man and sent him home in disgrace.

Who was this kind and why was he so disappointed? The king was Balak. He ruled in ancient times, when people believed in magicians and wizards. Balak called the master wizard of his time, Bilaam, to try to curse the Jewish people. But Bilaam did not curse the Jewish people. Instead, he blessed them with words Hashem put in his mouth. His prophecies contain great blessings for the Jewish people and for teh entire world.

Bilaam prophesied about the coming of the Moshiach: 'I see it, but not now. I can gaze upon it, but it will not be in the near future. A star shall go forth from Yaakov and a staff shall arise in Israel."

The Rambam explains," 'I see it, but not now,' is King David. 'I can gaze upon it, but it will not be in the near future,' is King Moshiach. 'A star shall go forth from Yaakov,' is King David, and ' A staff shall arise in Israel,' is King Moshiach."

Why does the prophecy mention King David together with King Moshiach? First of all, to strengthen our faith that Moshiach will come. David was born many hundreds of years after Bilaam;s prophecy. We have be waiting even longer for Moshiach. However, we can be sure that the second part of the prophecy will be fulfilled, just as the first part came to pass.

There is also another lesson. Putting the kings together in the same prophecy shows is that they will do similar things. David spread the study of the TOrah and the observance of the mitzvos among all the Jewish people. He defeated all their enemies and brought peace to the land. He brought the Aron HaKodesh to Jerusalem and prepared for the Beis HaMikdash to be built.

These are the type of things Moshiach will do. Moshiach will bring all the Jewish people to keep the Torah. He will lead them to Eretz Yisrael where they will live in peace. And he will build the Beis HaMikdash.

Joke of the day

2008-07-11T00:02:00.000-04:00

2 jokes this week! :)

What month has 28 days?

All of them!

What kind of cheese is made backwards?

Edam.

Be yourself!

2008-07-10T00:01:00.000-04:00

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.

Word search

2008-07-09T00:01:00.001-04:00

No bake chocolate cookies

2008-07-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
2 teasp. vanilla
3 cups dry oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter
wax paper

What to do:
1. In a pot, mix together the cocoa, butter, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a boil. When it's boiling, turn down the temperature and let cook for 3 minutes.
2. Turn off the heat and add oatmeal and peanut butter.
3. Drop by spoonful on a sheet of wax paper. You can put them in the refrigerator if you want. As they cool, they'll harden a little.

Wrapped headband

2008-07-07T00:01:00.002-04:00

Supplies:
Embroidery floss in your favorite colors
Buttons, beads, sequins, etc
Plastic headband
Scissors
Hot glue gun (and an adult's help)

What to do:
Place a small dot of hot glue at one end of the headband on the inside. Place the starter end of your embroidery floss on the hot glue and start wrapping it tightly around the headband.
If you want to change colors, snip the thread you’re using and then put a dab of hot glue to tack the new thread into place.

To add buttons, simply run the embroidery floss through the buttonholes and position the button on top of the headband. Then, continue wrapping with floss.
When you reach the other end of the headband with your floss, tack it in place with hot glue on the underside of the headband.

Have fun! :)

Survey

2008-07-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

What's your favorite book?
Post your answers in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Chukat

2008-07-04T11:30:00.002-04:00

The eighth-graders were busy preparing for graduation. They were going to put on a presentation and everyone was assigned a job. Sarit was responsible for the scenery. As she was working one afternoon, her teacher, Mrs. Zack, called her.

"Sarit, you know Simi's mother had a baby and Simi needs to help at home in the afternoons. Simi's job was to arrange the props, and I would like you to take over for her. You are very talented and I am sure you will set up the props tastefully."

"Thank you for the compliment," Sarit said. "But scenery is what I do best. Wouldn't it be better if I just concentrate on my job and get it done well?"

"Come, Sarit," Mrs. Zack replied. "Let's take a short break from the paintbrush and do a bit of `living with the times.'

"In the Torah we read about the passing away of Miriam and Aaron. The Torah tells us that, in their merit, the Jewish people were accompanied by a well of fresh water and the clouds of glory on their journeys through the desert. When Miriam and Aaron passed away, the well and the clouds also disappeared."

"But," interrupted Sarit. "I remember learning that the well and the clouds accompanied the Jewish people right up to the day they entered Israel."

"That's right, Sarit. They did disappear with Miriam and Aaron's death, but they came back in the merit of Moses. And that's just what I wanted to discuss with you. The Torah tells us that the manna the Jewish people ate in the desert came in Moses' merit. Moses was a leader, and a leader knows and cares about his people and treats each one according to his needs. This is like manna - food which is given according to the needs of every person."

"That reminds me of the way our sages describe how Moses took the sheep out to pasture," said Sarit. "He let the young ones graze first because they needed the softest grass."

Mrs. Zack nodded. "Good, Sarit. Now perhaps you can figure out why the clouds of glory were in the merit of Aaron. I'll give you a hint - the clouds surrounded and protected all of the Jewish Nation, no matter who they were."

"Oh, I know," replied Sarit enthusiastically. "Aaron was a lover of Israel and no matter who they were."

"And Miriam," continued Mrs. Zack, "devoted herself to caring for the tiny babies in Egypt. Even in the depths of exile and turmoil, Miriam filled the people with life and hope. And in her merit came the water which flows from high places to low.

"Now, do you know why the clouds and the well came back in Moses merit? With Miriam and Aaron gone, Moses took upon himself to care for the Jews and fill in, devoting himself to the tasks that Miriam and Aaron had performed. This is what a leader is, a person who takes responsibility when the need arises, even if the tasks had originally been performed by others.

"Every Jew must learn from Moses. We too must do what has to be done. Even when we are dedicated to our specific job, we must be willing to take on more when the need arises."

This article is produced by Chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you do not revise any part of it, and you include this note, credit the author, and link to www.chabad.org. If you wish to republish this article in a periodical, book, or website, please email permissions@chabad.org.

Have a good Shabbos!

Joke

2008-07-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

A man was walking along beside the road and found a crocodile. He went over to a policeman and told him about it. The officer said to take it to the zoo. The next day the policeman saw the same man with the crocodile and said, "I thought I told you to take it to the zoo!" The man replied, "I did, and now today we are going to the beach."

Thought of the day

2008-07-02T23:00:00.002-04:00

"The whole temple was destroyed because of pointless hatred, how much more so it will be rebuilt out of pointless love." - Chabad Lubavitcher Rebbe

Dvar Torah for Parshat Korach

2008-06-27T18:02:00.003-04:00

Think before you do!

by Leah Larson

This week's parsha talks about the rebellion of Korach. If you take a look at Korach's name it looks very interesting. All the letters - kuf, reish, and chet look similar to the letter hey but a little different. Hey usually stands for Hashem and it the way things are supposed to be. In the letter 'hey' there are three lines, and these lines represent thought, speech, and action. The lines of thought and speech are connected, but the line of action remains separate. The correct process is we first think about it, talk about it, and then take a pause to reconsider before we move onto action. But with Korach the shape of 'hey' is all deformed. Korach didn't have this process of stopping before action. We should all take a minute to think about what we're doing before we do it, so we don't end up regretting our actions!

Have a wonderful shabbos!

Joke of the Day

2008-06-27T02:04:00.001-04:00

Q: Why do grooms stomp on the glass when getting married?

A: It's the last time they'll put their foot down!

Goals

2008-06-26T02:02:00.001-04:00

Goals are dreams with a deadline.

Puzzle of the Day

2008-06-25T02:48:00.002-04:00

The dogs are trying to get to their bones! Follow the directions to see who gets there first.

1) The dogs that have the same names as flowers both move three spaces.
2) The dogs that start with the same letter all move two spaces.
3) The dog that has the same name as a food moves one space.
4) The poodle moves four spaces.
5) The dogs tied for last place both move three puzzles.
6) The yellow lab moves two spaces.
7) Oh no! Brownie falls down and moves back two spaces!
8) The dog with black fur moves three spaces.
9) Brownie runs ahead five spaces.
10) Buddy moves four spaces.

Who wins ? _____________

YALDAH'S A WINNER!!!

2008-06-24T03:01:00.001-04:00

I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WITH HASHEM'S BROCHOS YALDAH IS THE WINNER OF THE $1000 IDEA CAFE SMALL BUSINESS GRANT!

A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to vote for YALDAH -- every vote counted!

May we continue to only share good news!

Stained-Glass Look-Alikes

2008-06-23T00:40:00.000-04:00

1. Cut 2 pieces of waxed paper to be the same size and shape.

2. Collect flat things that you want to encase in the waxed paper.

3. Place one sheet of wax paper down, and arrange all your flat objects on it. Add crayon shavings as a colorful background and surrounding color.

4. Get an adult to help with this step. Place the other piece of wax paper on top, and iron the artwork (make sure you iron on the appropriate surface, such as on top of some newspapers). Iron until all the shavings are melted and the wax paper is stuck together.

5. Wait for it to cool, then trim the edges. Make a hole near the top to hang it if you would like!

--from www.funology.com.

Survey of the Week

2008-06-22T18:38:00.002-04:00

What are you doing for the Summer? Post your replies in the comments section.

Be happy!

2008-06-19T03:14:00.000-04:00

Whoever is happy will make others happy too.

-Anne Frank

Puzzle

2008-06-18T03:16:00.001-04:00

Why did the golfer change his pants?

A F D B T R D I F

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

H P S B G N M D

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

H O P M F

_ _ _ _ _

Carrot Yogurt Dip

2008-06-17T03:04:00.001-04:00

Carrot and Yogurt Dip

You will need:
1 pound carrots, shredded
12 ounces of natural yogurt
1 clove of garlic, mashed
3 tablespoons olive oil
juice of half a lemon lemon
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Wash, peel, and grate carrots. Add garlic, oil, lemon juice, and salt to yogurt and stir. Then add carrot and mix well.Serve as a dip with pita bread, crackers, or veggies. This makes a great-tasting and healthy dip. So easy!

-from www.easy-kids-recipes.com.

Bouncy Ball

2008-06-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

Submitted by Shira Ehrenkranz

You will need:

One piece of paper & LOTS of rubber bands!

Here's what to do:
Take the piece of paper and crumple it into a ball. Then take your rubber bands and fit them around the ball- do one vertical, and the next horizontal, etc.

Survey of the Week

2008-06-15T02:41:00.002-04:00

How are you going to help YALDAH this week?

Post your answers in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat B'haalotcha

2008-06-13T15:55:00.002-04:00

The Flame

by Leah Larson

In this week's parsha, Parshat B'haalotcha Hashem commands Aharon about how he should light the menorah in the Mishkan. But Hashem uses an interesting word for to light 'b'haalotcha' which really means 'when you raise up'. Why is lighting something raising it up? Rashi explains that Aharon had to make sure the wick of the lamp caught fire until the flame raised up on its own. This teaches us an important lesson about ourselves and our Jewish soul. Every Jew has a soul inside them that is compared to a flame. No matter what way you turn a candle, the flame always reaches higher. Our souls are always reaching higher and higher, wanting to come closer to Hashem.

But sometimes we don't listen to our souls. In fact, sometimes we ignore our souls so much that the flame shrinks to just a tiny spark. But it is still always there inside us, waiting to be ignited. We all have the potential to be a shining flame. That's what a lamp is - the lamp on its own doesn't give off light, but it has the potential for light. Aaron's job was to carefully and patiently nurture the flames until they each became a glowing fire. Every one of us has to patiently and lovingly help our friends and fellow Jews ignite that spark within them. Sometimes it takes a long time, but we all have the potential to be flames.

Once our inner spark is ignited then each of us can shine on our own, and light up the world for more people.

The Menorah is symbolic of the Jewish people. Even though it had seven branches, representing the fact that there are different paths to serve Hashem, it was made out of one solid block of gold. This shows that even though we have difference, all Jews are united as one.

May we all have the strength to keep reaching higher and lighting up the world for others until the day Moshiach comes!

Good Shabbos!

Funny Friday

2008-06-13T14:05:00.001-04:00

One day a man went to an auction. While there, he bid on an exotic parrot. He really wanted this bird, so he got caught up in the bidding. He kept on bidding, but kept getting outbid, so he bid higher and higher and higher. Finally, after he bid way more than he intended, he won the bid - the fine bird was finally his!

As he was paying for the parrot, he said to the Auctioneer, "I sure hope this parrot can talk. I would hate to have paid this much for it, only to find out that he can't talk!"

"You have nothing to worry about", said the Auctioneer, "He can talk. Who do you think kept bidding against you?!"

Faith

2008-06-12T00:12:00.000-04:00

Faith is like electricity. You can't see it, but you can see the light.

Summer is coming up...

2008-06-11T00:10:00.000-04:00

Since summer is just around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to have a puzzle getting from spring to summer. Just follow the clues and if a letter is highlighted the same color as a blank, it means the same letter is in the new blank. Have fun!

SPRING

1. The month before May _ _ _ _ _

2. A holiday where we dress up in costume and boo the evil Haman _ _ _ _ _

3. A food with cheese, sauce, and toppings _ _ _ _ _

4. Opposite of sad _ _ _ _ _

5. We talk on this to our friends _ _ _ _ _

6. Opposite of above _ _ _ _ _

7. Color of mud _ _ _ _ _

8. A sport with a racquet and ball; is played on a court _ _ _ _ _ _

9. King is married to the _ _ _ _ _

SUMMER

Cherry Cheese Tarts

2008-06-08T13:42:00.002-04:00

This is a great recipe for Shavuot when it's customary to eat dairy!

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sugar
1 cup ground nuts or graham cracker crumbs
1/3 stick melted butter or margarine
3 tablespoons sugar
1 can cherry pie filling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease or use vegetable spray on tart pans. Blend cream cheese with egg, vanilla and ¼ cup sugar. Set aside. Mix ground nuts (or crumbs) with butter and 3 tablespoons sugar. Press crumbs on bottom of tart pans. Fill evenly with cheese mixture. Bake till set (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool. Spread a few cherries on the top before serving. Makes 12 Mini tarts.

Collage Flower Placemat

2008-06-08T13:36:00.002-04:00

When the Torah was given, Mt. Sinai blossomed with flowers. Therefore, it is customary to decorate our houses and tables with flowers on Shavuot. Here's a fun and easy flower craft.

You will need:

Nature/Gardening Magazines

Tissue Paper

Cardstock

Glue

Clear Contact Paper/Lamination

Directions:

Cut your piece of cardstock to the size of a placemat. Cut out photos of flowers from the magazines, or use photos of flowers you've taken yourself. Arrange them on the cardstock. Cut out flower shapes from the tissue paper and add them to your collage. Glue everything down and let dry. Once the glue is dry, cut the contact paper to the size of your placemat, and carefully cover the placemat (front and back) with contact paper. Enjoy your Shavuot placemat!

Survey of the Week

2008-06-08T13:29:00.003-04:00

What's your favorite part about the holiday of Shavuot?

Post your answers in the comments section.

The Jewish holiday of Shavuot starts tonight at sundown, and lasts until Tuesday night. Monday and Tuesday's posts will be posted today, and the regular posting schedule will continue on Wednesday.

Give YALDAH $1000 for FREE! Just VOTE!

2008-06-08T01:24:00.001-04:00

With Hashem's help YALDAH has been chosen as a finalist for a grant to win $1000! Your vote can make YALDAH the winner!

Please take a minute to vote for me.

Here's how:

Visit http://www.businessownersideacafe.com/small_business_grants/finalists.php?grant_id=8 where you can read about the finalists, and click a link to vote. You DO have to register for ideacafe.com to vote. I know it's annoying to sign up for these places, but PLEASE register -- $1000 can do a lot for YALDAH!

Dvar Torah for Parshat Nasso

2008-06-06T19:31:00.002-04:00

Hi! Oy....a week without posts. I'm looking forward to next week where I REALLY will post every day!

Good Shabbos!

THE HOUSEWARMING

Rina crept down the stairs. The house was dark and very quiet. She pushed open the back door, hoping that the creaking would not wake the rest of the family. She walked across the grass and sat down on the bench under the old oak tree. This was the last night in the house. Tomorrow the family would be moving to 45 Elm Place. Rina did not want to move. She had lived in this house since she was born, had built tree-houses in the oak tree and knew every hiding place for a good game of hide and seek. She had seen the new house. It was empty, cold and smelled of fresh paint. It did not feel like home. She jumped suddenly; a shadow had moved.

"Is that you, Rina?" her brother Rafi asked, as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hi," Rina replied. "Have you also come to say goodbye to the garden?"

Rafi grinned sheepishly and nodded. Then he turned to her, saying: "Mummy told me that on Sunday, when we have settled in the new house, we are going to have a big party, and we can invite all our friends. The party is going to be a house warming."

"What' s that?" Rina asked.

Rafi explained that it was a party celebrating the move into a new house. He said that in Hebrew it's called "chanukat habayit," which means "the dedication of the house."

Rina started to look interested. "You know," she exclaimed, "that' s a bit like what is happening in this week's Torah portion! The Jews had finally finished building the Mishkan, the Sanctuary for G-d, and then they had a celebration called 'the dedication of the altar.' It sounds as if it's a similar idea to our 'dedication of the house!'"

"What happened at the dedication of the altar?" asked Rafi.

"It went on for days, in fact, for twelve days. On each day a prince, the head of one of the tribes, brought offerings for the dedication of the altar. There are twelve tribes, so it took twelve days."

Rafi was impressed. Imagine if their house warming would take twelve days...

The brother and sister happily walked together back to the house, where they met their mother telling them to go up to bed quickly. Tomorrow would be a busy day! They fell asleep dreaming of gardens, offerings, suitcases and parties.

The content in this page is produced by Chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you do not revise any part of it, and you include this note, credit the author, and link to www.chabad.org.

Joke of the Day

2008-05-30T00:32:00.001-04:00

Maurice and Becky are arguing over who should brew the coffee each morning.

Becky says, "As you get up first in the morning, Maurice, you should make it. Then we won't have to wait too long for our coffee."
"But you’re in charge of all the cooking," replies Maurice, "that’s your job, so you should make it. And if I have to wait for my coffee in the morning, well, I don't mind."
"But it says in the Torah that the man should make the coffee," says Becky
"OK, responds Maurice, "if you can show me where it says that, I’ll never question you again."
Next day, Becky borrows a Chumash from her neighbour and shows Maurice that on the top of several pages it indeed says ‘Hebrews’.

Thought of the Day

2008-05-29T00:28:00.000-04:00

Don't worry too much about making an impression, work on making a difference.

Weekly Puzzle

2008-05-28T00:23:00.001-04:00

To do this puzzle, just change each letter to a letter that is directly before or directly after in the alphabet. So “A” would have to be “B”, and “F” would have to either be “E” or “G”. Once you solve the puzzle, the answer is spelled out.

Why did the golfer change his pants?

A F D B T R D I F
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

H P S B G N M D
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

H O P M F
_ _ _ _ _

Fruit-Yogurt Sundae

2008-05-27T00:05:00.000-04:00

Cut up your favorite fruits. Some ideas are strawberries, bananas, oranges, mangos, kiwi's...Mix in about a cup of yogurt. For an extra treat, top off with some sprinkles, or for a healthier option sprinkle on nuts. Enjoy!

Make a bookmark!

2008-05-26T00:10:00.000-04:00

You will need:

White Cardstock

Decorative materials/paper/markers/photos

Glue Stick

Clear contact paper

Hole puncher

Ribbon

Directions:

Cut the white cardstock to the size bookmark you want. Cut out other colored paper in shapes, photos, draw a picture...whatever you want! Glue it all down. Cover the whole bookmark with clear contact paper. Punch a hole in the top and tie a ribbon through it. Happy reading!

Survey of the Week

2008-05-25T06:11:00.001-04:00

Which female in the Torah are you most like? Why?

Post your answers in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Bichukotai

2008-05-23T19:46:00.005-04:00

Oy! I'm so sorry about not posting so often! If you've ever been on the schedule where you seriously can't figure out when to sleep because 24 hours is just not enough time to do everything you need to get done, then I'm sure you understand...

But as busy as I am I'm REALLY going to try to post every day next week!

Here's a story/dvar torah for Parshat Bichukotai:

Care to Win

By Mendy Loewenthal

"You must pass the ball to each other," Ms. Gibson said. "If you want your team to win, you all need to work together, if you just try to run down with the ball and play your own game then your team will lose."

Sarah's team was in the middle of the first game of the interschool competition and they had a new coach. They all stood huddled around him at halftime, listening to his words of wisdom and inspiration intended to keep them going through the second half and carry them through to a win.

"It doesn't sound as if she cares whether we win or lose," Sarah said to Miri as they jogged out to the field. "All she says is, 'if you do this you will win, if you do that you will lose.' It's all 'if you,' 'if you.'"

"Yeah," Miri said. "Instead of telling us that we will lose, it would be nice if she would encourage us to play well in a positive way."

"It's like this week's Torah reading," Sarah said. "The reading starts with the words 'If you follow My laws.' We had a long discussion in class about the word 'if.' Does it mean 'if,' or does it mean 'please'"?

"What's the difference?" Miri asked as they waited for the whistle to blow.

"Well, this little word," Sarah explained, "changes the whole meaning of the verse. It could make G‑d sound as if He doesn't really care whether we win or lose, and all He is saying is 'if you keep the mitzvot you will be blessed.' Or, it could be a passionate plea from G‑d that we should keep the mitzvot and learn Torah, and consequently we will be blessed."

"So," Miri said, "what did you decide, does G‑d care if we do the mitzvot?"

"The Talmud says," Sarah explained "that G‑d is pleading with us to do the mitzvot. G‑d wants us to live a life filled with positive things. He wants us to study Torah and do the mitzvot, such as being kind to each other and kind to our parents, to our brothers and sisters and being good to a lonely person, and like Shabbat and kosher and so on."

"Wow! Pleading with us! That's amazing," said Miri.

"Yeah," said Sarah. "But most importantly He wants us to win the game!"

"Remember to pass…!" Miri yelled as she ran for the ball...

This article is produced by Chabad.org, and is copyrighted by the author and/or Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you do not revise any part of it, and you include this note, credit the author, and link to www.chabad.org. If you wish to republish this article in a periodical, book, or website, please email permissions@chabad.org.

Puzzle of the Day

2008-05-21T17:26:00.006-04:00

For this puzzle, find the number that fits in the blank. Then at the bottom, fill in the letter that goes with the number you filled in. When you are done, you will find a message.

Number of months in a year __ = H
Number of shoes you put on in the morning _ = O
Number of days of Hanukkah __ = S
Number of hours in a day __ = A
Number of days in a week __ = M
Number of months in summer __ = C
Number of letters in the word yaldah __ = O
Number of sides of a pentagon __ = W
Number of heads you have __ = I
Number that 24 X 2 makes __ N
Number of legs a dog has __ = H

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

7 8 2 4 1 24 3 12 48 6 5

Going Away

2008-05-15T17:49:00.002-04:00

I will be away until Saturday night with no internet access, so there will be no posts until then.

Good Shabbos!

Leah :-)

Good News!

2008-05-15T17:47:00.001-04:00

Good News!

YALDAH Magazine has been selected as a semi-finalist from over 700 applicants to win a $1000 grant from IdeaCafe.com, a top-rated website for small business.

You can see the list of finalists online at:
http://businessownersideacafe.com/small_business_grants/semi_finalists.php?grant_id=8

These semi-finalists will be narrowed down to finalists, and the winner will be determined by the vote of IdeaCafe.com's 32,000 members worldwide, and announced on www.IdeaCafe.com on June 24, 2008.

We'll keep you posted!

Puzzle of the Week

2008-05-14T00:03:00.001-04:00

Find the letter that ends the first word and starts the next. Once you find all the letters, it will spell out a message from top to bottom.

Happines _ ervice

Soa _ icture

Directo _ oof

Spaghett _ nteresting

Fu _ othing

Wron _ irl

Min _ srael

Gift _ illy

Punc _ ope

Tim _ xpress

Rathe _ ing

Tap _ nvelope

Chocolate Pudding

2008-05-13T00:05:00.000-04:00

**For this recipe, you will need a parent's help.**

Cook Time: approx. 10 Minutes.
Yields: 8 servings.

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5-1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
In a saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium heat, and stir in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in margarine and vanilla. Let cool briefly, and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving.

Sefirat Haomer Chart

2008-05-12T21:52:00.002-04:00

You Will Need:

Poster Board

Markers

(optional) Other decorating supplies: glue, glitter, fake flowers, sequins, etc

On the posterboard draw a big mountain with the 10 Commandments on the top. Then draw 49 footprints (or rocks, or flowers, or whatever you want) leading up the mountain. Number them 1 to 49 starting from the bottom and moving up to the top. Use your decorating supplies to decorate around the mountain however you'd like. Each night that you count the omer, color in one of the footsteps (or rocks, or flowers, etc.)

Survey of the Week

2008-05-11T03:02:00.001-04:00

What's your favorite color? Post your answers in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Emor

2008-05-09T15:36:00.004-04:00

by Leah Larson

In this week's Parsha, Parshat Emor, Hashem gives the commandments to sanctify Hashem's name, and not to desecrate Hashem's name. What does it mean to sanctify Hashem's name? Another word for sanctifying Hashem's name is 'making a Kiddush Hashem'. When we hear the word Kiddush Hashem, we might think of a great action from long ago. For many years Jews had to give up their life if they wanted to remain Jewish, and of course that was a big Kiddush Hashem. But now we, Baruch Hashem, live in a world where we don't have to give up our lives to be Jewish. We can live a Jewish life in peace and freedom. Now instead of dying for Hashem, we have to live for Hashem. We do this by living a Torah lifestyle, and by showing others how a Jew behaves.

For example, if you're out in the supermarket with your siblings, people around you are watching to see how Jews act. We are Hashem's representatives! If you are responsible and kind with your siblings, you hold the door for someone, or you offer to help an elderly woman carry her groceries, you make a big Kiddush Hashem! You show people that Jews are kind and helpful. But if you fight with your siblings, whine, and run around the store, then that is a Chillul Hashem, desecrating G-d's name.

We are always Hashem's representatives, so wherever we are we have so many opportunities to make a Kiddush Hashem! Whether it's at school, in the park, on vacation, or in a museum, you can act the way that will make Hashem proud.

Good Shabbos!

Joke of the Day

2008-05-09T00:05:00.000-04:00

Knock, knock!

Who's there?

Handsome.

Handsome who?

Handsome of those cookies over please. I'm hungry!

Thought of the Day

2008-05-08T00:05:00.000-04:00

"Don't tell G-d how big your problems are -- tell your problems how big G-d is!"

When we realize that Hashem (G-d) can do anything and fix anything, our problems seem much smaller and easier to deal with.

Parsha Crossword Puzzle

2008-05-07T00:05:00.000-04:00

Here is a crossword puzzle about this week's Parsha, Parshat Emor. For the interactive online version click here . Clues:

Across:

2. For six days we work and on the seventh day is ________

3. We eat matzot on __________

5. On Rosh Hashanah we blow the ________

6. We count the Omer for 49 days, and teh 50th day is the holiday of ___________

Down:

1. The Kohen ______, the High Priest, is never allowed to become impure

4. The name of this week's Parshah

5. A newborn animal must be left with his mother for at least _______ days

Apple Crunch Dip

2008-05-06T00:05:00.000-04:00

You will need:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup rice crispies

2 apples

Directions:

Microwave the peanut butter in until melty. Mix in the rice Crispies. Cut apples into slices and dip them in the crunchy dip!

Want the next issue?...

2008-05-05T23:05:00.000-04:00

Make a Flower Mirror

2008-05-05T00:05:00.001-04:00

You Will Need:
Fake Flowers
A wall mirror
White glue , craft glue , or hot glue

Directions:
Arrange the flowers around the outer sides of the mirror (or any way you'd like) them, glue them down, and let it dry for at least 1 day before hanging it up . Gaze back at your pretty face, surrounded by flowers!

Survey of the Week

2008-05-04T19:58:00.003-04:00

Oops! Sorry for the gap in posting - I will REALLY try to make sure to post every day, even though I'm very busy now.

The Survey of the day is:

What do you think you can do to make a difference in the world?

Post your replies in the comments section.

Friends

2008-05-01T00:34:00.001-04:00

Friends are like stars, you don't always see them, but theyre always there!
Appreciate your friends, and you never know you might meet a new freind any day!

Back to regular posting!

2008-04-30T00:58:00.003-04:00

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Pesach. Sorry for the break in posting. Hopefully, IY"H, we'll be back to a regular schedule now. So for 'Winning Wednesday' here's a fun game to play with friends or family.

One person says a letter. Then each person, one at a time, has to say a letter, forming a word. The letter you say has to have the possibility of forming a word, but if you end a word you get a point. The first person with 5 points is out. If you think that the letter someone says doesn't have the possibility of forming a word, you can challenge them, and they have to tell you what word it could form. If they don't have one right away, they get a point.

Example: One person says A. The next person says N (even though AN is a word, 3 letter words or less don't count). The next person says I, then M, then, A (ANIMA can lead to a word but isn't a whole word itself). The person that says L ends the word ANIMAL and gets a point. A new round starts.

Happy Passover!

2008-04-17T13:51:00.004-04:00

As we're getting closer to Pesach (Passover) I don't think I'll have time to update the website too often. Hopefully I will be able to post a few Pesach insights and thoughts before Pesach and throughout the eight days to make it more meaningful for you. In the meantime, check out the links below for great Pesach websites! Wishing you and your families a kosher and happy Pesach!

-Leah :-)

Seder Games!

2008-04-16T00:29:00.003-04:00

Here are some great games to play at the Seder or anytime on Pesach!

This is an interesting game that doesn’t take a lot of work to prepare. Go around your house and find different objects such as an egg, a stuffed animal, or any objects you would like to use. Put all of your collected items in a bag. At the seder, pass around the bag and have each person take one object out of the bag without looking. Now have the person tell how each object is related to the story of Passover.

Before the seder, write down on different sheets of paper people or things connected to the story of Passover, such as frogs, Moses, lice, etc. In the middle of the seder, have someone put on a scarf or bandana and tape one of the objects/ people on the scarf, so everyone can see except the person wearing the scarf. Now the person wearing the scarf tries to figure out who or what he is by asking yes or no questions. If they figure it out quickly give them a small prize.

This game is like charades. Have different sentences from the Haggadah prepared ahead of time on sheets of paper. Each person randomly selects a piece of paper. Then that person acts out the sentence he has been given without talking. Everyone else then tries to guess what he is acting out. The person may use his hands to say how many words are in the sentence, and he can indicate that words or sentences rhyme by touching his ear.

To download a Seder Trivia Game, click here!

Pesach Candy!

2008-04-15T00:09:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:
Sugar Water
Nuts

Directions:
Use sugar water as oil and fry the nuts in the sugar water, and it will come like crystals on the nuts. Enjoy!!

Seder T-shirt Pillow

2008-04-14T11:56:00.002-04:00

Make this fun & easy pillow to recline on at your seder!

Idea from www.kaboose.com.

What you'll need:

Large t-shirt

Two rubber bands

Ribbon

One-pound bag of fiberfill or stuffing

Decorating Materials

Directions:

1. Turn the sleeves of the shirt inside the shirt.

2. Close the neck opening of the shirt using one of the rubber bands.

3. Stuff the inside of the shirt with the fiberfill or stuffing.

4. Close the bottom of the shirt with the second rubber band.

5. Tie a ribbon in a bow around each rubber band.

6. Turn the pillow so that the ribbons are on each side.

7. Decorate however you want! Try fabric markers, puff paint, sequins or anything else!

Survey of the Week

2008-04-13T02:33:00.002-04:00

What's your favorite feature in YALDAH? Post your replies in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Metzora

2008-04-11T16:40:00.005-04:00

Hidden Treasure

by Leah Larson

Last week I had a very early-morning flight to catch. I knew I'd have to wake up at 6:00 AM to be out the door in time. At 6:20 I was woken up by my cell phone ringing -- my father called to tell me that my flight was cancelled, but he'd gotten me on a later flight. Although I was upset that my flight was cancelled, I realized that if everything had gone as planned I would have kept on sleeping and missed my flight -- I had forgotten to set my alarm clock!

All the time things in our lives happen that seem negative. Sometimes we're lucky, like in my case, to realize right away how they're really good. Sometimes we find out many months later how it really lead to something good, and sometimes we don't even see it at all.

Parshat Metzorah talks about how someone who has the spiritual disease of Tzaarat can be purified. In some cases of Tzaarat, the Tzaarat spread to the house as well, and the walls of the house had to be taken down. Tzaarat seems like something very negative, but something positive even came out of this. During the years that the Jewish people were traveling in the desert, the nations living in Canaan hid their gold in the walls of their houses, because they feared the Jews would take it just like they took the gold from Egypt. When Bnei Yisroel conquered and settled in Canaan (Eretz Yisroel), they didn't know about this gold. When someone with Tzaarat had to knock down the walls of his house, he saw the great treasure hidden there.

This is a great lesson for us. Sometimes though going through something hard or unfortunate we really gain many treasures.

When Moshiach comes, we will also see how everything negative about this Galus, was really just for the sake of the good that will come out of it -- a perfect world. May we merit to see this right now!

Joke of the Day

2008-04-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

A duck, a deer and a skunk went out to dinner. When the waiter came with the check, the deer said he didn't have a buck, the skunk said he didn't have a scent, so they they put it on the duck's bill.

Breathtaking...

2008-04-10T00:59:00.002-04:00

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. Be happy, enjoy and appreciate your life as it as.

Spring Scramble

2008-04-09T10:07:00.003-04:00

Unscramble the letters to find the spring words below! (Answers are below)

1) nlacgien

2) weslorf

3) tpossr

4) hniusnes

5) inar

6) rvsoepas

7) iduteos

8) rmwa

9) aylp

10) pihensspa

Answers: 1) Cleaning 2)Flowers 3)Sports 4)Sunshine 5)Rain 6)Passover 7)Outside 8)Warm 9)Play 10)Happiness

Crunch Balls

2008-04-08T09:56:00.003-04:00

Trying to get rid of some chometz cereal? Here's a great way! ;-)

Submitted by Chanie Avtzon, age 10 from Hong Kong, China.

Ingredients:
1 cup cheerios
1/2 cup corn syrup
5 tablspoon penut butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix everything together. Shape into little balls. Stick them in the oven for 5 minutes and take out straight away. Have a good crunch!

Make Your Own Lip Gloss

2008-04-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

What you need :
Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline)
Glitter
A small container

Directions:
Mix together the petroleum jelly and a small amount of glitter in the container. Perfect for chapped lips.

Survey of the Week

2008-04-06T00:18:00.000-04:00

What is your favorite part of Pesach? Post your answers in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Tazria

2008-04-04T18:41:00.003-04:00

The quiet clank of knives and forks on plates was testimony to the delicious supper. The Cohen family sat together, enjoying the steamy meatballs and spaghetti. Ben, with a thoughtful look on his face, broke the silence.

"Why do crabs need to break out of their old shells in order to grow bigger?"

His older sister, Rachel, gave him a glare. "David! We're eeeeaaaating."

"Seriously," David persisted in his questioning. "It must be painful—imagine having to shed your comfy shell… Our biology teacher just laughed at my question today, but I really mean it!"

Rachel was about to launch into a lecture about how biology should never be mentioned at the dinner table, when she noticed their father clearing his throat.

"You know," Mr. Cohen began, "your question is actually connected to this week's Torah reading." David blushed with pride. "I didn't realize it had anything to do with the reading of Tazria!"

"Oh yes," his father continued. "Let's see…what does Tazria talk about?"

Rachel leaned forward with interest. "It's all about tzara'at. That was a skin disease somewhat similar to leprosy that the Jews used to get if they spoke negatively about someone else, lashon hara. They would have to leave the camp or the city and remain outside until their tzara'at was cured."

Mr. Cohen smiled. "True, whoever got tzara'at needed to leave the encampment. How do think that person felt?"

"Painful, hurt, humiliated... hey, are you comparing them to crabs?!" Ben looked at his Dad. "How could you? The crabs are going through the pain to grow—something good is happening. And… I mean… someone who got tzara'at needed to go through the pain as a punishment! There's no comparison!"

Rubbing his hands together, Mr. Cohen looked at his two children. "It may seem like there is no similarity between a crab and someone with tzara'at—but there is. Tzara'at may seem like a punishment, but it is in fact a cleanser. At the end, only good came out of it—the person became a changed man!"

"I get it," Ben exclaimed, "The punishment was not so terrible, because in the end, there was an improvement—he became like a new person!"

"Bingo! The name of the Torah reading, Tazria, which means "to plant," is also a hint to this, teaching us that something new and positive comes from hardship. You plant the seed in the ground, it autodestructs, and then you get something new growing."

They all sat there in silence, until Rachel summed it up: "No pain, no gain!"

A Joke...

2008-04-04T08:49:00.000-04:00

What kind of a bank does a penguin go to?

A snowbank.

Opportunity

2008-04-03T01:25:00.002-04:00

When one door closes, another door opens. - Alexander Graham Bell.

If you fail on something, now you see that possibility is canceled out, so just try again! Everything was planned by Hashem and meant to happen.

Pesach Games!

2008-04-02T12:56:00.001-04:00

Check out http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/pesach/pesgames.htm for
some great Pesach games!

Banana Popsicle

2008-04-01T07:32:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:

Banana

Popsicle Stick

Chocolate, Chopped Nuts, Sprinkles or crushed Graham Crackers

Directions:

Take a banana and slice it in half. Stick the popsicle stick into the bottom of the banana. Melt chocolate chips (with adult's help). Spread melted chocolate on the banana. Dip the banana in sprinkles, chopped nuts, or crushed graham crackers (or all three!). Put in the freezer on a sheet of wax paper until hard. Enjoy!

*You can also make this recipe without the chocolate, and dip the banana directly in the toppings - it is just harder for them to stick.

Star of David Picture Frame

2008-03-31T10:18:00.001-04:00

What you need:

6 popsicle sticks
glue or glue gun
anything to decorate it with
ribbon (optional)

Directions:
1. Glue the popsicle sticks together to make two separate triangles (each should be made with 3 popsicle sticks)
2. Glue both triangles together (one pointing up and the other opposite)
3. Decorate it anyway you like! When it's dry glue a picture in the middle and tie a ribbon to it and hang it up!

Survey of the Week

2008-03-30T01:17:00.001-04:00

What's your favorite clothing accessory? Post your answers in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Shmini

2008-03-28T16:04:00.003-04:00

People love to ask 'why?' It's the sign of curiosity, and it helps us learn more. Why is the sky blue? Why does rubber bounce? Why does the Torah use this word? Why? What about when a parent tells us to do something? We don't need to ask why, because we trust that our parents know what's best for us.

The Hebrew term for not asking why is called 'kabbalat ol'. It means accepting Hashem's commandments, even if we don't understand why we're doing them. We learn an important lesson about kabbalat ol from this week's parsha, Parshat Shmini.

Parshat Shmini describes the dedication of the Mishkan, the place where Hashem's presence would come down to rest in this world. Nadav and Avihu, the son's of Aharon the high priest, reached such a high level while serving Hashem that their souls couldn't bear to be down here anymore and left their bodies to be one with Hashem. Although this only happened to the two sons, all of the Jewish people were on an extremely high spiritual level.

Then right after this event, the Torah proceeds to command the Jews about the kosher laws and all the unkosher animals they shouldn't eat. Why does this come here, right in the middle of describing the extremely high spiritual level the Jews were on?

Someone might think that we only have to have 'kabbalat ol' and accept what Hashem commands when we are at a low level, when we don't really want to be doing it ourselves. We aren't excited or enthusiastic about it, we just do it because Hashem said so. But when someone is on such a high spiritual level and they have such a love for Hashem and a thirst for holiness, why would they need kabbalat ol? This is why the Torah stops and reminds us of the laws of kashrut, which are called chukim, laws that don't have a reason. We just do them because Hashem said.

It's very important to understand the reasons and deep meaning behind the mitzvot, and to do mitzvot with enthusiasm and joy. But at the same time we also have to have the foundation of 'kabbalat ol' and know that we really don't understand all the mitzvot, but our Father in Heaven knows what's best for us. Good Shabbos!

(Based on Likkutei Sichot, volume 1, page 227).

A Joke

2008-03-28T01:44:00.000-04:00

Two Jews were standing and talking on a Moscow street. One of them did not have official papers permitting him to be in Moscow at the time. When a police officer approached them to verify their documents, the Jew with the documents told his friend not to worry as he began to run from the officer.

The officer began to chase him. When he finally caught up, the officer asked him to show his documents, which he did. The officer asked him, "Why did you run away from me when you have the right documents?"

"My doctor told me to run one mile each day," responded the Jew.

"But why didn't you stop when you saw me running after you?" asked the officer.

"I thought your doctor told you the same," said the Jew.

A Minute of Happiness

2008-03-27T08:24:00.001-04:00

Every 60 seconds that you are sad are 60 seconds of happiness you will never have! Why not be happy in your life? YOU have a family, freinds, pets, home, food--what else do you really need? Everything else should become more secondary. Try not to take things for granted, and put on a SMILE!

Concentration with a Twist!

2008-03-26T00:55:00.003-04:00

Here's a game idea to play with friends:

Sit enough chairs for everyone playing in a circle. Tape each girl's name on a piece of paper to her chair. For the first round you play regular concentration "Shira, Shira, Malka Malka...Malka, Malka, Sara, Sara...etc) until someone gets out. When they get out a new round starts and everyone has to move over one seat. Now the name they have to play with is the one taped to their seat! The game ends when everyone is back to their original seats. Have Fun!

Recipe: Pesto Dip

2008-03-25T00:07:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:

1 bunch basil leaves

1/2 olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1/2 cup pine nuts

Mix in a food processer and mix with pasta, or use as dip!

Craft: Sparkle Pen

2008-03-24T00:05:00.001-04:00

All you'll need is:

1 ballpoint pen

glue

glitter

To jazz up your boring old pens, roll in glue and then roll in glitter! Let dry.

Survey of the Week

2008-03-23T00:37:00.002-04:00

What did you dress up as for Purim? What was the cutest costume you saw? Post your replies in the comments section.

Dvar Torah for Parshat Tzav

2008-03-21T18:19:00.002-04:00

By Malka Touger

G-d commands the Jewish people: "An eternal flame should always be kept burning on the altar; it should never be extinguished."

The fire on the altar where the sacrifices were offered should always continue to burn. In the Holy Temple, there was a special chamber where hot coals were kept burning, so that the fire on the Alter could be relit whenever necessary.

When G-d commanded the Jewish people to build the Tabernacle, He said: "And I will dwell within them." Shouldn't the verse have said "I will dwell within it"? It says "them" to teach us that every Jewish person is like a miniature Temple. Every Jew must always have a fiery love for G-d in his heart, just like the fire which burns all the time on the altar.

In the Talmud, our Rabbis teach us more details about this mitzvah: The fire on the altar was to be kept burning even on Shabbat and even when we are impure.

In the same way, we Jews should always feel a deep love for G-d, whether we are on a level of Shabbat or on a level of impurity.

What do we mean by "a level of Shabbat"?

On Shabbat, we wish each other Shabbat Shalom. The Hebrew word Shalom comes from the root of the Hebrew word whole and complete (shaleim). We feel complete on Shabbat. We relax and we do not worry about our weekday work, acting as if it were completed.

On Shabbat, we are also given an extra Shabbat soul that helps us pray better, learn better, and understand G-d's holiness better. But a Jew on the level of Shabbat might only pay attention to his learning and understanding, and he might ignore his feelings. So G-d reminds him of the "eternal flame... even on Shabbat." The burning love for G-d in our hearts should never relax.

Then our Rabbis add, "even when impure." Even if a Jew is impure, he should dig deep into his heart and bring out the love for G-d which is always there.