parent page april 2011: having fun
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M A Z E L D A Y S C H O O L
April—Nissan 2011 ISSUE FIVE
It’s Passover Time! Gather around the se-
der table with your friends and family. Celebrate
this joyous occasion and cherish the times with
your loved ones.
As years go by, we sometimes forget to
stop and think about the reason we live in this
world. As most of you would agree, the main
reason for our existence is our family. That is why
we dedicated this issue of the Parent Page to
celebration ideas and things to do with your
children. Birthdays, parties, celebrations—our
lives are full of exciting and celebratory mo-
ments that we long to remember. And since our
diaries are filled with meetings and appoint-
ments, every free minute that we have we hope
to spend with our kids in a memorable way. The
attention we give them at such early age will
undoubtedly pay off when our kids get older
and learn to appreciate the foundation of their
early childhood education.
In this issue you will find birthday places
and extracurricular activities recommended by
Mazel parents. So read this issue and pick out
ideas that are close to your heart, and when
the summer comes, you will be fully equipped
with fun and exciting ideas.
Happy Passover! We wish you happi-
ness, health, peace and prosperity!
Editorial Team:
Anna Ashurov Irene Gabo
Chani Okonov Alla Vasserman
PAGE2: Help! How do I cultivate kind-
ness in my child? She seems completely
clueless when it comes to other peo-
ple’s feelings. What can I do?
PAGE6: Sharing Ideas Birthday
Places and Outside Classes
PAGE4: Irene’s April Picks Weekend Activities for the Family
PAGE9: Recipes Traditional Passover
Ideas
PAGE10: Teacher Interview This Month: Gabriella Levitis
Center Pull-out Section My Child, My Disciple
By: Rabbi Noach Orlowek
IN TH
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PAGE14: Happy Passover! Tips to Create a Kid—Friendly Seder
PAGE12: Parent Interview This Month: Sharona Silva
APRIL CALENDAR
Thu, April 14—Wed, April 27
Spring / Pesach Break—
School is Closed
Fri, April 29— extended Fri-
day Schedule begins (3pm Closing)
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B‖H
M O D E R N P A R E N T I N G by Chani Okonov
Chani: Kindness is one of the most fundamental char-
acter traits of ―Jewish‖ behavior described in the Torah.
In fact, when the great sage Hillel was asked by a man,
―Please tell me the entire Torah as I stand here on one
foot,‖ he quoted the Torah verse: ―Love your fellow as
you love yourself.‖ Kindness has been the glue that
has held together the Jewish community for genera-
tions, whereby Jews supported and cared for each
other in times of need.
That being said, for some people, especially children,
being kind can be one of the most challenging tasks.
After all, kindness is not just about being polite, or hav-
ing good manners, which can easily be trained
through consistent reinforcement. It’s about caring for
others and wanting to do something to make someone
else happy, not just caring for one’s self. By nature,
human beings are selfish creatures – so learning to be
un-selfish is no small task.
When a child is born, he is most selfish of all. The only
thing that matters is that his needs are met. Over time,
the child becomes aware of others and slowly learns
that other people have needs and feelings too. Still,
most young children do not develop the
ability to empathize until they are more ma-
ture. Therefore, when a child is young, it’s
best to differentiate between kind feelings
and kind acts. Even when a child has not
yet developed caring feelings, we can still
teach them how to act kindly. And as a
matter of fact, the more kind acts they do,
the more the feelings of caring and kindness
are cultivated in their hearts. In Judaism we
describe this by saying that ―from [doing
something] without the correct intention, it
leads to [doing it] with the correct intention.‖
It’s interesting to note that when the Torah states: ―Love
your fellow as you love yourself‖, it is teaching us that in
order for a person to be able to give lovingly to some-
one else, they need to first be able to love themselves,
feeling secure and confident of their own self-image.
How true! Selfishness is basically a sign of insecurity. For
this reason, if we expect our children to give freely to
others, we also need to work on building their security
in themselves.
In the Exodus story we find that the
Jewish people at first were one in-
secure bunch. This was under-
standable, of course, since they
had been slaves for over 200 years,
and the slave mentality permeated
their being. At the first possible sign
of a problem with their leaving of
Egypt, they immediately wanted to
give up. ―This isn’t for real. We are not really going to
be redeemed. We will be slaves forever.‖ They would
even rationalize: ―Maybe it’s better for us as slaves than
to be free.‖ You would think that after being shown
awesome miracles by the hand of G-d, they would re-
alize that He was serious, but it takes time to shift from a
―slave‖ mindset to that of a ―free-man‖.
If you think about it, for all the fantastic things Hashem
did to take the Jews out of Egypt, he could have much
more easily whisked them out with one mighty miracle.
Why the need for all of them? For the burning bush?
For Moshe’s staff turning to a snake? For the ten
plagues? For the splitting of the sea? One reason
given is that Hashem was taking the time to lovingly
build up the Jewish people’s self-image and confi-
dence. He understood that a rag-tangle group of He-
brew slaves cannot overnight become the elevated
―Chosen Nation‖ at Mt. Sinai. In this way, each miracle
of the Exodus story was Hashem’s way of giving the
Jewish people a hug of reassurance: ―You are my
People. I love you and I have not forsaken
you.‖ Only once this security was built,
could the Jews learn to be a ―Light unto the
Nations‖, a giving people.
In the same way, nurturing your child’s emo-
tional security is a building block for cultivat-
ing sensitivity to others. Communicate to
your child, as Hashem did: ―You are my
child. I love you and I will always take care
of you.‖ Say it, write notes, give small hugs,
a high five, or other small touches - which
each act as nurturing reassurances to your
child.
Begin by being a ―kindness‖ role model for your child.
Regularly do acts of kindness, especially when your
child is watching. Since kindness begins at home, this
means showing kindness to your spouse, your parents
and family members. The strongest message that your
child will ever get about doing nice things for others is
when they see how you act toward other people – es-
pecially when you don’t feel like it. So, for example,
Help! How do I cultivate kindness in my child?
She seems completely clueless when it comes to
other people’s feelings, yet it’s important to me
that she learns to care for others. What can I do?
In order for a per-
son to be able to
give lovingly to
someone else,
they need to first
be able to love
themselves.
3
when they hear you call a grandparent when they are
not feeling well, or bring something over to your
neighbor, they are seeing what kindness is truly all
about.
Most important of all, of course, is how you relate to
your spouse. ―Shalom Bayis‖ – Hebrew for ―peace in
the home‖ – has the strongest impact on your child’s
development and understanding of social relation-
ships. When a child grows up in an environment where
his/her parents’ relationship is based upon giving to
and thinking about ―another‖, he/she knows what kind-
ness is first-hand. When giving to your spouse or chil-
dren, get into the habit of saying things like: I’m happy
to give it to you. I enjoy doing this for you. I’ll do it with
pleasure.
Give them opportunities to be kind. There
was once a story told of a young woman
who sought advice by a rabbi as to how to
become a ―nicer person‖. The rabbi in-
structed her to make sure to serve some-
one lunch at her university cafeteria each
day. The idea is that once a person does
a small act of kindness for another, it will
encourage more ―nice‖ behavior. This is
what we mean when we say that even
when a child has not yet developed car-
ing feelings, we can still teach them how
to act kindly. As Ethics of our Fathers
writes: ―A Mitzvah (good deed) leads to a Mitzvah.‖
Here are examples of kind acts that you can give to
your child to do: Help them call a grandparent before
Shabbos to say: Good Shabbos! Invite a guest and
plan with your child how to be a good host and make
them feel comfortable. They can be the one to serve
food or bring a drink of water to the guest. I often use
siblings as an opportunity to teach kindness to my chil-
dren. I will ask them to help take care of a child who
was hurt, with a hug, bringing a band-aid or ice - even
if they were not the one who caused the hurt. I will
have them serve each other at mealtime and turn to
each other for help. Teach your children to ask each
other: How can I help you?
Another nice idea is to give your child their very own a
Tzedaka (charity) box into which they drop a coin
each morning. You can decide together where the
money should go to. If your child has an allowance,
you can agree that a portion of it will go into the
Tzedaka box. Take your child along for a visit to a
neighbor or a sick relative with a dish or cake. Ask your
child if there is a sick child in his/her class. Help them
call that friend to see how they are feeling, even if he/
she is not a close friend. Together with your child go
through old toys or clothing and select items in good
condition that can be donated to needy families.
Teach your child to write a warm letter or note to mail
to a relative as a nice surprise.
Again, through these actions and experiences you will
cultivate an appreciation for kind acts whether or not
your child has fully developed a sense of empathy yet
(which will of course, with time, emerge as a result of
repeated exposure to these opportunities).
Screen out any un-kind media or television influences.
Unfortunately, in today’s world, children are usually im-
mersed in the world of television and mov-
ies, which, even when rated G or PG, pro-
mote the opposite of kind behaviors and
attitudes. It is ―funny‖ when someone gets
bopped on the head with a hammer, and
we are meant to laugh when someone is
embarrassed. Without realizing it, parents
willingly allow their children to be edu-
cated by the entertainment industry’s
―morals and values‖. If it is your goal for
your child to develop the sensitivity of kind
behaviors, then it is important to screen
what types of shows or movies your child
watches. Especially when our children are
small, it is easy to control what channels
are ―okay for our family‖ and what are not. To raise
refined children today often requires that parents be
brave enough to choose to say ―no – not in our family.‖
Cultivate emotional sensitivity by talking about feelings
and how they impact us and others. To help your child
develop feelings of empathy, begin by discussing emo-
tions in general – even when children are young. Use a
range of emotional vocabulary (from frustrated to dis-
appointed to worried) to describe how you or your
child is feeling. Point out how others are feeling – and
most importantly – how you can tell. It may seem obvi-
ous to you that a person is feeling hurt, but kids are not
always aware of the body language and facial expres-
sions that reflect different feelings (unless it is very exag-
gerated and strong). Talk about how those feelings
affect us, though do not fall into the habit of using feel-
ings as an excuse for inappropriate behaviors, rather as
a way to understand ourselves and others. When your
child needs to apologize for something that they have
done, explain what it means to feel sorry, not just to say
………………………………………..CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
M O D E R N P A R E N T I N G by Chani Okonov
B‖H
The idea is that once
a person does a
small act of kindness
for another, it will en-
courage more
―nice‖ behavior. As
Ethics of our Fathers
writes: ―A Mitzvah
(good deed) leads
to a Mitzvah.‖
4
Cost: Free with paid admission.
Families can create an embossed aluminum book
cover to beautify their haggadah - or other treas-
ured book. Using metal tooling techniques, partici-
pants create raised designs in the decorative re-
pousse style common in traditional silver Judaica to
create a finished product. Bring a book along for
measuring! A pre-workshop look at the exquisite sil-
ver items on display in the exhibition Zero to Ten: First
Decades/New Centuries provides inspiration. RSVP
by email or phone (ext. 8816).
Lefferts Historic House – Spring Cleaning
Daily 04/09/11 - 04/10/11
454 Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 718.789.2822
http://www.prospectpark.org
Ages: 10 & under, Time: 1pm-4pm, Cost: Free
Families can try using the tubs and washboards at
Lefferts Historic House to get the dirt out of 19th cen-
tury reproduction clothing, and learn how Brook-
lynites cleaned without electricity in the 19th cen-
tury.
Manhattan Children's Theatre – Works of Brothers
Grimm
Each Sat, Sun 04/23/11 - 05/30/11
52 White Street, New York, NY, 212.352.3101;
ww.mctny.org
Ages: 4-10,Time: 12n & 2pm
Cost: $20; Priority seating $50
Sleeping Beauty! Tom Thumb! Snow White! Cinder-
ella! All on one stage...in the same show! MTC pre-
sents a show with with more fairy tales for your buck -
hundreds of stories told by only four actors...and in
less than an hour! Order tickets in advance.
Jewish Children’s Museum Brooklyn;
www.jcm.museum Matzah Factory. Children har-
vest the wheat, draw the water and mix, roll & bake
their own Matzas at the museum.
New York City Fire museum
http://www.nycfiremuseum.org/education/
index.htm
Adults $7, Seniors, Students and Children $5
The program consists of two components – class-
room training and a simulated fire event in a mock-
up home environment. After the first one is com-
pleted, the children are given a historical tour of the
Museum’s first floor, ―The Evolution of Firefighting,‖ by
a retired New York City firefighter.
NY Auto Show
Its back! The annual extravaganza of newest and bad-
dest cars and trucks all under one roof will be here from
April 22-May 1, 2011 at the Javitz Center. This year they
plan even more sneak peeks, more brand new '11 &
'12 production models and more concept vehicles
than ever before. Enough said!
Gardening Classes at Brooklyn Botanical Garden
The Discovery Garden offers year-round workshops for
families, free with garden admission. Children and their
caregivers learn about the natural world through fun
activities, plantings, and open-ended exploration.
These workshops are on a drop-in basis—join us at any
point during the afternoon for a quick nature fix! Work-
shops are appropriate for a broad range of ages. Dur-
ing spring break, commemorate Earth Day with a na-
tive plant celebration in the Discovery Garden! Kids will
learn about our wild Brooklyn plants through hands-on
explorations, create a take-home project, and dis-
cover a world of wildflowers throughout the Garden.
April 19, 20, 21, 26 | Drop in 1–3 p.m. Must be super-
vised by an adult. Call 718-623-7342 for more informa-
tion.
Queens County Farm
April 9, 10 and 16, 17CHILDREN'S CARNIVAL, 11:00 am-
6:00pm. Saturday and Sunday. Join us for a carnival in
the apple orchard! Carnival rides, midway games
food, hayrides, and a Magic Show (show times: 2,3,4 &
5 in the barn).
ADMISSION: $10.00 per person all ages to enter the
farm grounds (carnival rides included at no additional
charge).
Celebrate Earth!
April 16–26; 09:30, for All ages
Celebrate the planet we call home! This Spring Break,
learn about the amazing plants, animals, and people
that live here. Participate in activities to keep yourself
and the planet healthy and strong. Go on line and
check age appropriate events on the topic at the mu-
seum. Among them: Creatures of the Sea; Cherry Blos-
som Painting; Live Animal Encounter; Dirt Detectives;
Salt Marsh; Eco Art
Yeshiva University Museum – Passover Activities
Sunday, 04/10/11
15 W. 16th Street, New York, NY, 212.294.8330
http://www.yumuseum.org
Ages: 6 & up, Time: 2pm-4pm
I R E N E ’ S W E E K E N D P I C K S Irene Gabo & Alla Vasserman
B‖H
5
B‖H
I R E N E ’ S W E E K E N D P I C K S
Happy Feet 4-D Experience, playing daily at the NY
Aquarium! Featured in digital 3-D and brought to life
with 4-D multi-sensory effects, this is an immersive ex-
perience for the whole family to enjoy. Running time
is approximately 19 minutes.
American Museum of Natural History The Largest
Dinosaurs Ever
Daily 04/16/11 - 01/02/12
Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY,
212.769.5200
http://www.amnh.org
Ages: All Ages, Time: During museum hours.
Cost: Adults $24; Seniors & Students $18; Children $14
AMNH has always been into dinos in a big way, but
The World's Largest Dinosaurs exhibit takes an even
larger view, offering a glimpse beyond the bones
and into the amazing anatomy of a uniquely super-
sized group of dinosaurs who thrived for 140 million
years: the long-necked and long-tailed sauropods.
Innovative interactive exhibits - including the center-
piece, a life-sized, detailed model of a 60-foot Ma-
menchisaurus - take visitors inside these giants' bod-
ies, shedding light on how heart rate, respiration, me-
tabolism, and reproduction are linked to size.
NYPL Stephen A. Schwarzman Building - Main Branch
– Original Pooh Toys
Daily
5th Avenue and 42nd Street, New York, NY,
212.621.0208 http://www.nypl.org
Ages: All Ages, Time: During regular library hours,
Cost: Free
Families are invited to see the original Winnie-the-
Pooh and four of his best friends - Eeyore, Piglet,
Kanga, and Tigger - now on display at the Children's
Center at 42nd Street. Further information about this
ongoing exhibition, recently moved from its previous
home at the currently shuttered Donnell Library Cen-
ter to grand new quarters in the Stephen A. Schwarz-
man Building, is available online.
Children Museum of Art, NYC
http://cmany.org/intro.php?pn=home
Spring Break arts day camp for young artists ages 6-
12. Full days packed with fun, skills-building classes.
10am-4pm (supervised playtime 9-10am and 4-5pm)
Tuition: $595; $535 for Friend & Community Builder
members
Note: For dates, check with location for exceptions
The Jewish Museum – Maria Kalman, Various Illumina-
tions Daily except Wed 03/11/11 - 07/31/11
1109 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 212.423.3337
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org
Ages: 4 & up, Time: During regular Museum hours
Cost: Free with paid admission
The Jewish Museum presents Maira Kalman: Various
Illuminations (of a Crazy World), the first major museum
survey of the work of illustrator, author, and designer
Maira Kalman. A selection spanning thirty years of 100
original paintings, drawings, and sketches are shown
along with the many ways Kalman's whimsical yet
probing imagery has entered contemporary culture? in
books and magazines, and on commercial products
from clothing to watches. Less widely seen works in
photography, embroidery, textiles, and performance
are also included.
Museum at Eldridge Street – Passover Detective
Each Sun 04/03/11 - 04/24/11
12 Eldridge Street, New York, NY, 212.219.0302
contact@eldridgestreet.orghttp://
www.eldridgestreet.org
Ages: 5-10, Time: 1pm, Cost: $15/family
Families can discover why so many immigrants came
to America by embarking on a fun-filled family scaven-
ger hunt throughout the 1887 Eldridge Street Syna-
gogue, which is filled with clues that lead to a special
Passover Freedom party - complete with holiday food,
music, and art making.
Puppetworks – Alice in Wonderland
Each Sat, Sun 01/15/11 - 04/17/11
338 Sixth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 718.965.3391
puppetworks@verizon.nethttp://www.puppetworks.org
Ages: 3 & up, Time: 12:30pm & 2:30pm
Cost: Adults $8; Children $7; Groups (20+) $5/person
Lewis Carroll's classic tale is reimagined for marionettes,
with an original song score. Check for additional per-
formances during Presidents Week. Reservations are
suggested.
New York Aquarium – Happy feet 4d experience
Daily 03/05/11 - 05/28/11
Surf Avenue and West 8th Street, Brooklyn, NY,
718.265.FISH http://www.nyaquarium.com
Ages: 3 & up, Time: Daily, visit website or phone for
show times
Cost: $6/person with General Admission; Included with
Total Experience Ticket; WCS Members, free
Put on your dancing shoes and boogie with Mumble in
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B I R T H D A Y P L A C E S & O U T S I D E C L A S S E S
B‖H
BIRTHDAY PLACES Irene Gabo
THE PAINTED POT (two locations)
Carroll Gardens, 339 Smith Street, Bklyn, (718) 222-0334
Bay Ridge, 8009 Third Avenue, Bklyn, (718) 491-6411
Voted #1 party location by Nickelodeon, this is a place for
your child and their guests to create wonderful projects
which will be preserved for many years to cherish. Some of
the party ideas implemented are: painting pottery, creating
a mosaic plaque, picture or mirror, pirate painting party
(painting a treasure box, sword, etc), princess painting party
(girls are welcome to arrive in princess attire and paint prin-
cess tiaras and wands), build a buddy party where the chil-
dren create a plush buddy of their choice and many more.
The birthday child receives a plate that the Painted Pot will
decorate with his or her name and will be signed by all the
guests, creating a wonderful keepsake! All pottery is glazed
and put in the oven and can be picked up in about 1 week.
Birthday child and all guests receive a discount coupon for
their next visit to The PaintedPot. The place will provide one
juice box and one slice of pizza for each painter. The aver-
age charge is about $32 per child with pizza or $30 without.
You are free to bring your own cake. I have been to the Bay
Ridge location several times and during the summer they
have a garden in the back where kids work instead of being
inside, which is a wonderful alternative. In addition, while
the kids are entertained the parents are free to bring their
own food (they can offer menus for various restaurants
nearby) and drinks (wine too) and relax in another room.
They can even create their own pottery masterpiece. I
really liked the place because it was very organized but at
the same time very spirited. The kids were laughing and en-
joying every minute, beginning with the time they needed
to pick their piece of pottery to the cake and balloons at
the end. The staff was super helpful and friendly and since
we booked a later time, even closed their store for our party
letting us roam and explore.
QUEENS COUNTY FARM
For reservations please call 718-347-3276, ext 301; or
e-mail info@queensfarm.org.
Escape from the ordinary party gym and let the kids explore
this unique farm. Children's birthday parties are offered from
April to October for children ages 1 to 12. This place is very
busy and I suggest you make your reservation at least two
months in advance and visit the site to see the accommo-
dations. The farm’s staff will take care of all your party
preparations and guide all party activities described below.
The package includes the following party services: invita-
tions, two party hostesses, pizza and juice, soda or bottled
water, personalized cake, •paper goods, a favor for each
child, a gift of the birthday child, tractor-drawn hayride, ani-
mal feeding, farmyard tour and exclusive use of party
space for two-and-a-half hours (the Education Building or
Pavilion based on availability and number of guests). Their
price at $450 for up to 20 children; $20 per additional child
(20 person minimum).
KLUB 4 KIDZ
159 North 4th St, Brooklyn, NY ww.klub4kidz.com
Klub 4 Kidz is an amazing new Brooklyn play space that has
everything from rock climbing to a toddler area and a spa-
cious playground. Kids 3 and up can freely climb the 18-
foot high wall with a day pass (one kid is $12 and two kids
are $20). There is also a playground and rock climbing
combo pass for $20 per kid/per day or a toddler area pass
(kids under 3). Klub 4 Kidz also offers birthday parties, art
classes, and features fun events like free airbrush tattoos or
family brunch. Their Basic Party Package is $425 for up to 12
kids (+Birthday Kid FREE) and the kids will enjoy 1 full hour in
new 4-level indoor playground complete with crawl tubes,
slides, tunnels, and web bridges. Thereafter the kids join the
guest of honor in a fun, private party room. Enjoy 30 min-
utes of music, dancing and games along with delicious
food and dessert! And the best part is each guest received
one FREE pass to return and use their indoor playground!
What sets this place apart from the rest of the party gyms is
that its really brand spanking new, very clean and very
state of art.
Lana Shalumov
AVIATOR
Floyd Bennett Field, 3159 Flatbush Ave| 718-758-7500
The place offers an array of great fun-filled activities for
children of elementary-school age: gymnastics, ice-
skating, basketball, hockey, rock-climbing, sky jump, soccer
and more. For preschool age children they have a sepa-
rate party room filled with climbing and sliding activities.
They offer various party packages oriented for children with
various interests, i.e. ice-skating theme, or gymnastics
theme. Kosher menu is available upon request.
Alla Vasserman
AVE Z PARTY GYM
Avenue Z and East 12th Street| 1-8 yrs
Since 1992, Party Gym has been setting the standard for
children's ―Private Parties.‖ The Company claims its goal is
to afford its customers a safe, clean and family-friendly en-
vironment to have a child’s ―Private Party.‖
The first 40 minutes kids spend playing by themselves. The
place includes the following activities: vertical labyrinth, a
maze, a play area for very small kids, a climbing wall and
more— fun for everyone. During the next 20 minutes two
party hosts come to help children with the stickers and a
ball game. The next hour children spend in a dining area,
where they have pizza (kosher is available), apple juice,
and a Carvel Ice-cream. After the pizza, a party host
dresses up in your choice of character & plays with the kids.
The party is concluded with a bubble show.
7
Chani Okonov
FACE PAINTER TO HIRE FOR PARTIES:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/PninaHanoka
Her work is beautiful and she has a great way with children!
Anna Rakhlis
CARMELO THE SCIENCE FELLOW AT COSMIC COVE
300 Atlantic Avenue| 718.722.0000.
A great birthday party place for kids from 4 yrs and above.
During the first 20 minutes the kids spend time with animals
like the blue tongued skink, the corn snakes, gerbils, turtles,
bearded dragons, and more. Kids have a chance to touch
the animals and experience them firsthand. Carmelo uses
fun stories and sense of humor to engage the kids and build
confidence so they can participate. The kids then proceed
into the hands-on experiment part of the party where they
utilize many materials and make some really cool science
projects, like fake snow, glow in the dark putty and more,
which they bring home with them. Food can be ordered in
or provided by the parents.
Nika Khodorkovsky
BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
http://www.brooklynkids.org/index.php/kidsandfamily/
birthdayparties
The Brooklyn Children's Museum hosts Birthday Parties for
children ages 2-12. There are various seasonal themes that
you can choose from. The packages include the following:
Two-hour experience in the Museum including a one-
hour educational program based on your choice of
theme and an hour in a private Party Room for food,
fun, cake, song, and presents
Themed activities led by our Party Hosts
Food and beverage for 20 people (minimum of 5
adults), plus five additional adult guests FREE!
10‖ birthday cake (larger cake available for an addi-
tional fee)
Party favor for each child
Museum admission for all party attendees
The Museum offers a Kosher option as well, which is pizza,
juice and cake or bagels, juice and cake if it an early morn-
ing party. The firs hour, depending on your choice of theme
is spent in different areas of the museum with certain sec-
tions being closed off just for your party, which is nice. We
celebrated Emy's 4th Birthday at the museum and he par-
ticularly likes the grocery store. During the party all our
guests got exclusive time in the store. The party hosts are
energetic but I would have liked to see them engage the
children more, ask questions, tell them stories about particu-
lar exhibits that they are visiting at that moment. Overall, it is
fun and educational and I would recommend it.
OUTSIDE CLASSES AND ACTIVITIES
Irene Gabo
Camp Olympia| John Jay High School |7th Avenue in Park
Slope | www.campolympiany.com.
Camp Olympia has a very warm swimming pool, which is
great for a young swimmer starting from as early as 6mo
The classes are offered for different skill levels and different
age groups, from 6 months to adult. The lessons are given
once a week for 8 wk period, with evaluation of skill taking
place during 7th week. Camp Olympia offers various swim-
ming schedules throughout the week and on weekends
and you will have approximately one instructor per 4 kids.
They also do birthday parties and hold family swim time on
weekends where the charge is just $5 per person for a 50
minute swim. Women’s lockers and men’s lockers, showers,
bathroom facilities are all available free of charge.
An’s Tae Kwon Do | Kings Highway & W6th| 718-339-5425
This school has existed for over 25 years with two locations
in Brooklyn. They offer introductory classes at $20 for two
weeks, with three 45 minute classes per week. During the
summer the offer is extended to 6 weeks for $100. If the
child likes the classes and family wishes to continue the
cost is $145 per month (10% discount for each additional
child) and the contract is signed for one year. The classes
are offered throughout the week and on Saturday with
most of them scheduled between 4 and 8 p.m. Classes are
for children from 4 years of age to adult and every 2
months, provided the child excels in each of the four cate-
gories tested, he will be given a chance to participate in a
promotion test supervised by Tae Kwon Do Federation to
receive another color belt. The classes are very rigorous
and each of the three days offers a chance to learn either
form, kicking skills or self defense.
Modern School of Soccer – various locations and schedules
throughout Brooklyln. www.themodernschoolofsoccer.com
The school is founded and taught by professional soccer
players and coaches who strive to give your child personal-
ized attention. The classes range from 3-6 children depend-
ing on the location and the weather. During the winter the
school rents gyms inside various schools. The classes are
approximately 45 minutes; instructors try to teach children
how to kick properly, be a goalie and be a team player,
even at a very young age. Bay Ridge location in Owls
Head Park is great, since if you have other kids who are not
participating in the class, there are numerous playgrounds,
basketball courts and skateboard facility nearby.
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
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B I R T H D A Y P L A C E S & O U T S I D E C L A S S E S
8
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B I R T H D A Y P L A C E S & O U T S I D E C L A S S E S
Alla Vasserman
Shorefront Y Lenny Swimming School| 347-689-1846
Cost: $18 per 25 mins paid monthly; Private lessons are avail-
able for $50 per 30 mins. The school is structured by compe-
tence levels. The groups are small, and if you go during the
week, you have a chance of getting personalized attention
for a group price. The place is clean and friendly. To place
your child in a group you should schedule a test that will
take about 10 minutes.
Brooklyn Gymnastics on Bath Ave| 718-232-6444
Max capacity of a class is 8 people. The teachers are very
attentive and professional to each child, given the time and
number of students. Some teachers speak Russian. There is
a professional, clean, and relatively new equipment. A les-
son starts with a warm up and continues to various activities
that may or may not vary depending on the lesson or the
teacher. It is structured in the way that when one student
performs, others are involved in less strenuous activities that
require minimum supervision. Children try hard and enjoy
their time in class.
Anna Ashurov
Kings Bay Y Dancing and Swimming| 718-648-7703
Kings Bay Y, located on Nostrand Ave and Ave U, offers a
great variety of classes for kids. My child attended swim-
ming and dance lessons. Y’s Academy of Dance is taught
by Oleg Trebunski, a world-renowned dance master with
over 30 years of experience and the coach and father of
2nd place winner of Dancing With the Stars, Oleg is great
with kids and makes it fun and exciting. Beginner classes
involve parent participation, while older kids dance profes-
sional ballroom dance and perform at local and national
competitions. Oleg teaches all ages, from kids to elderly.
Swimming lessons are taught by various instructors in differ-
ent forms—group or personalized lessons for all ages. Tod-
dler lessons include introduction to breathing patterns and
control, submersion in the water, comfort on the back, kick-
ing, reaching, grabbing, and arm movement, while older
kids learn how to flutter kick in proper streamline position,
freestyle swim, backstroke and breaststroke , butterfly swim,
& more. More details can be found at www.kingsbayy.org.
Irina Rakhlis
Aviator Sports| Ice Skating | 718-758-7514
Aviator Sports and Events Center offers a great ice skating
experience in New York City. The Aviator Ice Academy is
affiliated with U.S. Figure Skating and offers classes for skat-
ers of all ages and abilities. There are classes for tots, youth,
adults, teens, beginning hockey, and skaters starting their
competitive careers. Aviator Sports and Recreation provides
group lesson and private lessons . Coaches range from
Learn To Skate Specialists through Olympic level coaches.
My children attend private lessons. Cost of private lessons is
$45 per 30mins. The instructor my kids skate with is Michael
Shmerkin (Phone: 540-520-8160; Email:
MShmerkin@gmail.com ). He is an excellent instructor and
has a great way with children.
―I’m sorry.‖ If at first your child does not seem to
pay attention – don’t be discouraged. The em-
pathy will come with time.
Train them to be kind to their parents. Children
can show kindness to their parents by greeting
them when they come home, saying thank you
for food that you prepare, asking you about your
day, helping you carry your packages, bringing
you something to eat/drink, holding the door
open for you and so on.
Even though you may feel that it is not so impor-
tant to you personally if your children do these
things for you, it is part of the overall way in
which you train your child to think about others.
The best way to do this is for each parent to
teach their child to behave in this way to the
other parent. This way, you aren’t asking your
child to be kind to you - which can feel cheesy -
but rather to your spouse (which will further en-
hance the ―Shalom Bayis‖, peace in the home).
I would point out that it is okay to make your chil-
dren aware of your needs and feelings - but do
not expect them to care about them so much
that they will give up those things that they feel
strongly about themselves. For example, it is
good for them to be told things like ―I’m feeling
tired. Can you play quietly while I rest?‖, but I
find that trying to evoke their sympathy as a way
to get them to stop misbehavior can sometimes
be ineffective.
Kindness is in our genes. Judaism describes
that our forefather Avraham had three unique
qualities which were so ingrained in his per-
sona that he passed these traits along to his
children as spiritual DNA. Therefore, the rabbis
of the Talmud considered Jews to be distin-
guished by these three characteristics: mod-
esty, compassion and doers of kindness. So,
though being kind can sometimes feel like it is
―going against our nature‖, the ability to care
for others is actually innate by each of us and
by our children. Our role is only to bring that
quality to the surface.
M O D E R N P A R E N T I N G C o n t i n u e d
9
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P A S S O V E R F A V O R I T E S Compiled by Anna Ashurov
Matzo Balls Soup
For many years, matzo ball soup has been
joked about with such aliases as "Jewish
chicken soup" or "Jewish penicillin". Matzo ball
soup has been part of Jewish culture for centu-
ries whose history is unclear yet, as a culture,
Jews cannot imagine Passover without it.
Ingredients
3 eggs, separated
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. seltzer water
1½ cups Kosher for Pesach
matzoh meal
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 scallion, minced
½ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. ground black pepper
9 cups canned chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, cut and pressed
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 large onion, studded with three cloves
1 bay leaf
a bit of oil and water
In a blender, combine egg yolks, olive oil, and
seltzer water. In a separate bowl, beat the egg
whites until stiff. Slowly pour in egg yolk mixture.
Add the matzoh meal, dill, parsley, thyme, scal-
lion, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate mixture for 45
minutes, or longer if time allows. Meanwhile, in
a large saucepan, combine chicken stock,
garlic, carrot, celery, onion with cloves, and
bay leaf, then bring to a rapid boil. Reduce
heat; cover and simmer.
Wet hands with a bit of oil or water and form
small balls out of the matzoh mixture. (Do not
make them too large, since they expand
greatly in cooking.) If the mixture seems too
wet, add more matzoh meal. Gently lower
balls into the simmering stock. Cover and sim-
mer once again, this time for 30–45 minutes. Do
not uncover the pot while cooking. Remove
bay leaf and clove-studded onion, and serve
hot.
Yield: 6 servings
Classic Gefilte Fish
At the time of the Mishna (200 CE), rabbis
deemed it meritorious to eat fish on the Sab-
bath and Jews became accustomed to eating
fish at festive meals. Due to the plethora of riv-
ers in Europe, Ashkenazi Jews tended to cook
with freshwater fish. Eastern European Jews
would make a mixture of chopped fish, stuff it
back into the skin of the fish, and boil it. The
word gefilte means stuffed in Yiddish.
Ingredients:
FISH BALLS
2 pounds of fish fillets (mix of carp, whitefish,
haddock, yellow pike and/or cod)
2 carrots
1 onion
2 eggs, well-beaten
1/2 cup matzo meal
1-2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
cold water may be added if needed to get
the mixture to stick together
FISH STOCK
8 cups of water
4 carrots
2 onions
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
fish bones and heads
1. Mince fish in a food processor. Grind car-
rots and onion in food processor.
2. In a bowl, combine ground fish and vege-
tables with the eggs. In a separate bowl,
mix matzo meal, sugar, salt and pepper.
Combine the two mixes and beat until
light. Cover and chill for one hour.
3. Boil a large pot of fish stock.
4. With wet hands, take 3 tablespoons of the
fish mixture at a time and roll into ovals.
5. Gently add gefilte fish to the boiling fish
stock. Make sure the stock covers the fish
balls. Simmer, uncovered, for two hours.
Water should be added if needed to keep
the fish balls covered.
6. Remove the fish balls, carrots and onions
from the fish stock. Cool. Refrigerate.
10
By Alla Vasserman
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Interview with Gabriella Levitis
First Grade Teacher (General Studies)
Morah Gaby has been teaching 1st grade in public
and private schools for the past four years. She is an
energetic, enthusiastic and innovative educator who
is committed to reaching out to children and making
an impact. She is dedicated to seeking out new ways
to improve instruction, link learning with fun, and
equip children with the resources and knowledge
necessary to exceed individual goals. She also pos-
sesses strong interpersonal and communication skills,
and is able to build relationships with diverse popula-
tions of students, parents and colleagues.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
My name is Morah Gaby and I’m the 1st grade gen-
eral studies teacher. I have been teaching 1st grade
in public and private schools for the past four years. I
received my Bachelor’s degree in Marketing
Management and Master’s degree in Early Childhood
Education from Long Island University.
Why did you decide to go into teaching?
I had an amazing experience throughout my elemen-
tary education. I loved going to school each day. I
became a teacher because it is my goal to create an
environment that makes my students feel the same
way. I hope that my students will feel empowered to
learn and have confidence to move forward to learn
great things. I would like my students to develop a
deep love of learning and not be shy to ask questions.
I also hope to teach them how to be open-minded
and understand that knowledge comes from every-
where.
Do you have a favorite school memory?
My favorite memory from my own educational experi-
ence is from fourth grade. I had a teacher who was so
enthusiastic it was infectious. She always had a smile
on her face. Most importantly she was approachable
and understanding. Every day at school was a new
surprise!
What made you decide to work at Mazel?
After meeting with Chani and hearing her vision for
the school and seeing the pas-
sion of the other teachers, I be-
came convinced that this was
the place where I could grow
as a teacher and make the
biggest impact.
Which do you think are the
school’s strongest sides and
why do you think Mazel is a
good elementary school?
Small class sizes, caring teach-
ers, incredibly strong
support from school leadership. I worked in both
public and private schools and I have never wit-
nessed such commitment from school leaders to the
children and their needs. The school is always look-
ing at new
programs to improve education in the classrooms
and ways to enrich their lives.
How we, as parents, can prepare our kids for the
transition from Kindergarten to first grade?
Practice reading, writing sentences and most impor-
tantly talk to your children. Explain to them that they
are getting bigger and first grade will be very excit-
ing. They will learn new and interesting things and will
have lots of fun. They will be going into a new room,
in a different building with new teachers, but they
should be excited and their new teachers will make
sure that they will be happy.
What subjects are offered during the first grade? How
much time do you spend on each?
Reading workshop – Daily
Writing workshop – 3 times per week
Math – Daily
Science – 1 to 2 times per week
Social Studies – Once per week
Work period (i.e. Phonics, spelling, poetry and
grammar)
What do you do to help a pupil who is constantly be-
hind in class?
I work with the child one on one to help them with
their areas of weakness. I also make sure that the
parents are involved from the start. We modify the
T E A C H E R I N T E R V I E W
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T E A C H E R I N T E R V I E W by Alla Vassernan
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work for the child who needs help.
How we, parents, may boost at home what our kids
learn with you at school? Would you recommend any
special books for the home study? What is our role at
homework preparation?
Review with them when they do their homework. Ask
them what they learned at school. Please remember
that homework assignments are to reinforce what
your child learned that day. The parent should be
there to offer guidance during homework. Don’t pres-
sure the child instead encourage them.
What do you think is the most fascinating and the
most difficult for kids at this age?
At this age children are very curious and open to new
ideas. We must always remember that even though
they are no longer kindergarteners, they are still small
and get tired and lose focus much faster than older
children.
What do you value most about Mazel?
I value the positive working atmosphere and the
balanced outlook on education; I think there is a
healthy blend of traditional and progressive styles. The
curriculum is current, and is constantly monitored and
reevaluated for relevancy. There is also a low student-
teacher ratio which really allows the teacher to dis-
cern individual learning styles and cater to their
needs.
What communication dynamics between parents and
teachers will assure that the both sides keep track of a
child’s success and obstacles?
Parent teacher communication is very important. To
ensure this, all of the teachers have an email address
which they monitor on a regular basis. All of the
teachers will reply as soon as they are able to. You
can also send a note with your children, set-up an
appointment to discuss any concerns which you may
have. I am a parent as well, and understand the con-
cerns which you may have.
Do you have a list of books that you suggest for the
current K students to read during the summer?
I can suggest a list of Authors whose books I find to be
very interesting for children:
Kevin Henkes
Mem Fox
Tomie DePaola
Laura Joffe Numeroff
Jan Brett
What would you like to say to the parents of your fu-
ture students?
I am very excited to meet you and your children. I
will always be available and my goal is to make sure
that your children get a positive and fun educational
experience. Their success is my main goal. Teaching
is a passion for me; it is something I embrace whole-
heartedly.
FIRST GRADE CLASS IN ACTON
FIRST G
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ETS
A N
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ET: H
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MIT C
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AT THE
MODEL
MATZAH
BAKERY
12
By Alla Vasserman
B‖H
Dear Parents,
This month we are featuring an inter-
view with Sharona Silva, Daniella’s
mom (Nursery), makeup artist and
creator of high-end skincare prod-
ucts.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I live in the Manhattan Beach area,
with my husband Max, and daugh-
ters, Danielle (Dani-3 years old) & Abi-
gail (Abby-14 months old). I work part-
time for NY State, and I’m also a freelance Makeup Artist. I
mostly do airbrush makeup, and specialize in bridal
makeup, for brides, and bridal parties. I also write weekly
columns for The Jewish Press on beauty tips.
About Mazel—why did you choose the school?
Our friends spoke highly of the school, and it was so close
to home it just made sense.
What do you like most about Mazel?
There are so many aspects of the school that we like. First
of all, Dani loves to go to school, and is sad if she has to
miss school for whatever reason. I love the fact that the
school has a warm and inviting environment. I love the
idea that we have PTA, and although they’ve been
around for only two years, I feel that they are really impor-
tant and have accomplished a lot. The meetings help us
see our children in a different light. We each have a part
in molding characters of our children. I feel that if we in-
corporate the things that children learn in the classroom
and at home we will become partners in making the chil-
dren’s learning experience the best possible.
About your calling. You are a makeup artist and run your
own business. Please tell us how and why you chose your
profession?
I became interested in the makeup field when I was get-
ting married almost 6 years ago. I remember going to a
makeup artist to buy some makeup, and she showed me
some techniques as to how to apply colors. Since then I
would buy eye shadows, lip colors etc., and play around
with different looks. It was something I saw myself capable
of doing. Makeup is fun, and I like working with people. So
I’ve decided to take makeup courses and pursue my pas-
sion more seriously.
You designed your own cosmetics line. You have
successfully taken a road that other very famous Jewish
women and men did. I am talking about Helena Rubin-
stein, Estée Lauder (née Mentzer), Charles Revson
(founder of Revlon). Please introduce your products. Why
did you want to create a cosmetics line? What do you like
about your products? What does it mean to create your
own line?
As of right now I have my own skincare line. I like that my
products have mostly natural ingredients, and that I carry
products for all types of skin—oily, dry, normal and sensi-
tive . One thing people often ask me is how I came up
with my own skincare line. I work with a lab. I tell them
what I’m looking for for each skin type and what I want
the products to achieve. I also tell them if I want any
special scents or extracts in the product, such as green
tea, honey, avocado oil or even lavender.
I do plan on having a full line of makeup products in the
very near future that will include custom color founda-
tion, eye shadows, lip colors, blushes. All my products are
only highest quality and are more affordable for the av-
erage woman, or a bride to be than the leading brands
such as MAC, Estée Lauder etc. I like to help clients to
buy products and colors that will enhance their features.
After all I always stress that makeup is to enhance your
best features and not to ―makeup‖ for what you don’t
have. I’ve decided to carry my own skincare line mainly
because of my clientele, which happens to be mostly
brides.
An average Mazel mom is a working, with three small
kids, Jewish parent. How would you persuade her to put
some makeup daily? And if you did, but she only has one
minute for this ritual, what steps is she supposed to take
for best results? What products do you recommend?
Mornings are pretty hectic; the last thing you want to
think about is makeup. In my recent article in The Jewish
Press called ―The 10 Minute Face‖ I described a basic
makeup application which included applying founda-
tion, concealer, blush, eyeliner, mascara, lipstick or lip
gloss. Or buy a travel size makeup bag with mentioned
above basics and apply it later on during the day. My
must have product is mascara which is known to com-
plete the ―look‖. I also love to carry in my bag a tinted
moisturizer. It hydrates, adds a light coat of foundation,
and can be applied on the face with your hands just like
any cream or lotion. I use one made by Laura Mercier.
For a one minute makeup I recommend to apply a tinted
moisturizer, eyeliner, curl the lashes and apply mascara.
Now our woman has to update her look from a casual to
a more sophisticated one to surprise her husband over
the dinner. Please walk us through the steps of this transi-
tion.
To get ready for a dinner date with hubby, right after
work, the additional steps would now be to apply:
Blush on the apples of the cheek and some bronzer
right below the cheek bone. To find where to apply
the bronzer, suck in the cheeks and apply a touch of
bronzer in the hollows of the cheek, just below the
P A R E N T I N T E R V I E W
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P A R E N T I N T E R V I E W by Alla Vassernan
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blush.
Apply some eye shadow at least two colors (can be
same color just one should be a little darker then the
fist, to create dimension to the eye). Don’t be afraid
to use darker shades – two shades darker than what
you would wear during the day so they are visible in
the dim lights.
Line your lips with lip liner and apply lip color of the
same color or close to it. Don’t have too high of a
contrast, it can make the lips appear smaller, rather
than fuller. Add a touch of lip gloss to the center of
the lips.
Now we can turn to a young beautiful khala who is getting
ready for her wedding day. It is well known that behind a
perfect makeup is a perfect canvas – her healthy skin.
How and how long in advance our khala should start to
prepare her skin for the big day?
Let’s face it, when young most of us don’t think about the
skin unless we see visible issues such as acne. Only then
we start caring about it in a regular basis. Most people
think that when it comes to the makeup all they need to
look stunning is a quality makeup and a really good
Makeup Artist. Although, that may be true, but if the
―canvas‖ is not ―flawless‖ then the products and colors
just don’t sit right. I will usually suggest to my brides to start
using skincare regimens at least one month before the
wedding, so the skin can get used to my product, and
start healing the skin so it can be blemish free, (or almost
blemish free but that can easily be covered up) and well
hydrated .
What services do your offer for your clients?
As I’ve mentioned before, the specialty that I offer to my
clients, is the application of airbrush makeup. Airbrush
makeup has been around for at least 30 years in Holly-
wood, and has been used on models and actors to cre-
ate that flawless skin. Airbrush makeup is so lightweight
that even 5 layers of airbrush foundation will feel like 1
layer of your average liquid foundation. Another thing
that I offer to the bride or any other client is the applica-
tion of false lashes. I include that into the price of the ser-
vice, because I feel it ―opens up‖ the eye and gives it that
final touch. The first thing people think of when they hear
false lashes is Mini Mouse, but it doesn’t need to be that
dramatic. It can be very thin, very separated lashes, that
make your eye look like it has full lashes, and that of
course gives off a very youthful look.
In one of your articles for The Jewish Press you were talk-
ing about Inglot cosmetics that you use on your clients.
Why did you pick this brand? How our Mazel mom should
pick the cosmetics for herself?
I chose to write about Inglot because I found its products
to be high quality with pigmented colors that will last a
long time, both on the face and in your
makeup bag, because a little goes a long
way, and it’s not as expensive as MAC. I
don’t have a favorite brand, simply because
I find different things that I like from different
companies. My makeup kit that I use on cli-
ents includes products by MAC, Inglot, Bene-
fit, Laura Mercier along with a couple of
drugstore products. You’re asking me how a Mazel Mom
should choose her makeup. Well, she should take in a
few things into consideration like:
Budget that will help her determine where to shop.
Then, what is it that she wants to enhance. If she
loves the way her lips look, then she should focus on
buying lip colors, etc. To choose an eye shadow that
complements her eye color she may use the color
theory—blue compliments orange, green—reds,
purple—yellow. So for those moms that have blue
eyes, try coral colors. You can never go wrong with
the neutral colors which are browns, grays/silvers,
and white. Stay away from blues/greens—they will
take away from the eye color versus enhance them.
Green eyed moms go for pinks, purples/plum colors,
gold looks very nice with green and neutrals as well.
Blue—eyed should stay away from greens/blues—it
will take away from your eye color versus enhance it.
Brown—eyed moms can go with any color they
want, since brown is a neutral color and will blend
nicely with any color, even browns.
Last tip I would suggest is, if you like the product buy
it, don’t mind if the look is not ―in‖ for that season, if
you feel great, and like the way you look, then that’s
all that matters.
What do you think of an idea to lead a workshop for
Mazel’s moms where you share some beauty tips and
techniques? Would you offer a discount for your products
and services for Mazel moms?
The idea of doing a makeup/skin care product workshop
could be a lot of fun. For example, I can demonstrate
how airbrushing works and how to achieve certain looks.
I will offer a 20% discount to Mazel moms on my skin care
products.
What are some final recommendations to our female
readers? I would just like to emphasize the importance of
taking care of your skin; on a daily basis not just when a
―problem‖ arises. Also have fun experimenting, if you are
afraid of risk, then go to a makeup store such as Sephora,
where they have testers of all products available, and
play around with colors, see what you feel works best for
you.
And remember—makeup is washable so don’t be afraid
of color.
14
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When your Passover table is filled with boisterous
youngsters who get fidgety before it's time to recite the Ma
Nishtana, the evening may begin to feel longer than those
infamous years of slavery in Egypt, and filled with more tears
than the salt water intended.
But don't fret; your liberation from bondage is closer than
you think. The following offers a guide of creative ideas for
frazzled parents who seek to inspire every kind of child, in-
cluding the wise one, the simple one, the one who is too
young to ask and, well, I'm not even going to mention the
fourth one.
First, you have to set the
scene; I always make my
table child-friendly by setting
the table with Passover
paraphernalia such as plastic
frogs, red water colored with red wine or grape juice
(blood), sunglasses (darkness), ping pong balls (hail), masks
and other and plague-related odds and ends.
Just as you invite all of those who are hungry, don't
forget to invite your children to share. Welcome your
children to bring their own Haggadahs to the table and
share what they have learned with everyone else.
As you set your table with your finest Passover china and
crystal, don't leave out the most important
display – the handmade pillows, seder plates and crafts
your progeny created in school this year and in previous
years.
Try to reward good questions, singing, readings and stories
with something special. This way, they will pay attention to
the proper place in the Haggadah. I have found that this
technique keeps everyone alert.
Some people charge the children at their seder with the
task of producing a Pesach-related skit. All the children can
be given a part to play from the
Haggadah, along with props, such as toy frogs and plastic
bugs to add more realism and dramatic flair. The activity
has the added benefit of requiring a
certain amount of planning away from the table,
affording the adults an opportunity for higher level conver-
sation.
Some have the custom of marching
around the table with either a piece of
matza or a heavy load of items on their
back. This helps us to fulfill the mitzvah of
the Seder, which requires us to feel and
act as if we have personally experi-
enced liberation from slavery.
Similarly, some people dress up like slaves and walk around
the table to reenact the Jews' Exodus from Egypt. But you
don't have to end with your journeys through the dessert
around your table.
A scavenger hunt through the Haggadah will also keep
everyone on their toes; you can give your seder partici-
pants a list of words or characters to find as they read
through the Haggadah.
One family I know ends their seder with an energetic round
of the song "Who Knows One," complete with elaborate
hand motions. It certainly helped that they drank four cups
of wine first!
When children are involved in seder preparations, it gives
them a sense of ownership Generating enthusiasm for the
seder can begin before the matzah and herbs are even
brought to the table. When children are involved in seder
preparations, it gives them a sense of ownership in the
event. There are little jobs you can give them to help
prepare, such as getting the salt water and bitter herbs
ready. It may even encourage them to stick around at the
table longer.
One family I know prepares a treasure hunt in advance,
with clues to finding their missing afikomen. The adults are
forced to participate whether they like it or not because
without the afikomen, the seder cannot be completed.
If you successfully follow some of the suggestions above,
you might get the ultimate
compliment at the end of
the meal. The children just
might say, "Next Year--at your
table--in Jerusalem."
Other suggestions:
Paper bag dramatics.
You can make parts of the Haggadah come alive by
giving kids a bag of random materials. They must act
out the part of the Haggadah using the materials. This
can be done for the Ten Plagues as well.
Make the Ten Plagues come alive by throwing some-
thing out on the table for each one. For blood, put col-
ored cups of water around the table. For frogs, throw
around little toy frogs, etc.
Act out traditional Passover songs, such as Dayenu.
Dress up in robes or sheets to create the look of slaves.
Create a scavenger hunt out of the frogs that you
have hidden around the house during the day.
Jump over a low bucket filled with water to recreate
the splitting of the sea.
Get some sacks for the kids to pull around; fill with wa-
ter bottles and then reenact the exodus from Egypt.
INFORMATION IS REPRINTED FROM WWW.CHABAD.ORG.
ARTICLE IS WRITTEN BY DEENA YELLIN.
T I P S T O C R E A T E A K I D - F R I E N D L Y S E D E R
When children are
involved in seder
preparations, it
gives them a sense
of ownership.
Don't forget to in-
vite your children
to share.
15
B‖H
THERE IS A LIBRARY based in Western
Massachusetts that you don't visit; it
comes to you. The PJ Library (PJ for
Pajamas) is a program of the Harold
Grinspoon Foundation in partnership
with local Jewish communities. Its
goal is to support the Jewish journeys
of families raising young children.
Knowing that families read together in the quiet
moments before bedtime, when kids are in their PJs
and getting ready for sleep, the program's founders
thought, "Why not make these moments Jewish
moments"?
The PJ Library program mails free, high-quality Jewish
children's books and music to families across North
America on a monthly basis, helping them explore the
timeless core values of Judaism.
The PJ Library is offered in participating communities
on a first-come, first-served basis. The PJ Library is open
to all families with children ages 6 months to five-and-
a-half years.
You can find more information on how to enroll online.
There are a few locations in Brooklyn, so children from
the South Brooklyn area can be added to the list and
enjoy free age-appropriate books and CD’s on
Judaism.
Courtesy of Anna Blikshteyn-Khavulya
Thank you to those that came out to the F.R.E.E. Purim
in the 60’s Party. Through raffle donations we raised
about $350 to benefit the playground. Just another
step closer to our goal!
Every month we will publish business cards of the par-
ents that wish to advertise their services. If you wish
to advertise in the future issues, please do not hesi-
tate to contact the Editorial Staff at
mazelnewsletter@gmail.com.
This month we feature:
YELENA DIGILOVA (Eliana’s Grandma), owner of
specialty medical center.
SHARONA SILVA (Dani’s Mom), makeup artist and
creator of high-end skincare products.
MILANA FELDMAN (Etelle and Dovid Moshe’s
Mom) at Zori’s Fashion women’s wear
E D I T O R ’ S C O R N E R
PARENT SPOTLIGHT THE PJ LIBRARY
PURIM RAFFLE—THANK YOU!
16
SP
EC
IAL TH
AN
KS
W E A P P R E C I A T E I T . . .
B‖H
MAZEL DAY SCHOOL 2901 - 2915 Brighton 6th St
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Phone: 718-368-4490
E-mail:
mazelnewsletter@gmail.com
We’re on the web!
www.mazeldayschool.com
QUALITY RUSSIAN-JEWISH
PRIVATE SCHOOL
CARTOON OF THE MONTH A special note of appreciation to those parents who made
gift donations to school over the past month… The Rozin
family (Kindergarten) donated a matching sound game…
the Goloborodsky family donated a Curious George Book
Set to Kindergarten… the Kurlander family (Pre-Nursery) do-
nated a Passover Kit… the Permyak family (First Grade) do-
nated $100 worth of Scholastic Books!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Whether you want to give a gift to your child's class in honor
of his/her birthday or just because... check out your class's
online wish list of carefully selected items that will be greatly
appreciated and used by your child's teachers.
MO
NTH
IN P
ICTU
RES
CELEBRATING PURIM
FIRST AND SECOND GRADE BRING PURIM SPIRIT TO SHALOM SENIOR CENTER
F.R
.E.E
. PU
RIM
IN TH
E 6
0’S
PA
RTY
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