How YOU Can Help Israel; Electronic Devices

Kids in Los Angeles can send letters to kids in Israel by e-mailing elka1@jdc.org.il. The letters will be printed out and inserted into "care packages" that are beng sent out to families in shelters in Northern Israel. When you send an e-mail, include your name, age and address.

• In addition to expressing support, you can write about whatever it is that you, as kids, like to talk about.
• Ask that the children e-mail or mail you back.
• It is important that spelling and grammar are correct (have an adult or older sibling read it first), otherwise it can be difficult for the Israeli children to understand.

Remember: Tikkun olam comes in all shapes and sizes.

Kein v' Lo: Electronic Devices

This section of the page is a way for you as kids to sound off about an issue. This month's Kein v' Lo (yes and no) is about personal electronic devices. Are kids spending too much time on iPods, PSPs and cellphones?

The Kein Side:

• The obesity rate among children is growing because many are sitting down (or standing still), playing games on their PSPs and texting their friends via their phones and not getting enough exercise.
• A lot of kids listen to their iPods all the time -- even in public -- and are not learning to how to interact with people. The headphone volume could also cause many of them to have hearing problems.

The Lo Side:

• Kids are learning to be technologically savvy -- skills that are very important for doing homework and will later be used to get good jobs.
• By texting their friends and talking on cellphones, kids are socializing all the time. Playing games on PSPs keeps minds sharp because players have to constantly think. Some teachers even use iPod podcasts (streaming video or audio) as learning tools for class.

Discuss your opinions in your classroom or around your dining table with your family. We aren't saying which is right and which is wrong. We want to know what you think. Send your thoughts to Kids@jewishjournal.com with Kein v'Lo in the subject line.

Pages & Picks

Shabbat candles you don't have to light? A shofar you can drop and it won't break? A pyramid that you can build without breaking a sweat? Impossible you say! Not so with Joel Stern's "Jewish Holidays Origami" (Dover Publications, $5.95). In addition to the step-by-step craftmaking, the book includes background on eight holidays -- as well as on the objects for that holiday. And because the crafts come in beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, younger kids can make a siddur, while the older ones create a Torah scroll. And the best part? No messy glue -- although parents might want to check to see that kids' report cards don't turn into a paper hamantaschen.