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In this issue
March 19, 2010
Rabbi Berel Wein: The Divine is in the details
JWisdom.com Stewards of sacrifice with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky (5 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick: Why Obama is waging war on Israel
March 18, 2010
Cal Thomas: Israel's New Enemy: America?
JWisdom.com Love me not? with Rabbi David Aaron (5 minutes)
Jonathan Rosenblum: Washington Throws a Tantrum
March 17, 2010
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Orwell, Santayana, and Me
Jonathan Tobin: How Many Lives Is Biden's Pride Worth?
March 16, 2010
Steven Emerson: Combating Lawfare
JWisdom.com How to perform a miracle with Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair (4 minutes)
Anne Bayefsky: Behind Obama's Dangerous Overreaction on Israel
March 15, 2010
The Jewish Ethicist By Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Father's obligations toward minor children
JWisdom.com Moody, Grumpy, Irritable Children with Sarah Chana Radcliffe (5 minutes)
Judith Graham: Get the whole picture before a CT
March 12, 2010
Rabbi David Aaron: You CAN have Heaven on Earth
JWisdom.com Manufacturing mediums with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky (4 minutes)
Caroline B. Glick: The march of the Red-Green brigades
March 11, 2010
Glenn Garvin: Conspiracy theories, why people believe them and how they spread
JWisdom.com For Yourself, Not By Yourself with Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff (8 minutes)
The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer : Turn leftovers into tasty New England hash
Paul Richter: Biden promises 'viable Palestine' is in the offing
March 10, 2010
Paul Greenberg: Death Checks In
JWisdom.com How To Get A (Real) Life with Rabbi Warren Goldstein ( EXTENDED EPISODE)
Paul Richter: Israel exerts soverign right to its capital as Biden looks on astounded
Richard A. Serrano: 'Jihad Jane' indictment alleges threat from within U.S.
March 9, 2010
Wesley Pruden: Joe's Israeli adventure
JWisdom.com Free To Be (Responsibly) You and Me! with Rabbi Naftali Brawer ( 8 MINUTES)
David G. Savage: Supreme Court to rule on free speech in case of soldier's funeral
March 8, 2010
The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Make a fuss about those who cuss?
JWisdom.com Finding or Losing Yourself? Here's How! with Rabbi David Aaron ( 5 MINUTES)
Steven Emerson: America must learn from the UK about the future of Islamist subversion
March 5, 2010
Rabbi Berel Wein: Golden Calf still with us --- except it has multiplied
JWisdom.com The Limits of Eternity with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 4 MINUTES)
Caroline B. Glick: Biden's lost cause
March 4, 2010
Alan M. Dershowitz: How About A Real Campaign Against Abuses?
JWisdom.com Using Things, Loving People with Rabbi Lawrence Hajioff ( 7 MINUTES)
Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkel's Everything's Relative
March 3, 2010
JWisdom.com Grasping The Name of Your Life Game with Rabbi Warren Goldstein ( 8 MINUTES)
The Kosher Gourmet by Marialisa Calta : A cowboy's recipes for really good grub
March 2, 2010
Rabbi Avi Shafran: Someone's there
Diane Toroian Keaggy : Have we misunderstood Michelangelo?
March 1, 2010
JWisdom.com Whole in One with Rabbi David Aaron ( 5 MINUTES)
Michael Muskal: Hillary meets with Israeli official, discusses gefilte fish dispute
Feb. 26, 2010
Rabbi Francis Nataf: The Megilla of Spring
JWisdom.com A Biblical Secret for a More Powerful You with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 5 MINUTES)
Caroline B. Glick: When rhetoric rules the roost
Feb. 25, 2010
The Jewish Ethicist By Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: When walking away from your mortgage is both economically sound and makes ethical sense
JWisdom.com The Second Most Important Question in Your Life with Rabbi Yehoshua Karsh ( 5 MINUTES)
Seema Mehta : U.S.-Israel relations raised in California's Senate race --- by conservatives
Feb. 24, 2010
Rabbi Avi Shafran: The gift of the ‘prayer bomber’
Steven Emerson: Why Religious Freedom Commission is under attack
Feb. 23, 2010
Dennis Prager: Government, Yes! The Divine and Parents, No!
JWisdom.com The Last Laugh of Enlightenment with Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair ( 5 MINUTES)
Anne Applebaum: Prepare for war with Iran --- in case Israel strikes
Feb. 22, 2010
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Is it not refreshing Tiger Woods' career has crashed and burned so dramatically?
JWisdom.com Esther and the third Truth with Rabbi David Aaron ( 9 MINUTES)
Kelly Brewington: Going smoke-free may raise diabetes risk
Feb. 19, 2010
Rabbi David Aaron: Is the Divine beyond us or within us?
JWisdom.com Olympic Faith with Rabbi Sroy Levitansky ( 5 MINUTES)
Caroline B. Glick: Israel and the West are perpetrators of a myth that endangers the Jewish State
Feb. 18, 2010
Cal Thomas: Who is Rashad Hussain?
JWisdom.com A Wedding Disaster to Remember with Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein ( 3 MINUTES)
Feb. 17, 2010
JWisdom.com Think your life is messed up? with Rabbi David Aaron ( 11 MINUTES)
Greg Logan: 'Greatest Jewish sporting event of all time since David versus Goliath' may be postponed because of bar mitzvah
Feb. 16, 2010
Anya Martin : Boy's 'cerebral palsy' fixed with diet
JWisdom.com Feet On The Street Spirituality with Gavriel Aryeh Sanders ( 8 MINUTES)
Marty Peretz: Let Europe Mind Its Own Business. It Brings Nothing To The Table Save For Mischief
Feb. 15, 2010
Herb Geduld: Lincoln and the Jews
JWisdom.com Are Our Children Really Ours? with Rabbi Mordechai Becher ( 5 MINUTES)
Susan King: 'Wolf Man' reflected writer's wartime Jewish experience

Jewish World Review

Every Monday Matters: Save art in schools

By Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) 93 percent of people believe that the arts are vital to a well-rounded education.

Regardless, only 29 percent of schools have been able to maintain time and funding for arts programs.

Children spend more time at their locker than in art classes.

People learn to be more tolerant and open when creating or appreciating art.

Art promotes individuality, bolsters self-confidence, and improves overall academic performance.

Art is a reflection of people and cultures since the beginning of time.

Students who take 4 years of arts and music in high school score over 98 points higher on their SATs than students who took only a half year or less.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

1. Create an original piece of art today. If you don't know how or where to start, visit your local craft store and ask for help.

2. Sign up for an art class with a friend.

3. Visit a local museum, art gallery, or sculpture garden.

4. Volunteer to support an art activity at a local school or senior citizen program.

5. Communicate with your school-district administrators or national legislators by either writing a letter of appreciation for current funding or requesting funding for the arts. Find and contact your federal, state, and local officials.

Sit down with friends and family and take some time to be a kid again. With minimal supplies, you can create a unique piece of art and give it to someone as a gift. If creating art is not your thing, then support the people who do love it by visiting a museum, donating art supplies, buying art from a local artist, or writing a letter to the people who control the school budgets. Just as there are many ways you can express art, there are also many ways you can support and appreciate it.

YOU MATTER

I have so many things from my childhood that I miss — birthday parties with dancing clowns, mom's cooking, slumber parties, kick-the-can in the street, and the wonderment and limitless possibilities of everything the world has to offer. But one thing that I miss the most is doing art projects. I remember building the San Diego Mission out of bread dough bricks with my mom; I remember doing a Science Fair project with my dad; I remember starring in the Shakespeare play "A Midsummer Night's Dream;" and I remember drawing and painting things that I would bring home and my parents would put them on the refrigerator.

These are things that I loved about my childhood, and I am concerned that children today are not going to have the same great memories. With nearly 70 percent of schools not being able to maintain their arts programs, how is our youth going to have these experiences? Experiences that I feel are critical to developing the "full" person.

A few months ago we found an elementary school in Santa Monica, Calif., that could no longer afford their arts programs. This meant that close to 100 students were going to miss out, but we were not going to let it happen. We organized an art show for the school that raised enough money for them to be able to purchase art supplies for the entire school year.

We met with the school principal and told her our idea. Fortunately, she loved it. With that, we secured a venue — their school cafeteria. It was the perfect-sized venue for the perfect price ... FREE. Part of our team was in charge of getting the art supplies. We bought really inexpensive brushes, canvas boards, and water-based paints. I think we spent a total of $200.

Then, we had an event team (of one person). He was in charge of creating the invitation, making sure we marketed the event properly, and that we had the proper personnel for the actual event.

Finally, we had a food team (of two people). This team volunteered to prepare some finger-foods, bring bottles of water and juice, and a couple adult beverages.

That was our squad. Pretty small. Pretty lean. But very effective. Then, we had the event...

The afternoon started with bringing in 50 kids to have them create their masterpieces. They each painted two canvases. It was fun to see the students do what they do best...create. Were the paintings pretty? Not necessarily. But they were beautiful in their own way, and seeing the smiles on their faces added all the magic we needed.

Once the paintings were finished, we started the art auction, with one of the fathers serving as the auctioneer (which was plenty entertaining in and of itself). One by one we auctioned off the art, some paintings going for $20 and others going for as high as $100. In the end, every painting was sold. Often times, parents bought the paintings that their own child created, while other times friends and random supporters were there to see how high those parents were willing to go ... which also added even more entertainment. In the end, we sold 100 paintings and raised more than $3,000.

I am not sharing this story to say "look what we did," rather I am hoping to inspire you to do the same at a school near you. The formula is simple: have kids make art, so we can sell the art, so they can continue to make more art. It just needs someone like you (and a couple of generous friends) to get the cycle started. Not to mention, you will have a lot of fun.

Art matters. You matter.

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Previously:



Donating clothes
What matters most? Friends
Listen, play, appreciate music
Create a back-to-school backpack
Your day
Thank a local law enforcement officer
Get involved with foster kids
Be neighborly
Donate blood and bone marrow
Protect yourself with Internet safety
Eat healthy
Learn CPR, the ‘ABCs of life’
Respect the disabled
Turn off your TV
Go exercise
Write a letter to a soldier
Thank a firefighter
Have fun with an elderly person
Traffic is overrated
Show your smile
Donate books
What matters most
Support Neighborhood Watch

© 2009, The Modesto Bee Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

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