Lubav Girls Win First Place

Two Lubavitch girls are first place winners in Yaldah Magazine’s ‘How Yaldah Impacted My Life’ contest.

Chaya Rappoport, age 10 from Monsey, won first place in the poetry category, and Chaya Mushka Cohen, age 12, from Cleveland, won first place in the video category.

The contest asked Yaldah readers to show how the girls magazine impacted their life through a video, essay, poem, or scrapbook page.

In the entries, girls described how Yaldah inspired them to write for publications, helped them learn more about Judaism, and gave them a connection to Jewish girls world-wide.

Rappoport’s poem described how being on the Yaldah Editorial Board and having the opportunity to publish her writing impacted her life. Cohen’s video showed how many of the features in Yaldah affect her day-to-day life.

Both girls will be featured along with the other winners in YALDAH’s fall issue as well as on www.yaldahmagazine.com. They also received a free gift subscription and a set of the first three Yaldah Media, Inc. books for Jewish girls.

The magazine and its impact continues to grow. Not only is Leah Larson furthering the magazine with a book publishing line, but Yaldah will also be expanded to a 64-page issue instead of the previous 48 to accommodate the many new features. Since receiving $100,000 from Wells Fargo “Someday Stories” contest, YALDAH has been able to develop in many ways never before thought possible.

Lubavitchers were also among the eleven runners-up features on the Yaldah website: Yehudis Davidson from Pittsburgh, Leah Dworcan from Montreal, Mashie & Chayale Feldman from Crown Heights, and Chaya, Perel, and Nechama Weiss from Florida.

Poetry Category: Chaya Rappoport

It was Friday night,
The candles were bright.
When my life changed,
Surprise arranged.
My Mother offhandedly saying,
That maybe I should just stop playing…
With my writing, the talent G-d gave.
It was time to bring it out of the cave,
Really what did I have to lose?
There was a magazine for Jewish girls.
To let their talents shine, and glow like pearls.
I should really apply,
And I should really try,
To make myself a writer there.
Nervously, I ran my hands through my hair
Stammering…I wasn’t good enough.
With this sort of writing stuff…
Then Sunday, I applied.
My stomach giving me a looping ride.
A few weeks later me and my parents went out.
When I came home, what did my brother shout?
Some Leah Larson called for you,
And said: Now you’re part of Edit Board too!
I blinked, not sure what to say…
This was really my lucky day!
Then I jumped up and down,
And practically announced to the whole town:
I’m a qualified writer, and I’ll work with YALDAH…!
And then my life changed and took a turn for the better,
Which is why I’m writitng you this letter.
I was united with Jewish Girls,
Really pearls…
And I became one of them.

Video Category: Chaya Mushka Cohen