Has your daughter ever complained that there are no magazines for frum girls? When I was eleven years old, I found magazines for very young Jewish children, Jewish adults, and older Jewish teens, but nothing just for girls in my age range. When I was thirteen, I set out to create the magazine I had always dreamed of. But how did I go from a dream to a national magazine with over 500 subscribers? Read on!
      I was living in a small town in Massachusetts where there were no other Shomer Shabbos families. I traveled an hour each way to go to school in Brookline, so none of my friends lived near by. One of the reasons I was motivated to create a magazine was that I longed for a stronger connection to frum girls. The idea first came when I was in sixth grade. I was sitting in the lunch room at school with my friend when suddenly I said, “Wouldn’t it be cool to create a magazine for Jewish girls?” She responded, “Yeah, but we could never do it.” Famous last words.
      I had always loved writing stories and had had some successes with contests and getting published.  I also published a monthly newsletter called “The Cousins’ Club News” which I sent to all my relatives, updating them on the latest simchas and family news. This gave me practice with using the computer, designing layout, and writing articles. I also enjoyed and practiced drawing, painting and photography. This would all come in handy now in creating the magazine.
      In November 2003, when I was 13, I decided to make my dream of a magazine for Jewish pre-teens into a reality. I envisioned a magazine that was different from other youth magazines, one that would encourage creative writing and expression for girls, yet promote Jewish values on every page. Most importantly, the magazine was going to be created  by girls! After all, who else but other girls would know what girls really want to read?  I decided that the first issue would come out in fall 2004, and so I looked for articles with a fall theme (back to school, Rosh Hashanah, etc.)
      I talked with our shluchim, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Mendy and Rochy Kivman (Milford, MA) about the idea. They gave me good advice about the technical aspects of publishing, such as which computer programs to use. Rochy and I shared many Shabbos-afternoon talks about my dream. We discussed topics for articles. In addition, Rebbetzin Chanie Fogelman, of Chabad of Natick, was very supportive of the project.  
       I got started on the first issue. I knew the cover would be very important and I wanted to create a great cover.  Using my digital camera, I took pictures of my friends for the cover. It took us a few hours and we took over 100 photos! Even after selecting the final photo, I spent a lot of time editing and enhancing it. For example, I changed the color of our blouses from white to blue.
       For that first issue, I wrote most of the articles and stories myself, and I conducted interviews and drew illustrations. (I soon learned that it is far better to delegate than to do it all myself. But it took time for me to realize the value of that.) My mother has a lot of experience in writing and editing. She helped in proofreading the articles and interviews I had written.
      I needed other girls to be part of the magazine, too.  After posting announcements about YALDAH on Jewish websites and e-mail groups, I received responses from many Jewish girls wanting to contribute to the magazine. 
       Of course, there is a lot to making a magazine besides writing articles. I had to find a printing company and spent hours on the phone with different printers. I learned that there are many printers but some of them only do brochures, for example, while others only do books. I learned that the printing of magazines is a field in itself. I also didn’t know anything about the business aspect of a magazine. When I tried to open a bank account for YALDAH, I was told I’d need a tax ID number. I didn’t even know what a tax ID number was, and had no idea how to get one. But eventually I got a bank account and the forms I needed, and even survived all that fine print (with help from my parents).
       Without a doubt, the hardest part of starting the magazine was fundraising. Who in her right mind would give money to a thirteen-year-old, to support a magazine that doesn’t exist yet? I sent out 70 letters to businesses asking them to advertise. I applied for grants, and asked family and friends for donations. Boruch Hashem, I acquired start-up money to print 150 copies of the first issue. I am grateful to my advertisers, but I still struggle with getting enough financial support to continue publishing YALDAH. This is essential as now the printing cost per-issue is higher than the price I’m selling each issue for. I am hoping that eventually we will have enough subscribers and advertisers so the magazine not only covers its costs but brings in a profit.  
       In fall 2004, almost a year after I first started working on YALDAH, I proudly flipped through the first issue. It looks like a real magazine! I thought, I can’t believe I made this! All 48 pages were professionally printed, and some pages were in full color. The first issue included a leadership quiz, an article about homeschooling sisters, fiction, poetry, an interview with Leah Shemtov about life in Uruguay, a girl’s experience in Israel, an advice column answered by Elkie Zarchi (shlucha at Harvard University), and more.
       The first article about YALDAH came out in the Boston Jewish Advocate.  I am grateful to Penny Schwartz who did a marvelous job at covering the YALDAH story. Lots of parents, teachers, and students from my school read the article and bought copies of the magazine. It was wonderful to hear their positive responses and it was helpful to get their constructive criticism, too. The Jewish Advocate article led to an interview on Boston Channel 7 for their Jewish Perspectives show, and the Boston Globe. That TV interview was one of my first experiences with public speaking.  By nature I am quiet and shy, so that was hard for me.  Since then I’ve been interviewed on the Chabad-sponsored radio show,  Awake, Alive & Jewish. I also gave a presentation at my local library. American Girl and New Moon Magazine both recently featured a brief story on the creation of YALDAH.  After this, my P.O box and email account were filled with subscription orders and inquiries, B”H.   
       The Winter issue featured babysitting tips, an organization quiz, an interview with Rochel McCallister who plays “Baila” in the Agent Emes videos, Purim costumes to try, and more. It was an exciting moment in our house when Judaica World on Kingston Avenue agreed to carry YALDAH. Soon after the winter issue came out, Penny Schwartz wrote an updated article on YALDAH for JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) which sent it to Jewish newspapers around the world. This was YALDAH’s big break.  One day I got 600 hits on my website! (Since I started the website there have been more than 15,000 visitors in total.) The Winter issue sold out and I got started on the spring issue.
       With the added publicity, I needed more editorial help. I put together an Editorial Board of 13 girls from all over the United States of America to help me. They test crafts and recipes, share ideas for articles, do interviews, proofread stories, and create quizzes. There is a mix of frum and not-frum girls on the Editorial Board, and they get along nicely. Being a part of the Editorial Board has helped some girls feel more connected and involved with Yiddishkeit.
       Checking my e-mail is one of my favorite parts of running YALDAH. Although I originally intended for YALDAH to be for frum girls, I noticed that Jewish girls from all backgrounds were subscribing and writing to me, from the girl in Montana who just found out she was Jewish to the girl who knows she is Jewish but has never met another Jew before!  Girls have written to me asking for help memorizing the Torah portion they will read for their bat mitzvah. They are quite shocked when they find out how differently we celebrate our bat mitzvahs. “Jenny” e-mailed me about her experience as the only Jew in her school.  Another girl e-mailed me and said that she didn’t know if she was Jewish or not. She did mention that her mother was Jewish. After I broke the news to her, “Kaitlyn” told me she wanted to learn more about Yiddishkeit and asked if I could recommend good websites about Judaism. I was delighted to comply. “Mary” told me she was only “a little bit Jewish” because she didn’t have a Bat Mitzvah or know how to read Hebrew, but she did like matzah balls and latkes! Of course I told her that there are only two ways to be Jewish: be born of a Jewish mother or convert according to Halacha. These letters really touch my heart. I hope to be a role model for such girls and to let them know how much more there is to being Jewish than matzah balls and latkes.
       I feel privileged that so many girls have turned to me for advice, and I hope that my answers encourage them to learn more about their Yiddishkeit. I spend hours on my e-mail writing personal answers and have continued correspondence with several readers. Another perk is making friends with other frum girls through YALDAH. Although we’ve never met in person, I now have cyber-buddies from all over the world; and it was the desire to connect with others like me that motivated me in the first place. 
       Although I have subscribers from all different backgrounds, the articles in YALDAH are written from a frum perspective. All our articles are geared for observant girls, but we have a glossary, like the N’shei Chabad Newsletter has, so anyone can read and understand it. In each issue we include a mitzvah profile. (We’ve done Shabbos candles, Rosh Chodesh, Tzedakah, and others.) Some of our subscribers have never heard of some of these mitzvos. Also, all of our fiction stories are about frum girls. At first I thought that the not frum girls wouldn’t be interested in many of the articles.  Not only do our subscribers respect the Orthodox perspective, they really like it and find it different and interesting. For example, after we did an article on the importance of Tznius, a mother wrote to me: “I absolutely love the first edition, especially page 20 regarding modest dressing.  Even though we're Conservative Jews, I'm trying to impart some more Orthodox thoughts/practices into our lives, and your article gave me some practical information on how our girls should dress…” I love hearing that something from YALDAH impacted people’s lives in a positive way and led to the actual performance of mitzvos!
       Even non-Jews have written me, with compliments on the magazine and questions about Judaism. I am delighted to be able to use the abilities and resources Hashem gave me to make a Kiddush Hashem.
       As of this writing, YALDAH has over 500 subscribers in 43 U.S. states and many other countries. (If you know a Jewish girl in Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Alabama, or Maine, would you please tell her about YALDAH so we can get all 50 states?) We are also running our first story contest for girls ages 8 to 14, which will be judged by chabad.org editor Mrs. Sarah Esther Crispe. The prize is publication in YALDAH and a $100 gift certificate to www.melodyclothing.com, a Tzniusdik clothing store for girls.
       This year I’m homeschooling which gives me more time to devote to YALDAH. (I receive high school credit for my work.)  I usually spend three hours a day on YALDAH, but it’s hard to estimate. Right before an issue comes out, I might spend eight hours or more.
       Although I started YALDAH when I did not live in a large Jewish community, in April 2005 my family moved to Sharon, Massachusetts. Sharon is small but is estimated to be more than 70% Jewish. I hope that YALDAH can provide what I always looked for when I was feeling isolated from other Jewish girls-- a connection to other Jewish girls.
       Since I first had the idea for YALDAH I have experienced much Hashgocha Protis. I have experienced phone calls coming at just the right time, bumping into the just the people I need to see, advertising coming in at the last minute… I am constantly grateful that everything worked out. It seems that every issue that comes out is one part hard work and one part miracle.
       I hope to continue to publish YALDAH until Moshiach comes, bimhaira b’yameinu, and beyond!

Leah Larson

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