Making a magazine of her own

A KOSHER GIRL MAGAZINE -- A kosher reading option is what Leah Larson wants to provide for Jewish girls.The Holliston teen's premier issue of Yaldah -- a "Magazine for Jewish Girls, by Jewish Girls" -- debuted last month with 48 pages of articles, fiction, interviews, games, crafts, and recipes targeted to 8- to 14-year-olds.

Larson, 13, said she is "trying to provide Jewish girls with a magazine that also stresses Jewish values."

Yaldah, named for the Hebrew word for girl, will include features about Jewish holidays and traditions, attending synagogue, and "good deeds."

As editor and publisher, Larson wrote most articles in the inaugural issue of what she hopes will be a quarterly magazine. Among them are an interview with a Jewish girl living in Uruguay and a piece on two Jewish sisters home-schooled in Baltimore. Larson hopes to publish articles by other Jewish girls in future issues.

"My mother is a writer, so I've grown up with writing, really," Larson said. "I just like to be able to be in charge and decide what happens -- at least in fiction. And it's communication -- you can express your ideas."

Larson's mother, Evelyn Krieger, writes short stories and fiction and authored the book "Developing Reading and Writing Through Author Awareness: Grades 4-8," in 1996.

"She's proud of me," Larson said. "She helped me edit it, and she'll give me tips on writing."

Larson has made a hobby out of entering contests for writing, art, and photography. Last June, she won the $1,800 grand prize in an essay contest about Jewish values.

But it was a contest she lost that spurred Larson to found Yaldah. American Girl invited readers to design a cover for its magazine.

"I was a little upset that I wasn't chosen," said Larson, who was inspired to create more magazine covers on her computer. "I did the table of contents of the first issue [of Yaldah], and then I went from there."

Now, when she's not in class at the Maimonides School in Brookline, the eighth-grader stays busy with magazine duties ranging from layout to digital photography. The biggest challenges, she said, are meeting deadlines and finding advertisers.

Larson wrote to 80 companies seeking advertising and sold seven ads -- enough to print 150 copies of her debut issue.

"So far, I've sold more than half of the copies I printed," she said. "I just hope girls will really like reading it and show it to their friends."

Larson is trying to reach girls across the country by publicizing Yaldah through her website and press releases to newspapers. She's soliciting orders from bookstores and schools, and relatives in other states also are supporting her efforts.

February is the target date for Yaldah's second issue. Larson is looking for up to 15 Jewish girls to serve on the magazine's editorial board and voice their opinions, read submissions, and test crafts and recipes. For details, visit www.yaldahmagazine.com.

Donna Goodison