/=,' COMPILED BY ELIZABETH APPLE Our. House our house may be a typical blue or brown or white, or it could be a house of a dif- ferent color, like purple. What matters, though, is whether it has a mezuzah on each of the doorposts. In Deuteronomy 6:9 and 11:20, the Bible directs Jews to "write them (God's words) upon the mezuzot of thy house and in thy gates." A mezuzah consists of a parchment containing these vers- es, which is inserted into a casing affixed to the right-hand doorpost of a room. It should be placed in the top third of the post, slanting inward. A special bracha, or bless- ing, is stated when one hangs a mezuzah. Mezuzot must be in every "liv- y Ben-Gurion Airport. Consider B is en-Gurion Airport is probably the safest of its kind in the world. Security here is extensive — and for good reason. Imagine you are working at Ben-Gurion airport and it's your job to stop suspicious individuals. What do you think you would look for? Who would you stop? Do you think terrorists are easily recognizable? Under what circum- stances would you sort through someone's luggage? Do you think airport officials should be allowed to do a body search of visitors, or does that constitute a violation of one's right to privacy? What would you do if you found questionable materials in someone's suitcase? Flying High o you have dreams of becoming the first Jew- ish boy or girl in space? Well, we can't actu- ally get you to Mars, but there's a contest that could bring you just a little closer to heav- en. The Lego Toy Co. and Space Center in Houston are sponsoring the Lego Space Challenge, a national model design and building contest for children aged 5-12. Boys and girls are being asked to use Lego bricks to develop, design and construct their vision of space stations, shuttles and other spacecraft, satel- lites or space-themed inventions. The grand-prize winner will receive a trip for four, including accommodations for two nights, to a shut- tle launch at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaver- al, Fla. The group will then be taken to Space Center Ice, Ice Baby ing room" in a home, which ex- cludes bathrooms, and should be inspected twice every seven years to make certain they are still kosher. In Israel, mezuzot must be hung immediately upon set- tling in a new home, though out- side of Israel one has 30 days. If you're feeling in a Zionist kind of mood, don't just talk about it — set your words in ice! You can make beautiful blue ice with just a few drops of blue food coloring added to water, then frozen in trays. It really looks snap- py in lemonade or water, but blue ice in orange juice is a bit strange. r .....••••• •••••••■••••■••-".■•Tdromek ■ Parsha Project he coming week's Torah portion, Genesis 18:1- 22:24, is Vayera. It is a parsha of dramatic and symbolic events. In spite of her old age, Sarah gives birth to a son, whom Avraham names Yitzhak. At Sarah's insistence, Avraham sends their Egyptian servant, Hagar, and Ishmael, her son by Avraham, into the desert. God appears to Hagar and promises to make Ishmael's de- scendants into a great nation. God tells Avraham that the sinful city of Sodom will be de- stroyed. Avraham's nephew, Lot, resides in Sodom. Avra- T ham negotiates with God and God agrees not to destroy Sodom if 10 righteous persons can be found there. God sends angels to rescue Lot and his family. Lot, his wife and their two daughters flee from the city as it is being obliterated. Ignoring the angels' warning, Lot's wife turns to view the devastation and is turned into a pillar of salt. In one of the most famous episodes in the Torah, God commands Avraham to sacri- fice Yitzhak. This event is tra- ditionally known as akaydat Yitzhak, the binding of Yitzhak upon the sacrificial altar. Just . as Avraham is about to slaughter his son, God makes a ram appear which is offered up instead. God then promis- es that because of Avraham's unquestioning obedience, his descendants will be numerous and the source of blessing for the entire world. For a project, make a pillar of salt. Take the cardboard core of a roll of toilet paper or paper towels. Coat it with glue and roll it in table salt or, for a more dramatic effect, roll the core in coarse, kashering salt. After it dries, you may want to paint facial features on your pillar. Do you have an idea or photo that would be good for The Jewish News Fun for the Family section? Houston, where they will receive a VIP Please send to tour and have a Elizabeth Applebaum, chance to meet with Family Fun, c/o The Jewish News, astronauts. Finalist 27676 Franklin Rd., prizes also will be award- Southfield, ML 48034. ed. To enter, send a photo Photos become the of the model and a written property of The Jewish News description of the project, to- and cannot be returned. gether with an entry form (available at local toy stores where Legos are sold). Multiple entries are acceptable, but each must be postmarked separately. Entries must be postmarked no later than Dec. 31, 1995.