Cyberspot Dreidels And The Internet MARK MIETKIEWICZ Special to the Jewish News BIRMINGHAM 1137 S. Adams (at Lincoln) TUE to FRI 7am ti/ 6pm SAT 7am hi4pm jAoxe 248.433.1833 fict- 248.433.0297 Stop craving sweets, starches & alcohol. Experience my most amazing weight loss break- through in 20 years of medical practice! New Carbi-5 is a non-stimulating prescription medication that eliminates sweet, starch and alcohol cravings. Lose your desire for cookies, candy, bread, wine and ice cream. Most people lose 5 1 0 pounds their first week on Carbi-5 and 10- 20 pounds every month. The cost of Carbi-5 is $65 a week. Read my new book Dr. Nagler's Crash Diet for my new 10 Days -10 Pounds Off Program. - 16311 Middlebelt, Livonia www.dietresults.com Bill Nagler, M.D. 734.422.8040 ..YRIMiwownSRM WE I STA VOM E MORT E mor "Vegan'TwMPUMMik, SIMON ROTBERG INVITES YOU TO SEE OUR COMPLETE LINE OF Call Us For Your Free Wine Consultation = Wedding Shower Reunion Outside Party • Graduation • Bar/Bat Mitzvah 25877 Lahser • Southfield • House Party (at Civic Center Dr.) • Anniversary • Etc. www.wzo.org.ilien/resourcesiview.asp? id=47 You'll find more history plus rules to the game at the ForEveryJew website: www.foreyeryjew.com/chanukah.html You can buy dreidels in practically any shape and material, but you can also make your own paper dreidel: www.holidays.net/chanukah/ pattern.html Truth be told, these paper dreidels aren't the best spinners. So Rita Milos Brownstein has some great suggestions about what you can do with them: www.jewish.com/chanukah/ paper.shtml KOSHER WINE • • • • Nether you call it a dreidel or a sevivon, Chanukah's special four-sided top never fails to instill lovely memories in children and bring back delightful ones in the not-so-young. That's why it's no surprise that there are so many wonderful pages devoted to dreidels on the World Wide Web. How did the dreidel become associat- ed with the holiday of Chanukah? The World Zionist Organization site men- tions one explanation. "One anecdote recalls the dreidel from the times when the Syrians prohibited the Jews from studying Torah. When the Syrians saw a group of Jews together, they checked to see that they were not studying. The Jews would hide their books and take out their dreidels and trick the Syrians into thinking they were just playing a game:" (248) 352-855.6 Fax: (248) 352-7254 Nothing can replace the visceral thrill of spinning your own dreidel. But since everything seems ro have gone hi-tech these days, you can try your luck on your computer with some virtual drei- dels. Choose from the TorahTots ver- sion: torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/ dreidel.htm : or the one at Judaism 101: COMPLAISA Jackets, Pants, Skirts, Sweaters & Accessories • Women's Sizes 2-16 COMPLAISANT 12 /7 2001 120 6720 Orchard Lake Road West Bloomfield (next to Deli Unique) 248-855-6506 www.jewfaq.org/dreidel/ or the ShockDreidel Game: www.dnai.corn/°/o7Edunda/SW/Shock Dreidel.html You can also download the more sophisticated Dreidel game (for Windows and Macintosh). Since this is shareware, you are expected to pay for this game if you enjoy it and decide to keep it: www.dnai.com/%7Edunda/prod- ucts.html I found another online game that should please dreidel lovers. The Dreidel Slide Puzzle challenges you to unscram- ble the pieces to make a picture of a dreidel: wwvv.primarygarnes.cornJholidays/han ukkah/sliders/start.htrn Although the classic Chanukah foods are latkes and the jelly-filled sufganiyot (doughtnuts), there's no reason you can't indulge your passion for dreidels. The Jewish Community Centers Association website has recipes for classic Dreidel Cookies along with ideas for Dreidel Toast and Fruity Dreidels that make good use of strawberries, bananas and canned pears: www.jcca.org/thisnewmonth/kisley- dreidelcookies.htm For almost a century, the American Lung Association has run the Christmas Seals campaign to promote lung health. In 1998, the association launched a Chanukah Seals campaign. You can take a look at the stamps, with their dreidel and menorah designs, and print them out. And it's still not to late to e-mail them as free electronic postcards: www.chanukahseals.org/send_00.html What would Chanukah be without the music — and two of the holiday's sweetest tunes which pay homage to the little toy? First, sing along to "Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Soy" with both Hebrew and English lyrics: 207.168.91.4/vjholidays/chanukah/ch antunes2.htm And then try all three verses of "I Have a Little Dreidel: www.rainmall.com/hanukkah/hanu- song.htm Oh, and if you've never had a little dreidel (and made it out of clay), it's never too late! Just follow the instruc- tions, make your little dreidel and have a wonderful holiday: www.chadiscrafts.com/fun/chanukah . html 0 Mark Mietkiewicz is a Toronto-based televi- sion producer who writes, lectures and teaches about the Jewish Internet. He can be contacted at highway@rogers.com