Jacob Richman, an Israeli who seems to live on the Internet, is a prime example. Through a linked series of Web sites and periodic e-mail bulletins to subscribers, he is a veritable one-man Web conglomerate.
His newest offering: the simply named J, a really basic Jewish site aimed at kids.
What J has to offer is an easy-to-use interface providing access to a handful of fairly ingenious educational games.
There’s a Jewish coloring book, for example. Choose a topic using kid-friendly menus, then click on a color, point your mouse at the appropriate place in the picture and hold down the button to draw.
An Israel geography game makes it easy and fun for kids to learn about the country. Choose “learn” to get some basic information; “play” to test your knowledge.
There’s a Hebrew songbook with more than 100 tunes that kids can view and print, and sophisticated games to help visitors learn Hebrew. It’s aimed at kids, but adults might find that feature useful, as well.
Another cool feature: a Hebrew sign-maker.
J shares something else with Richman’s other sites: Everything seems to work. That’s no small achievement when dealing with online games, which tend to be finicky — and which too often produce nervous breakdowns in users’ computers.
The site includes a little advertising, but it’s unobtrusive. The home page is uninteresting but cleanly designed; even 5-year-olds will be able to navigate the site.
You’ll find J at www.j.co.il
Speaking of Jewish education, you may want to visit the Learning Plant, which bills itself as an online mall for Jewish learning materials.
The secure site is basically a well-designed catalog offering an assortment of merchandise, from Jewish card games to videos and software.
Want Jewish-theme cookie cutters for the kids? Jewish stickers to reward good behavior in the classroom? This is the place.
The site uses the by-now-familiar shopping basket metaphor and a secure server to make sure your credit card information isn’t stolen.
A nice site, tons of merchandise, at www.learningplant.com
But Jewish education involves much more than games and gimmicks, as a useful Web site in Israel demonstrates.
The idea of Study with a Buddy is simple: Study is more effective when it’s done with others.
It’s easy to find study partners if you live in Brooklyn or a handful of other major Jewish enclaves. But if you live in Peoria, or Hong Kong or even the distant California ‘burbs, potential partners can be scarce.
Study with a Buddy attempts to remedy that problem.
“No matter where you are on Planet Earth, Study with a Buddy will help you find a personal study partner,” the site promises.
If you live near a Jewish community, the Web site will plug you into local resources for face-to-face study help. If you don’t, the creators will arrange telephone or e-mail study partners.
You can choose which Jewish topics to pursue, from Talmud to business ethics.
Registration is a breeze; send in your info, and the Study with a Buddy folks will contact you quickly.
Oh yes, the service is free. And the creators of the site will follow up to make sure you’re happy with your new buddy. It’s at www.study-buddy.org.il
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It’s still a time of national mourning in this country — something unprecedented for Americans but all too familiar to Israelis.
A new Web site offered by the Jewish community in Russia offers a chance for people to memorialize Jews who give their lives for the Jewish state — and also the Jews who died in the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks on Sept. 11.
The Jewish Heroes project — www.jewishheroes.org — offers visitors a chance to leave information about those who died, and for others to read the spare outlines of their stories.
The idea makes sense, but so far, there are only a relative handful of heroes to read about. And most have no more information than their names, birth dates and dates of death; if you’re hoping to read about how they became heroes of Zion, you’re mostly out of luck.
Bottom line: good idea but too early to tell if this is going to be a winner site.
The writer is a Washington-based correspondent who has been writing about Jewish Web sites since the early 1990s. His columns alternate with those of Mark Mietkiewicz. Besser can be reached at [email protected]