Butterflies fluttered in Robyn Steinerman's stomach as she slathered starch-white makeup on her forehead and rosy-red blush on her cheeks. She firmly pressed on a big, red clown nose. It was her first experience as a mitzvah clown, and her mission was to spread joy to nursing-home patients. As she dressed, fear nibbled at her confidence: How do I talk to people who are old and sick? How can I make them feel better?

"I get shy when I don't know someone, and I'm in a situation I'm not used to," explains the 13-year-old from Woodmere, New York. "It was intimidating. I was the only firsttimer on that visit and the youngest," says Robyn, who performs with a Jewish troupe called Lev Leytzan, Hebrew for "heart of a clown."

Dressed in a whimsical outfit covered with huge red, pink, and blue polka dots, Robyn assumed her new persona: Dot the Clown. Going from room to room, she juggled scarves, made balloon animals, and "clowned around" with patients. As her nervousness evaporated, her spirits soared, spreading her happiness to the nursing-home residents. "We bring joy into the lives of those who need it most," says Robyn, noting that Lev Leytzan audiences range from kids with cancer to elderly patients. "Like medicine, happiness can help cure a patient's ailments."

Happiness also aids those who give it, she explains. "It puts you in a can-do mood, and you can help more people when you're happy."

Seeing a smile spread across the face of someone gravely ill is the best reward for her work, says Robyn. "Knowing that one person has forgotten about his or her illness for just one minute makes all the difference in the world," she says. Also, she is pleased that helping others has helped her overcome her shyness. "I love that other people are helping me while I'm helping them. It's a win-win situation."

She warmly recalls making ill children giggle with delight at a recent Make-a-Wish Foundation event at an indoor amusement park. As Robyn prepared to leave after a day of silliness on the bumper cars and carousel, one little girl reached out to hug her. "I knew right then," says Robyn, "that this was the most rewarding thing I could ever do."Butterflies fluttered in Robyn Steinerman's stomach as she slathered starch-white makeup on her forehead and rosy-red blush on her cheeks. She firmly pressed on a big, red clown nose. It was her first experience as a mitzvah clown, and her mission was to spread joy to nursing-home patients. As she dressed, fear nibbled at her confidence: How do I talk to people who are old and sick? How can I make them feel better?

"I get shy when I don't know someone, and I'm in a situation I'm not used to," explains the 13-year-old from Woodmere, New York. "It was intimidating. I was the only firsttimer on that visit and the youngest," says Robyn, who performs with a Jewish troupe called Lev Leytzan, Hebrew for "heart of a clown."

Dressed in a whimsical outfit covered with huge red, pink, and blue polka dots, Robyn assumed her new persona: Dot the Clown. Going from room to room, she juggled scarves, made balloon animals, and "clowned around" with patients. As her nervousness evaporated, her spirits soared, spreading her happiness to the nursing-home residents. "We bring joy into the lives of those who need it most," says Robyn, noting that Lev Leytzan audiences range from kids with cancer to elderly patients. "Like medicine, happiness can help cure a patient's ailments."

Happiness also aids those who give it, she explains. "It puts you in a can-do mood, and you can help more people when you're happy."

Seeing a smile spread across the face of someone gravely ill is the best reward for her work, says Robyn. "Knowing that one person has forgotten about his or her illness for just one minute makes all the difference in the world," she says. Also, she is pleased that helping others has helped her overcome her shyness. "I love that other people are helping me while I'm helping them. It's a win-win situation."

She warmly recalls making ill children giggle with delight at a recent Make-a-Wish Foundation event at an indoor amusement park. As Robyn prepared to leave after a day of silliness on the bumper cars and carousel, one little girl reached out to hug her. "I knew right then," says Robyn, "that this was the most rewarding thing I could ever do."