Can you believe it’s been ten years since the birth of Babaganewz? With a focus on Jewish values, this full-color monthly magazine identified values conflicts in current front-page news, profiled Jewish kids with compelling causes or unusual hobbies, and interviewed celebrities from Hollywood and Capitol Hill talking about Jewish values in their own lives. 
Created by JFL Media with generous funding by the AVI CHAI Foundation, the magazine’s innovative style, hip perspective, and jazzy design made it a favorite resource of Jewish middle school students and teachers. Its portrayal of Jewish values-in-action encouraged and guided students to view all aspects of life through a Jewish lens.The companion Teachers’ Guide and website took the learning and fun a step further with engaging lesson plans for each article and complementary games and online activities.
When the magazine ceased publication in November 2008, its award-winning companion website remained online, but it soon found a new home with Behrman House. As an important part of Behrman House’s digital resources, Babaganewz continues to provide Jewish educators and students with novel and thought-provoking materials that explore important aspects of Jewish values and Jewish living. Along with a new logo and a new look, Babaganewz is celebrating its 10th birthday by unveiling this year new Jewish values and holidays libraries, new PowerPoint presentations for each of 50 Jewish values, new weekly content (instead of monthly), and so much more. Babaganewz will also be a key component of the recently announced Behrman House Online Learning Center, which schools will be testing this fall in advance of a full debut in early 2012.
As Baba continues to grow and find its own way in the world, it must also find ways to develop into a self-sustaining resource for Jewish education. We at Baba hope that you will continue to turn to Babaganewz as a rich resource for your teaching, and support us as we create new models to move from strength to strength. For today, we’d loveto have you join the reminiscing. Please take a moment to write to us about your favorite Babaganewz stories or Baba-inspired classroom memories. It would be a most appreciated and inspiring 10th birthday gift.
