In Memory of Gabi And Rivky Holtzberg OBM

How do you honor the memory of two amazing souls? Two souls who helped shine light in a remote place on earth? Who lived and died serving God? Its not possible. Even a year after the terror attacks in Mumbai, India that took the lives of so many the memory of Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg lives on. Their work and dedication to those in Mumbai lives on. Their names live on in the children named after them in hopes that their lives will shine as brightly and touch others as profoundly as their namesakes.

Their murder hit me harder and more profoundly then other terror attacks around the world. It could be because I spent time in a community so closely tied to theirs that as soon as the attacks began the emails started flying. At first the emails late Wed night made no sense but as the hours dragged on and they began to get more and more urgent for prayer requests the horrible reality set in. Mumbai, India was under attack by terrorists and they had entire families held hostage. What can you do in the first desperate hours other then pray?

The time for prayers of safety is over and the time to help what is left of the community rebuild has begun. We all need to help the community rebuild and shine even more brightly then before.To help rebuild the community in Mumbai I will be donating a portion of the retail sales from my website www.stelladot.com/felissahadas to http://www.chabadindia.org from now until December 18, 2009.

To make sure that the donation goes to the right place please input my name Felissa Elfenbein as the hostess (in the top corner it says can't attend a show? Find your hostess click there) and as my thank you for your support of Chabad of Mumbai you will receive flat rate shipping.
Thank you in advance for your help in the rebuilding effort.



Fallen Angels by Moshe Kravitsky
Lyrics by Moshe Kravistky

She closed her eyes
He wiped her tears
He said Shema
It calmed his fears

He held her hand
Said it’d be alright
Knowing well they both could lose their life

And as my world watched it on the screen
We hoped and prayed and prayed again
That it would be a silent dream
But the dawn ushered in an unfamiliar light
The worst was heard confirmed

Now I cry to you, I lean on you,
my fellow Jew I ask of you

Chorus:
Tell me how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have fallen from our life
And how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have flown away at night

3500 siblings asking why
An orphan’s forced to cry
Mommy, Totty hold my hand
One day I pray you’ll understand
The cowardly lion is not the king of the land.
But the question remains, I ask

Chorus:
Tell me how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have fallen from our life
And how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have flown away at night

Don’t judge me when I mourn
Today it’s me who’s torn
Don’t look at me
My tears are falling fast

They say it’s all a blessing in disguise
I can’t differentiate the lies from truth
What’s a mind to do

We were the super heroes of the night
We would illuminate the sky
They took away the torch but not your flame
What’s my mind to do
I will never forget you
I will light the ski from here to Mumbai
And nothing will ever look the same

Chorus:
Tell me how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have fallen from our life
And how do we say goodbye
to the angels that have flown away at night

Chassidim Never say goodbye
We want Moshiach Now

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How to take care of your Jewelry

My wavy hair is fantastic and my skin is glowing. It is hot a humid here in Miami and life is great.

What does my hair skin have to do with jewelry? The same recipe that means success for hair and skin is harmful to your jewelry. Put simply humidity will shorten the life of your jewelry if not properly cared for.

Ideally jewelry should be kept in an individual storage bag when not in use and placed in a cool dry place. Dry location can get away with storing jewelry in a jewelry box or jewelry bags. In humid climates ideally you want to store each piece in its own airtight container. Such as a Ziploc baggie or small individual stack-able containers.

You should never bring your jewelry in the bathroom with you where it gets all hot and steamy from the shower. Humidity will cause the gold plating and metals to turn more quickly then a dryer less hot location.Some precious stones should never get wet. If possible take off your rings before washing your hands in the bathroom. Every little thing you can do to prolong the life of your jewelry allows you to keep and wear that piece of jewelry for that much longer.

Before going to the gym or any kind of exercise take off your jewelry because sweating in your jewelry will eat away at gold plating (no matter how thick it is) or any paint that may be on it.

Don’t throw your jewelry all on top of each other. That only serves to get stuff caught up on each other and scratch on other pieces. Each piece of jewelry should have its own spot to rest in while you are not wearing it.

If you are wearing jewelry and perfume, spray the perfume on directly after getting out of the shower when you are fully dry wait for the perfume to dry and soak into your skin and then continue with your routine. Even better if you know you will be wearing a necklace spray your perfume somewhere where it will not come in contact with the perfume. Perfume has alcohol, oils, colors, and scents that will shorten the life of your jewelry and cause build up making it not as vibrant. The same goes for lotion it has any number of additives the can shorten the life of your jewelry.

Jewelry should be last on in the morning and first off at night when you get home. I know we all have piece of jewelry in our collection that we would sleep in if we could but the oil from our bodies and sweat are not good for the metals, stones, and paints.

Keep your jewelry clean wipe it down with a jewelry cloth to get rid of any build up that might have accumulated on it. This will keep your jewelry shiny and make sure it catches attention for the right reason. If something spills on it clean it off right away.

If you are a mom to a young child don’t let the little one pull on, chew on, or play with your jewelry. It is not meant to take that kind of abuse and could break outright or enamel and plating could come off in your child’s mouth.

Felissa is an Independent Stella & Dot Jewelry Stylist based out of Miami, Florida. She facilitates trunk shows and private viewings in your home and office. To check out her website you can visit www.StellaDot.com/FelissaHadas

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A little more on Adding Value to your Company

When considering your business and how to add value to something you believe is valuable to others take a step back and think about what it is you are doing. Does this new addition really add value that your target audience will appreciate or will you be lessening your brand and image by bringing on this particular thing. Whether taking on a partner or cross promoting with another company will they care about your image and good name as much as you do? Do they know what is important to you when it comes to your business? If all you care about is a numbers game and drawing more people to you then partnering with anyone out there on the Internet without looking into their name or product isn't a concern for you. However if you are trying to cultivate your image so that your customers know you care about each and every one of them then it is important to make sure your new team member is trying to do the same thing. Yes we all need to get our brand out there but we shouldn't do it if it will cost us our name that we have worked at creating.

Last night I went to a theater production that I am going to keep nameless. It was a professional production that completely dropped the ball as far as I am concerned. Instead of working together, whenever the entire cast was singing you couldn't understand the words. Each individual person was on the stage for themselves and not the good of the show. People bumped into set pieces, wardrobes were malfunctioning – several wigs fell off during dance numbers. I personally would be embarrassed to have my name associated with a show that was such a mess. and this coming from a person who can think a group of 5th and 6th graders put on a magical performance. By not doing their job 100% last night the cast and crew sullied the production and the people who worked so hard to get it on Broadway in NYC and then take it traveling around the country. It was just another night on the stage for them, another show to get through instead of put their heart and soul into the performance. I would never recommend this show to anyone which means they tarnished the brand and there is nothing they can do to change that for me now.

Obviously you don’t want to associate yourself with a company or person who doesn't care enough to love their own brand and it was obvious the actor and actresses on stage last night did not. To find the right partner for yourself whether it is a one off deal or something you hope to continue into the future make sure it is the right decision for you. Are they the type of person or company that will do everything possible to make sure the customer or client is happy? Do they value customer service and quality over quantity? Does what they have to offer better your brand or are you doing them more of a service then they are doing for you? Make sure you are each offering something tangible to the other even if it is just name exposure make sure both sides are trying to achieve the same goal. Word of mouth from happy customers and clients who love their product and feel the two complimented each other. Even if you think all I am doing is hiring a receptionist does that person convey the message I want to be sending to anyone who calls they are the new “face” of your business the first person that everyone comes in contact with make sure that receptionist knows how important their work is to your company.

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