BBehind the scenes… what do those words mean to you? Do you think of stepping behind a curtain to meet a famous actor or important person? Or maybe you imagine getting a seat at your school’s teachers’ meeting or walking into the kitchen of a famous restaurant….
Whichever of the above you’d prefer finding out what goes on behind the finished products we see is an adventure most of us would love. So this week we’d like to give you a special little peek.
Every time you open Teen Pages you enjoy a treasure trove of fiction ideas features and of course interviews. Well guess what? None of that happens on its own! The talented person behind Teen Pages is the one who greets you every week in her letter our editor Daniela Thaler. To find out a bit more about what really goes into making Teen Pages the fabulous magazine that it is we turn to her daughter none other than Rivka Brocha Thaler.
Photo: Shutterstock
Hi Rivka Brocha please tell us a bit about yourself
Hi Teen Pages readers! My name is Rivka Brocha Thaler I’m 18 years old and I live in Waterbury Connecticut the best place on earth! I’ve lived here since I was two years old so I should know. When I started high school there was no girls’ high school in Waterbury so I had to leave town. I went to Bais Yaakov of Passaic New Jersey for all four years and boarded with a family there.
Wow what was that like?
That’s actually a question many people ask me. The truth is it was very difficult in the beginning but now I’m so happy that I had the experience I did. Though I can’t imagine having done it without my amazing parents friends teachers and principals. (And I went home every single Shabbos so that was a big plus:))
Well I’m glad that worked out…
Yes baruch Hashem it did. Now for a little bit more about myself I really enjoy music and in 11th grade I started playing guitar. I also love working with kids. I work in a day camp every summer and this past summer I even arranged my own night camp for preteens. I especially love working with non-frum kids... I actually came back from Camp Nageela Midwest just a few weeks ago! It’s the most awesome kiruv camp for kids of all ages that literally works miracles! weeks ago! It’s the most awesome kiruv camp for kids of all ages that literally works miracles!
How old were you when your mother became the editor of Teen Pages?
I was 13 when my mother took over Teen Pages. I was officially a teen but the issues and topics covered in Teen Pages speak to me a lot more now than they did then.
What did the magazine consist of at that point?
It was really different than it is today. When my mother became editor of Teen Pages it only came out a couple of times a year and was much more basic in content and style. Since she took over there has been a complete redesign as well as many more additional columns and topics she added that really speak to teens on so many levels.
Were you at all involved at that point?
When my mother first took over the magazine I definitely read every issue cover to cover but I wasn’t so involved. I was probably too young at that point to even realize I could be involved!
