With magic, what you see isn't what you get!

The searchlights beamed down on Lady Liberty. A buzz of excitement raced through the audience as they sat in anticipation, their eyes fixed on the towering statue that had stood for 100 years guarding New York Harbor. David Copperfield, master illusionist, had promised "the illusion of the century." Now it was time to deliver. On his command, a huge curtain, attached to two wide towers, slowly closed, concealing the 450,000-pound Statue of Liberty. Copperfield eloquently described how "freedom is the true magic," and then, on his signal, the curtain reopened. Searchlights swept back and forth, frantically probing the empty night sky. The statue had vanished!

The crowd gasped: Could they have witnessed a miracle? No, the audience knew it was a trick, perhaps an example of misdirection, and yet everyone was fooled and went home plagued by the question, "How'd he do that?"

The thrill of making the impossible seem real is what makes magic a wildly popular hobby. Student magicians like Ezra Deutsch-Feldman, an eighth-grader at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland, take delight in seeing looks of amazement and disbelief on the faces of an audience. "I'd love to make a career out of magic," says Ezra, who is a member of the Society of Young Magicians. Like any magician worth his wand, Ezra cultivates an aura of mystique in his magic show, amazing audiences at birthday parties, senior centers, and community festivals. Perfecting his skills with each performance, Ezra fools the eye into believing that he can casually pluck coins out of thin air and gallantly turn a handkerchief into a bouquet of colorful flowers.

With the wave of a wand and lots of practice, you can perform "wonders" of your own.

Meet Three Jewish Magicians
HARRY HOUDINI—Born Ehrich Weiss, Houdini is the most famous magician and escape artist of all time. His Water Torture Cell escape is still a classic.
DAVID COPPERFIELD—Born David Seth Kotkin, Copperfield once walked through solid granite at the Great Wall of China.
DAVID BLAINE—His three TV specials astounded audiences and catapulted him to stardom. He can bite a quarter in half and blow it back together.