NEW YORK—On December 14, One Israel Fund published Adi’s Next Step, a picture book starring a fictional nine-year-old girl who lives in Itamar, a community in Samaria. Available at oneisraelfund.org, the book was created to help children between the ages of four and eight relate to children in Israel.
In 2020, a Pew study found that only half of American Jewish adults under the age of 30 feel very or somewhat attached to Israel, compared with two-thirds of Jews aged 65 and older. One Israel Fund hopes Adi’s Next Step will help connect a new generation of children—and their parents—to their Israeli counterparts.
“Adi’s story has the potential to reach young children on an emotional level,” says Scott M. Feltman, One Israel Fund’s Executive Vice President. “We want them to walk away feeling that they have a lot in common with children in Judea and Samaria—and maybe subconsciously realizing that their support can have a significant impact.”
Adi’s Next Step addresses universal challenges like moving house, making new friends, and facing one’s fears. The book is written as a series of letters from Adi, a shy girl who has recently moved to Itamar and is having trouble making friends in her new community. Will dance classes at Itamar’s new studio build her confidence or make things worse? Will the upcoming Chanukah recital ruin all the progress she's made?
Site visitors can download a free digital copy directly from oneisraelfund.org. They can also get a paperback copy by donating $360 or more to One Israel Fund, or by purchasing the book on Amazon. Additionally, if they sign up for AmazonSmile and choose One Israel Fund as their designated charity, the organization will receive an extra charitable contribution from Amazon.
A note for adults fits the book into the context of One Israel Fund’s mission. “Like Adi’s family, the…residents of Judea and Samaria are all following their dreams,” the note says. “But these vibrant communities confront many challenges. Besides the often-precarious security situation, they lack many basic amenities that larger communities take for granted.”
One Israel Fund is a New York-based organization dedicated to supporting the safety and well-being of the 150 communities of Judea and Samaria. Adi’s dance studio is based on a real studio built by One Israel Fund in Samaria. The book also mentions other One Israel Fund projects, such as preventive security equipment, playgrounds, and educational grants to institutions for children with special needs and learning disabilities.
###
About One Israel Fund
One Israel Fund supports the security, medical, education, recreation, and community needs of the nearly 500,000 Jews living in Judea and Samaria. They impact more than 200 unique projects each year, from sports fields to specialized equipment for special needs students; from local and regional medical centers to emergency medical and preventive security equipment; from recreation centers like dance and art studios to food security assistance, playgrounds and community centers. To learn more about One Israel Fund, visit https://oneisraelfund.org/.