Am Yisrael Chai Children's Book Project

A Guest Post by Michelle Orrelle

Greetings from Israel, and thank you, Heidi and Susan, for inviting me to write a guest post.

The Am Yisrael Chai Children’s Book Project (www.ayckidsbooks.org) was launched in December 2023 to help strengthen pride in and connection to Israel by gifting 18,000 books about Israel to children in North America. It was an ambitious goal for a first-time nonprofit initiative, but one that clearly resonated.

We quickly secured our first donations and forged a strong partnership with the JCC Association of North America. Under the leadership of Veronica Maravankin, Vice President of the Sheva Center, a dedicated year-long Israel curriculum was developed around the books to train teachers and integrate Israel-focused learning into Jewish early childhood education programs.

The books are carefully selected to reflect the beauty of Israel’s diverse culture, history, landscapes, and people. They showcase both ordinary and extraordinary aspects of life in Israel, and, most importantly, highlight the universal experiences of growing up that children everywhere share with their Israeli peers.

By the end of 2025, we had distributed 7,000 books to ten communities across North America. These books were taught in the classroom and then sent home for families to enjoy together, extending the learning experience beyond the school day.

Last year, we explored expanding the program to middle-grade readers. We found an enthusiastic partner, but unfortunately, not the funding needed to move forward. Fundraising has been extremely challenging, as many worthy causes compete for support and, understandably, much of the giving addresses urgent needs within Israel rather than Israel education in North America.

Another challenge we have encountered is the perception that PJ Library is already meeting this need. We deeply admire and respect PJ Library, (who are encouraging of our program), but its broad focus on Jewish values, holidays, and heritage often results in less emphasis on books with explicitly Israeli content. While Israel-themed books are certainly included there, they represent only a very small portion of the overall collection. Our goal is to help fill that gap. We see our work as complementary to PJ Library’s—expanding the bookshelf with titles they don’t select, and enriching the shared narrative of Jewish life via the classroom, as they do, by sending books directly to the homes.

At a time when many children and families are exposed to challenging and often problematic portrayals of Israel, we believe it is vital to share diverse and authentic stories that reflect the richness of Israel’s people, culture, and achievements. Through these stories, we aim to foster understanding and encourage a positive image of Israel that goes beyond the narratives commonly presented in the media.

Our selection includes some books that are already published in English as well as books we translate from Hebrew into English. We’re currently developing three new titles, two of which have now entered production. Like our previous titles, they will be available to the public, helping to bring to market important Israel-focused stories that might otherwise never have been published.

What we need most right now to keep moving forward and expanding is funding.

If you have any ideas, connections, or introductions that may help, please share them. We would be delighted to explore any opportunities. We set out to distribute 18,000 books and are almost halfway there. With your support, we hope to achieve that goal quickly. You can contact me, Michelle Orrelle, at michelle@crew972.com.

If you would like to make a donation—large or small—you can do so through our website. www.ayckidsbooks.org

And finally, please keep borrowing, buying, reading, and sharing books about Israel. They are an essential part of Jewish children’s literature and help ensure that the many stories of Israel continue to be told.

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