MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAActionIsrael is pleased to announce yet another successful year with one of its ongoing projects “The Jade Bar-Shalom Books for Israel.”  The Denver community alone has shipped approximately 30,000 books to schools throughout Israel since ActionIsrael became involved in 2002.

Gently used children’s English books have made their way to Israel’s Jewish, Druze, Bedouin, Bahai, Arab Christian, and Muslim schools.  As English is a key to higher education, international trade, diplomacy, and global communication / employment, this is a very practical project.  When two sisters, American Rena Cohen and Israeli Jade Bar-Shalom started Books for Israel, the Israeli economy was struggling, and the tourist trade had collapsed due to the terrorist and intifada attacks.  The Israeli government budget could no longer provide adequate English language resources to schools.

Joan Baronberg responded to a request for help after reading about the project in the Hadassah Magazine and made an appeal through the ActionIsrael email announcements and three volunteers, Tami Knopping, Lynne McDowell, and Kathy Chavez from the Christian community responded.  Joan organized a meeting and the project was off to a great start. What has made this project unique is that it involves both the Jewish and Christian communities in the Denver area, thus helping to develop a stronger bond between the two communities as well as helping Israeli children and families.

The response from Colorado communities has been generous and heartwarming.  Synagogues, churches, schools and individual book donors have come forward to help collect books and provide funds for shipping the books to Israel.  If you are interested in conducting a book drive through an organization or as an individual, please email ActionIsrael through our ‘Contacts‘ page.

Also greatly needed are funds to cover the costs of shipping which has tripled since May 2007 due to postal changes in shipping printed materials.  You can send donations to ActionIsrael, P.O. Box 18040, Denver, CO 80218.  Thank you so much for your interest in and possible support of Israeli children in all ethnic groups working to be better equipped to face the future.   Books For Israel Slideshows, Pictures & Stories