Go back in time to your bar or bat mitzvah - the day on which you entered into "Jewish adulthood." At some point, after all the Torah portions had been chanted, the prayers were prayed and the speeches spoken, you were likely presented with a gift from some representative of the synagogue or community. Maybe it was a kiddush, cup, or a prayer book, or a Bible. 

Many people smile as they accept the gift but are actually thinking, deep down, something like, "This is not something I'm going to read or use at this point in my life. Maybe when I'm old(er). Does my Jewish life have something to offer me that I will use  in the more immediate future?"

I invite you to reimagine that moment with me. What if that lucky, newly-minted Jewish adult were given a gift that immediately captured their attention - something actually intriguing, unexpected, inspiring, relevant, compelling, attractive, non-juvenile, totally Jewish and decidedly not-cheesy? A gift that effectively communicated, "Your Jewishness has something to offer you in this next phase of your life!"

So, I wrote a book called "#2: Who Cares?" It's a running commentary on Rebbe Nachman’s famous story of the Lost Princess. I'm happy to tell you more about the story and my approach to making it relevant to teens. But I want you to know that this book comes from learning with Jewish teenagers from all walks of life for almost 20 years, having real conversations about what matters to them, what they struggle with, what they're curious about, and what they're open to. I took what I learned from all those encounters and put them in this book. And, just to make sure the book is on point, I market-tested it with a bunch of teens to make sure it works. It does.

And then, to my great pleasure, I was lucky to find the incredible and unique Mat Tonti to illustrate it with me. He brought the story, and my running commentary, to life, with humorous, dynamic drawings and vibrant characters. The text and the pictures, together, are fabulous. 

The goal is to put this book in the hands of as many b'nei mitzvah as possible by providing it to synagogues, rabbis, cantors and educators at minimal cost to them. That's because I don't want those people and institutions to think twice before ordering books.

I'll be using the networks to which I have access, and also inviting friends to introduce me to their networks, in order to get the word out. In addition, I'll be providing a study guide to help Hebrew School educators and administrators bring this book into the classroom and turn it into meaningful conversations. 

I'm raising $3600 to get the ball rolling, to build a website, to create marketing materials, to pay my editor and layout person, and to subsidize the cost so we can get this books into kids' hands and start blowing minds. 

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOU'D LIKE YOUR DONATION TO BE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE, YOU MAY GIVE HERE,   DIRECTED TO THE REB GAVRIEL FUND. You should tell me if you're going to do that, so I know. 

Any donation of $36 or more gets a copy of the book.

Be in touch if you'd like to speak about sponsorship and a dedication page.