Beit HaChayyot (“The Animal House”), a debut novel by Dan Vershkov, follows Yan, a neurobiology student torn between the desire to understand life and the desperate, unbearable need to live it. The arrival of Amos, a new dormitory roommate, unsettles his contained existence, pulling him into a vortex of need and aversion that blurs the boundaries between the human and the animal.
Dan Vershkov is a geneticist and literary translator from Russian. The first drafts were written during his time spent in a neurological research lab, where he first encountered the intimacy and detachment in the biologist’s study of life. The manuscript was developed through two prestigious Israeli literary residency programs and is now in the final stages of editing.
The AVF grant would fund the final stages of professional editing.
Improv as Resilience is a series of practical workshops for educators and volunteers in Israel’s northern border communities, designed to strengthen personal resilience in times of uncertainty and change. Through experiential exercises and guided discussion, participants develop cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and confidence in navigating an unpredictable reality.
Sabina is a social worker and improv artist. She grew up in Shlomi, on the northern border, and now lives in the Galilee.
The AVF grant would fund professional support in making the workshops available to all educators through the Ministry of Education’s platforms.
Matter is an international collaboration of architects and filmmakers, producing a cinematic artwork – a collective portrait of urban life across the globe. Based on a manifesto by Bar, a young architect, it aspires to establish a network of creators and agents of change, whose work will continue beyond the project itself, contributing to the communities and spaces they shape. At a time of global polarization, Matter seeks to bring together a new generation of architects willing to engage with complex realities, shoulder responsibility, and collaborate to build something new.
The manifesto was written over the course of a year, with the guidance of leading architects and urban theorists Sharon Rothbard and Dr. Tamar Berger, and the project’s artistic direction was developed together with curator Dvora Pinto.
The AVF grant would fund the project’s launch – covering distribution, infrastructure, and language support.
V’Taher Libeinu (“Purify Our Hearts”), by Uri Safrai, examines the rise of the Safed community in the early modern period as a unique laboratory of leadership, emerging from the trauma of the Spanish Expulsion and the collapse of Jewish communal life that followed. The product of nearly two decades of research, the book explores how rabbinic leaders worked to reconstruct social and spiritual order for a displaced people, giving rise to a new Judaism that shaped – and continues to shape – the Jewish world to this day, shedding light on the struggles of the past as a gateway to understanding the challenges of the present.
The AVF grant would help cover the remaining publication costs.
Niggun & Tefilah Nights, led by Nadav Gilad, is a monthly or bimonthly nightlong journey of music and contemplative prayer. The night unfolds in complete silence between songs, creating a space of sustained inner focus rather than performance. The project responds to a widely felt need for a place to “pray” in the broader sense: not necessarily religious worship, but a form of deep inward attunement, accessible both to synagogue-goers and those who never attend. Participants are full partners in the experience, and the aim is to build a growing community of people who return regularly and deepen their connection over time. A pilot evening for approximately 65 people drew a remarkable response, and the project is now seeking to establish a regular rhythm and expand its reach.
The AVF grant would fund the purchase of equipment.
This educational-community program for Israeli youth living in North Carolina’s Triangle area is completing its pilot year at Beit Am, the local Israeli community hub. Operating two age tracks – high school and middle school – the program runs monthly activities addressing topics including Israel, Islam, and antisemitism, building historical knowledge, Jewish-Israeli identity, and a sense of communal belonging. The vision is to develop the program into a continuous three-year track, expanding participation to American-Jewish youth as well. Yarden Mendelson co-leads the program’s planning, educational framework, and participant recruitment.
The AVF grant would help fund the program’s content development.
True Magic is a project connecting volunteer magicians with bereaved families in Israel’s southern communities, creating meaningful and empowering experiences for the children of those families, and building local community bonds between the magicians and the families they visit.
Omri is a magician and educator. Through this project, he aims to develop his approach to magic as an educational tool and a source of empowerment.
The AVF grant would fund six pilot events, serving as the foundation for a wider program Omri hopes to develop.