Life in Israel is full of contradictions: The miracle of renewed Jewish sovereignty in the land of Israel coupled with the challenges of building a modern State; the beauty of the land versus the unnecessary suffering of so many of its inhabitants; the natural exuberance of our youth contrasted with their somber acceptance of the continual strain of living with daily attacks against our existence.
 
This latter paradox is powerfully displayed in this volume of essays, poems and stories by the young people of Gush Etzion.  Together, these children seem to represent the confidence of the Jewish people in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds - a youthful optimism which I have always shared and drawn upon.  For a poignant glimpse of "real life" in Israel today, creatively expressed, this book offers a moving and unusual window. 
 
Minister Natan Sharansky