Gabriel Allon Could Be AMIT’s Alumnus

AMIT educates, author Daniel Silva entices the student-reader’s imagination.

This week, the vastly popular author, Daniel Silva, spent an exciting evening with AMIT’s supporters at the Olympic Collection in Los Angeles. Since the evening took place while rockets are being fired on Israel from Gaza, I asked Daniel what his messages to my readers would be: “I wish I could be there today; I write about soldiers and spies but I want to do something right now for the people in Israel. I feel utterly helpless. I am with the people of Israel, mind, body and soul; you are never far from my thoughts.”

One can question, what Daniel Silva and AMIT, an educational organization in Israel, have in common? The answer is, education and fine authorship.

Hatikvah sung by Cantor Natie Baram and Michal Taviv-Margolese

Michal Taviv-Margolese is AMIT’s West Coast USA Director. Susie Meyers in AMIT’s USA Director of Development, who resides in New York. They are dedicated to raise the necessary funds for AMIT that allows children in Israel, for many of whom the forecast of good future is murky, to turn their life around. Unexpectedly, at this junction, with the current situation in Israel, some of the funds currently raised for AMIT will buy hours of therapy and counseling for children suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, resulting from the war.

From L-Susie Meyers, Michal Taviv-Margolese, Rabbi David Wolpe, Author Daniel Silva

Established in 1925, AMIT is one of the largest education establishments in Israel. With over 100 schools, mostly in the periphery, it can be recognized as the frontline of global innovation in education. And Silva’s character, Gabriel Allon, could have been AMIT’s graduate, while Sgt. Ben Itzhak Oanounou z”l, from Ashdod, is an AMIT alumni who lost his life defending Israel in the current Protective Edge-Solid Rock war in Gaza.

Rabbi David Wolpe moderated a Q & A with Daniel, an attractive, soft spoken man. The audience, avid readers of Silva’s books, in awe of his writing ability, wanted to get into the mind of such prolific and successful author.

R-Daniel Silva and Rabbi David Wolpe in Q & A

Mr. Silva, residing in Florida, did not have formal training in the arts, apart from some college courses. When he was young his mother literally dragged him to museums, he remembers.

He is infatuated with Israel’s intelligence body, Mossad, and its intricate modus operandi, which gets his vivid imagination going. “I start with small incident and let it grow, the story chases the characters in my books,” explains Mr. Silva how he develops his story’s plot. He then expands on the information at hand, directly with some of the Mossad operatives and their life experience, vicariously expressed through his main character, Gabriel.

Daniel Silva signing his latest book the Heist

Mr. Silva then digressed into politics. He expressed that he is deeply disappointed in in the current administration and the European Union’s plan to put sanctions on Israel. He has no qualms blaming Hamas, the responsible party for the mounting deaths in Gaza. His view, “Hamas is getting the casualties they want for media coverage so they can point fingers at Israel.”
“Will there be a movie?” everyone wanted to know.

“The interest in making a movie is high,” he said. Though he did set up ahead to support Israel in his books and the characters are who they are, “This type movie is complex for Hollywood, when the main character is an Israel-Jew, a James Bond type,” Silva smiles when replying.

Restoration is everything in Daniel Silva’s series of books, from the arts to Tikun Olam-reparation of the world.

Daniel Silva is simply a great defender of the State of Israel and her people, their principles and national pride and he portrays these sentiments through his books’ characters.

Reading, writing, learning equals Education, and it is considered to be the “food” for the masses; without it, one has no future. Educations is also a character builder. AMIT provides the future for the children of Israel through education. Daniel Silva’s stories about Gabriel Allon’s adventures, based in the clarity of national sentiments, is one way for a child to receive the main elements needed in education, which is learning and building character.

To learn more and also help AMIT in its ongoing education endeavor please visit the website

And please watch the video: AMIT Saves the Children