About Us
Maktabat al-Fanoos Program
Maktabat al-Fanoos (The Lantern Library Program) is a unique educational and community-based initiative in Israel that provides high-quality books to young children in Arab society, with the goal of fostering a love
for reading from an early age. The program enriches children’s language, nurtures their values and sense of identity, supports their cognitive, emotional, and social development, and broadens their intellectual horizons.
Each year, Maktabat al-Fanoos distributes nearly one million copies of carefully selected 
books to approximately 200,000 children in preschool, kindergarten, and first and second grades in all Arab communities across the country. The Fanoos team also conducts cultural events that engage thousands of children.
Maktabat al-Fanoos undertakes workshops, lectures, and in-service training courses for early childhood educators, offering them practical and professional engagement tools to help deepen their pedagogical impact in the classroom. Through its stories, support and engagement materials and other activities, the Fanoos team promotes shared reading 
and meaningful dialogue between children and their parents—strengthening family bonds and resiliency in Arab society.
In addition, Maktabat al-Fanoos conducts special retreats for authors and illustrators in the field of children’s literature
, aiming to nurture a vibrant eco-system that cultivates the development of quality and original children’s literature.
Through all of its endeavors, Maktabat al-Fanoos aspires to raise children who are self-aware, expressive, and capable of connecting with others—who will grow into adults who are rooted in their Arab culture while being open to the wider world. The program also strives to reduce social gaps by ensuring equal access to quality books, thereby increasing opportunities for educational success and lifelong achievement.
Maktabat al-Fanoos is funded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Israeli Ministry of Education.
