JOHNATHAN AND THE RULER OF AWARENESS
A Spiritual Quest by Pnina Elkayam
This spiritual novel is aimed at increasing readers’ consciousness and bringing to light the "Awareness of the Ant Syndrome." This original expression, shortened to AAS, encompasses all types of evil done by human beings, and represents the purest selfishness in its most extreme expression, which results in a total disregard for others. The author has managed to instill in her writing an educational-spiritual system that opposes this devastating syndrome with knowledge based on ancient Jewish traditions and beliefs.
It is also the story of Jonathan, a handsome boy with a resemblance to the biblical King David, who is indeed his hero. Jonathan is a child who has developed high-level awareness unusual for a boy his age; he is familiar with the Bible in its deepest meaning, with help from a wise old man who takes him under his wing. Yet Jonathan is essentially a lonely child, since his father is constantly sent abroad on mysterious missions for the Mossad and his mother is addicted to her work as a nurse in a hospital. Jonathan's loneliness is also caused by his elevated level of awareness, which alienates him from his classmates who are subject to the AAS. He mostly suffers, both physically and emotionally, at the hands of the children's leader, Burt, a bully whom Jonathan nicknames "Burt the Goliath."
Jonathan enjoys a remarkable learning opportunity with a wise old man, who witnessed the highest levels of AAS during the Holocaust when the Nazis killed his entire family, which caused him to choose a life of seclusion that prevented him from sharing even so much as his name with others. But only Jonathan can break through the walls of his loneliness. The old man helps Jonathan by building him a "Ruler of Light," a special ruler of pure spiritual energy, which can effectively neutralize the Awareness of the Ant Syndrome in Burt the Goliath, and thereby overcome him.
Jonathan discovers that Leah, a poor orphan and an outcast in his class, is also suffering from the same malignant AAS due to her adopted mother, who forces her to labor night and day. When Leah mysteriously disappears, Jonathan, with assistance from Ruth, the richest girl in the school, succeeds in solving the mystery and they manage to free Leah using the Ruler of Light. While on their way to the Western Wall, a sacred relic of the ruined Holy Temple, in order to pray to God Almighty and ask for the return of Leah's grandmother, Jonathan is able to win the fight against a street gang that threatens their lives, a truly amazing act. When the children return home, they realize that their prayer has indeed come true.
On the annual class trip to the ancient fortress of Masada, a historical symbol of bravery and freedom for Jewish people, Jonathan gives a heartfelt speech about the early Jews who were besieged at Masada, and how they preferred to take their own lives rather than be victims of the AAS that motivated the Roman soldiers. Ruth and Leah give Rulers of Light, prepared by the wise old man, to all their fellow students. Then, magically, the malicious syndrome is removed from Burt and his followers, immediately resulting in a transformation of awareness in all the classmates. They become better students and their grades improve, so that the Ministry of Education decides to adopt the educational-spiritual method created by the old man. Finally, Jonathan discovers the incredible hidden connection between his father and the wise old man who doomed himself to loneliness.
The author, Pnina Elkayam, is an autodidact who cherishes spiritual development, and through studying Kabala is closely connected to the Book of the Zohar. Elkayam believes that conventional education should be combined with the spiritual awareness of "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself," which can be achieved by removing the Awareness of the Ant Syndrome from all people. The author resides in Jaffa, an enchanted biblical city on the Mediterranean coast near Tel Aviv, where Jews, Christians and Muslims live in harmony. Pnina Elkayam is divorced and has two children. She works at Ha'aretz newspaper.
An English language eBook edition was published in fall 2012 by Samuel Wachtman's Sons Inc. , C.A. | 
