From Water to Words: Uri Adler's Creative Journey

It happened when Uri Adler was on his way to immerse in a natural spring before the morning prayer. Living in the community of Bat Ayin in Gush Etzion, he knew there was a spring nearby and also knew that his neighbor and close friend, Zvi Yehezkeli, immersed there daily. “The water is freezing cold,” Adler recalls, “but Zvi doesn’t mind, so I decided to join him.”

Neither of them imagined that this shared walk would lead to plans for a joint book, one they would write together and that would quickly become a bestseller.

Uri Adler

Politics, Hasidut, and Melody

Adler is a colorful and unconventional figure. You might call him a writer, a storyteller, a musician, a composer, or a singer. “In short, I’m an artist,” he suggests, and it’s clear that precise labels don’t really matter to him.

When people read his books or listen to the songs and melodies he has created over the years, many assume he is a baal teshuva. In fact, his background is quite different. “I come from a religious Zionist family. I grew up in Tel Aviv, and as a child I was deeply immersed in Tel Aviv culture,” he says. “I was very far from anything Hasidic. Breslov Hasidut, which I’m connected to today, was completely unfamiliar to me back then.”

As long as he can remember, Adler has loved music and singing, and for decades he has worked in the field nonstop. “At first, I focused mainly on wedding music, but very quickly I began creating my own melodies and songs, all under the umbrella of original Jewish music. Later I released albums of melodies, and at a certain point my music became more narrative. I started telling stories accompanied by music, and from there the path to writing books was short.”

Asked how many books he has published so far, he gives a surprising answer: “Four and a half books. The first two are collections of stories by Rabbi Nachman. Another is Every Soul Has a Melody, which was just released and includes four stories by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. There’s also The Quiet Before the Flood, a children’s comic book based on real events from the days leading up to the Iron Swords War. And the ‘half book’ is the bestseller I Told You It’s Jihad, which sums up thirty years of Zvi Yehezkeli’s work as a fighter and analyst, from Oslo to October 7, and was written together with him.”

“Recognizing a Harsh Reality”

Your works are extremely diverse, for children and adults, and range from politics to Hasidic stories. How do you combine such different worlds?

“First of all, I don’t see them as contradictory,” Adler explains. “I’ve heard from many adults who enjoyed my children’s books, especially since the stories of Rabbi Nachman and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach contain deep messages and aren’t meant only for children. More than that, this variety reflects who I am. It’s part of my essence, just as my personality contains all these elements.”

Tell us about the bestseller I Told You It’s Jihad. How did the idea come about?

“As I mentioned, I was on my way to the spring with Zvi Yehezkeli, and during our conversation I said, ‘Let’s write a book about your world.’ He immediately said, ‘Let’s do it.’ From that moment, we worked together for twelve months. The result is a gripping book that summarizes thirty years of Zvi’s experience as a fighter and commentator, from Oslo to October 7. At the same time, I was also working on The Quiet After the Flood, with Zvi advising and contributing content, while I initiated, wrote, and edited the book.”

Did the collaboration teach you things you didn’t know?

“Absolutely. It clarified and deepened my understanding of the Islamic world, especially as it relates to Israel. I learned new and fascinating details about Muhammad, the roots of Hamas, its ideology, and how it was formed.

“For example, not everyone knows that Hamas was founded in the late 1970s by Ahmad Yassin, with direct assistance from the Israeli government. At the time, Yassin presented Hamas as a youth movement meant for Palestinian street youth. In the end, what was funded as a ‘youth movement’ turned into the most dangerous and murderous terror organization Israel has ever faced. And that’s just one example.”

Why do you think it’s important to pass this knowledge on to children?

“Parents often ask me whether it’s appropriate for their children to read the book. I believe this knowledge actually builds resilience. The reality we live in is given. We didn’t choose to be born Jewish in Israel, and we didn’t choose terrorism. It’s part of a greater process brought upon us by God. But since this reality exists, we can’t shield our children from it. We need to explain it.

“My own children travel every day through Gush Etzion Junction, where many stabbing attacks have occurred. It’s not easy, and they’re afraid. But when the reality is presented clearly and gently, they understand it better and believe that, God willing, it will one day end with redemption.”

Stories for the Soul

Adler’s newest book, Every Soul Has a Melody, published by Yedioth Books, also stems from a desire to convey strength and resilience, though in a different way. “I chose four stories that Rabbi Shlomo used to tell. One comes from the Baal Shem Tov, another from Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vizhnitz, to whom I feel a personal connection because my family comes from there. There’s also a story by Rabbi Nachman, ‘Me and the Diamond,’ and finally ‘The Flight Attendant Who Converted,’ a story Rabbi Shlomo encountered personally and told in the first person.”

Did you know Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach personally?

“I didn’t, but I grew up on his music. The first melodies I mastered were his, and only later did I begin composing my own. I see him as a founding father of deep Jewish music. When people ask why I combine Rabbi Shlomo and Rabbi Nachman, I say it’s natural. Both transformed the Jewish world by bringing people closer to God through joy, faith, song, melody, and love. Rabbi Nachman did it two hundred years ago, Rabbi Shlomo in the last century, but their path is the same. That’s the essence of the book.”

And what’s next?

“Plenty,” he smiles. “I have many books already written and waiting to be published. The first, coming out with Yedioth Books, is a 220 page novel called The Returnees, about the world of baalei teshuva. It’s a dramatic story with touches of comedy that explores both the challenges and the lighter moments of that journey. After that, there are many more books for children and adults. I truly hope that at least some of them will reach readers and bring joy to as many people as possible.”