Two Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District students have written a children's book aimed at fostering understanding between Jewish and Muslim communities, creating a story of friendship between unlikely symbols in response to growing cultural divisions.
Sadie Gryczman and Rana Kurt, who have been friends since ninth grade, authored "Brighter Together," a tale following a Jewish star and Muslim crescent who meet at a magical place called Sky School and discover common ground through their differences.
"We've witnessed division between our cultures firsthand, and we don't want it to continue," said Kurt. "We believe Brighter Together can help change the way future generations see the world."
The book emerged from the students' response to the events of Oct. 7, 2023, and the cultural tensions that followed. The timing coincided with their receipt of the Julie Beren Platt Teen Innovation Grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, which provided financial support to bring their vision to life.
"After witnessing the impact of the events on October 7, 2023, we felt compelled to step in and help bridge the growing divide," Gryczman said. "We wanted to create something gentle and hopeful for children in a world that felt increasingly chaotic and divided."
In the story, the Star and Crescent share stories about their respective holidays, including Shabbat and Eid, while exploring universal themes of kindness, family and helping others. As the characters develop understanding for one another, their light grows stronger—a metaphor the authors hope will resonate with young readers.
The collaboration grew naturally from the students' existing friendship and shared commitment to interfaith dialogue. In 2023, they co-founded a Jewish-Muslim Alliance at their high school, where they first discussed the book concept.
"Writing the book together was a natural extension of that," Kurt said. "It wasn't always easy, especially with everything happening in the world, but it brought us even closer."
The authors chose the star and crescent as central characters because of their instant recognizability, but wanted to reimagine these symbols as friends rather than representatives of opposing sides.
"We hope readers understand that friendship doesn't require being the same; it grows stronger when we appreciate what makes us different," Gryczman said. "The Star and Crescent don't become friends despite who they are; their friendship grows because of who they are."
The book has already generated discussion in schools and community events, prompting conversations about empathy and coexistence among young readers. The authors believe such messaging is particularly crucial given current social and political tensions.
"The world feels more divided than ever, and children are seeing that," Kurt said. "We wanted to offer a different message, one that shows it's still possible to choose friendship and understanding, even when everything around you says otherwise."
The students have ambitious plans for expanding the book's reach. They are working to translate "Brighter Together" into Hebrew and Arabic, making it available as a free ebook to increase accessibility for diverse communities.
"Why stop here?" Gryczman said. The duo plans to share the book through readings in classrooms, mosques, synagogues and interfaith spaces, hoping to spark similar conversations across religious and cultural boundaries.
The project maintains an Instagram presence at @brightertogetherproject, where the authors share updates and engage with readers interested in their interfaith message.
Through their work, Gryczman and Kurt demonstrate how young people can address complex social issues through creative storytelling, offering hope that future generations might approach cultural differences with curiosity rather than fear.
The book encourages children to embrace interfaith friendship and shows that differences can serve as sources of strength rather than division—a message the authors believe is essential for building a more understanding world.