PJ Library Inspires Jewish Moments in Successful Year of Programs
PJ Library Inspires Jewish Moments in Successful Year of Programs
The JCC’s Daniel M. Soref Community Hall was alive with activity: children at one table were making seder plates out of Legos, while another group crowded around a candy bar with sweets representing the 10 plagues. While some parents chatted together, others were helping their little ones with their craft projects. In a corner, grandparents read holiday books to their grandkids.
It was another successful gathering for the JCC’s PJ Library program!
PJ Library, an international program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, has been engaging young Milwaukee families since 2007 and has more than 400 subscriber families in our community – more than 560 children. An inclusive program, PJ Library welcomes all families raising children with Judaism as part of their lives. Beginning as a free Jewish book program for young families – where a new age-appropriate book arrives in the mail for each child up to age 8 – PJ Library has now grown into a valuable resource, serving as a connection point for Jewish engagement through a variety of social programs. What’s more, there are special opportunities for grandparent involvement.
“We are a very active PJ Library chapter,” says Rachel Pressman, JCC Community Programs Director and PJ Library Coordinator. “We have built a community through PJ Library that provides support, friendships, and a place for Jewish families to find joy in shared culture, identity, and values.”
This past year has included a litany of fun-filled, engaging PJ Library programs, including:
- Apple picking at Barthel Fruit Farm to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, which included a build-your-own apple nachos station (28 families)
- Parents’ Night Out at WhirlyBall in Brookfield – a time for parents to connect and engage without their children (20 couples)
- Passover family event, which included making chocolate seder plates in addition to the Lego seder plates mentioned above (20 families)
- “Bubbles, Bubbies & Zaides” end of school year celebration in June, which welcomed grandparents to join in and learn about PJ Library’s grandparent opportunities and the new grandparent group forming at our JCC, and included an interactive bubble show (50 families)
In addition to the large group events, PJ Library at the JCC has helped curate smaller friend group cohorts to find their own Jewish connections through a “Shabbat Among Friends” program – which has engaged close to 50 families in 12 cohorts this past year.
PJ Library participant Carolyn Ship appreciates the impact PJ Library has made on her family, sharing: “As an interfaith family, PJ Library has played an integral part in incorporating Jewish stories, traditions, and values in our household. The books make amazing conversation starters, leading to some wonderful connection time before bed with our little one. One of the things I value most is the emphasis on community and extending those Jewish values to those around you. In that spirit, we are so grateful for the friendships we’ve made through Shabbat Among Friends and always look forward to time spent together.”
For more information on how your family can participate in PJ Library, contact Rachel Pressman.
Click here to read more stories of impact from the 2022-23 Annual Report
