Area Grandparents Build Family, Community, and PJ Library
Nearly 40 Greater MetroWest grandparents gathered together on Thursday, November 2 at Morristown Jewish Center for the opening event of Federation’s new PJ Library Grandparents Connection. Welcoming the grandparents, co-chair Ilene Wolff said, “We are here tonight with all the optimism of creating a strong, supportive arm to PJ Library.”
One of the new group’s primary goals is to offer grandparents who are passionate about keeping their children and grandchildren connected to Jewish life an opportunity for networking and learning, said co-chair Beena Levy. “Our second goal is to secure funding for the PJ Library program in Greater MetroWest, and our third goal is to provide more opportunities for grandparents to volunteer and participate in PJ Library community programs.”
PJ Library, a program of Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest NJ in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, provides free, high-quality Jewish books and music each month to Greater MetroWest children ages 6 months through 6 years old. More than 300,000 books have been delivered to over 10,000 children and their families in Greater MetroWest since the program launched in 2008.
“PJ Library is fundamental to the work we do at Federation with families; building on the books, we also create opportunities for PJ Library families to meet other families,” said Robert Lichtman, Federation’s Chief Jewish Learning Officer.
In addition to the community-building impact that comes from families sharing these experiences together, Lichtman recognized the power of grandparents to inform a family’s Jewish journey, saying “This is what L’dor V’dor means. Not that one generation simply precedes another, but that one generation nurtures, informs, and inspires another.”
This event also provided an opportunity to recognize the contributions of two prominent grandparents in our community, Maxine Murnick, a major supporter of the PJ Library program, and Paula Gottesman, who was presented with a PJ Library Founder’s Award to honor the Paula and Jerry Gottesman Family Supporting Foundation for launching and sustaining the program in the community for the past ten years.
Speaking to the group about the positive impact of the program on her own family, South Orange resident Shayna Schmidt, said: “We are so grateful to live in such a wonderful and generous community that allows us to take part in this program free of charge while it clearly helps to strengthen our Jewish observance at home.”
Jody Hurwitz Caplan, Chair of Federation’s Jewish Learning and Life Committee, added, “We know through surveys Federation has conducted with PJ Library participants that 84 percent of respondents feel a closer connection to their Jewish community and 90 percent of them think the programs have strengthened their Jewish identity.”
Grandparents also had an opportunity to break into small groups to share their experiences and make suggestions for future events and initiatives. Any grandparents who would like to learn more about the group, receive information on future grandparent’s events, or donate to the PJ Library program can contact Lydia Dorsky at ldorsky@jfedgmw.org or (973) 929-2977. Any grandparent who wants to have PJ Library books sent to their grandchildren living in Greater MetroWest with their parents can contact Andrea Bergman at abergman@jfedgmw.org or (973) 929-3128.
