Passing on Our Stories
by Jody Hurwitz Caplan
Sharing bedtime stories with children conjures visions of snuggling with toddlers, exploring new ideas and places, and transmitting life lessons, all while demonstrating the value of reading and learning. Every month our Jewish Federation, in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, encourages these special moments by delivering free Jewish-themed storybooks from PJ Library to 3,400 children in Greater MetroWest. This ten-year relationship has been well received in our community; this summer we celebrated the distribution of our 300,000th PJ Library book.
Rachel Khedouri, the mom of a PJ Library recipient, said, “Every day when I bring in the mail, my son asks whether there is PJ Library mail for him. We read together every night, and he almost always includes one PJ Library book in the pile of books to read.”
Victoria Shpilsky shared similar experiences from her household. “The kids get excited every time they see envelopes from PJ Library with their names on it,” she said.
“They are eager to read the books the same night. The books are beautifully written and the illustrations are delightful. The content is very entertaining and educational.”
This program not only connects children to their Jewish heritage through carefully selected age-appropriate books, but it also connects Greater MetroWest families to one another and to further learning opportunities. Andrea Bergman, Federation’s Director of PJ Library and Special Projects, explained, “Our PJ Library families receive a customized e-newsletter inviting them to a variety of events across the Jewish community. It’s a wonderful engagement tool that gives people the chance to meet other families like themselves and to learn more about other Federation programs they might be interested in.” Recent newsletters have promoted our Kveller.com/GMW High Holiday Round-Up and JTot programs, which are designed for children up to age six and their families to connect and form bonds through joyous spiritual, educational, and social experiences.
“Books are just the beginning,” said Robert Lichtman, Federation’s Chief Jewish Learning Officer, who also oversees the Federation’s Partnership for Jewish Learning and Life department. “We surround the books with community-based activities where we share Jewish knowledge, traditions, values, and practices. PJ Library introduces these concepts on the page to teach children the what and why. And then we go beyond the books to introduce them to the how. For example, we provide coaches to help your family celebrate the Jewish holidays in a way that works for you. The books and the programs engage you, yes. But ultimately our goal is to empower you to pursue your own Jewish journey. Education is empowering. That’s what our Federation does.”
The success of Federation’s partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation has led to additional collaborations with Greater MetroWest. The Shtick Together program forms small groups of PJ Library families seeking informal opportunities to explore Shabbat together. Each group gathers monthly for a unique and customized Shabbat celebration they have created themselves. PJ Library books are also introducing families to our community’s Jewish Day Schools through Easy Jewish Family Fun. This initiative, supported by a grant from the Avi Chai Foundation, introduces local families to all that our Day Schools have to offer.
Building community through PJ Library is not limited to young families in Greater MetroWest. The newest example of Federation’s PJ Library programming is the PJ Library Grandparents Connection. This newly formed group offers grandparents an opportunity to learn, network, and share ideas while exploring their critical roles as models of Jewish culture and traditions in their families and communities. At the same time, they’ll be helping Federation ensure that the PJ Library program continues to thrive in Greater MetroWest. The PJ Library Grandparents Connection chairs Beena Levy and Ilene Wolff raved, “We are so happily engrossed in grandparenting that we want to share it with others.”
PJ Library is supported by lead donors Maxine and Ted z”l Murnick and the Paula and Jerry Gottesman Family Supporting Foundation. “My husband and I always read to our children when they were young because we thought this was wonderful together-time,” shared Maxine Murnick. “Creating Jewish themed books for young children, when their minds are most open, is a brilliant idea. What could be better for the Jewish future of the Jewish community worldwide than doing something for Jewish children?”
Children living in the Greater MetroWest community with their parents (or guardians) can enroll in PJ Library by clicking here.