Interested in receiving free books of Jewish content for the young child in your life? Check out the PJ Library in a location near you. PJ library is a Jewish family engagement program implemented on a local level throughout North America. Created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in 2006, PJ Library provides free
books and CDs or DVDs on a monthly basis to families who self-identify as Jewish and have one or more young children. To date PJ Library has sent nearly 4 million books to some 175,000 children in 185 communities. It is made possible through partnerships with philanthropists and local Jewish organizations.
In the Greater Phoenix area, the program is implemented through the Bureau of Jewish Education. This chapter has over 1,200 subscribers, from 6 months to 5½ years old. Because of the high demand, books are limited to one per family, rather than per child. “I can’t say enough wonderful things about our amazing founders, Alison Betts and Jason Israel,” said Tamar Feinson, head of the local program. “They started the whole thing here and continue to raise funds for the program.” PJ Library also hosts events throughout the Valley. pjlibrary@bjephoenix.org.
In Southern Arizona, the PJ Library program reaches about 525 children, with one book per child for those 6 months to 7 years. It participated in the local Purim Festival last month with a bookmark and craft booth. The chapter covers Tucson and many nearby small towns throughout Cochise, Pima, Graham, Santa Cruz, Pinal and Yuma counties. It is sponsored through the Coalition for Jewish Education with grants from the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona, with generous support of the Leibson and Rosenzweig families. pjlibrary@jfsa.org
The third chapter is in northern Arizona and serves Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt. Pamela Jones heads the program, which provides materials for those 6 months through 7 years. This group is sponsored and funded by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Prescott, which sent two board members to the annual conference last year. “We service about 25 families right now,” Pamela said, “but have just hired a part-time administrative assistant in anticipation of our growth.”
On April 21 from 3 to 4 pm at the Prescott Public Library, a story time featuring Joseph Had a Little Overcoat will include snacks and crafts. info@jcfgp.org.
Each spring, PJ Library holds an invitational North American Conference to increase the effectiveness of the program. This year’s conference will be April 21-23 at the Pearlstone Conference and Retreat Center in Reisterstown, MD. Todd Herzog, the cantorial soloist at Temple Solel in Scottsdale, is one of the PJ musicians who will perform at the national conference.
Visit jeremyjackrabbit.com to download lesson plans or purchase additional books. All sales proceeds benefit the Phoenix Library Foundation’s funding of youth programming at the Phoenix Public Library System.
