By Andrew Adler
Community Editor
Samantha Simon is what you might call a PJ Library True Believer.
As the mother of three children, she has a deeply personal interest in the program that provides free Jewish books to children from birth to 12 years old (PJ Our Way for ages 9-12) as a component of the Trager Family JCC.
“I’m from Louisville but lived for 11 years in Chicago,” Simon recalls, “and when I had my first two babies, I was very involved in JBaby, Chicago’s program for moms and new babies — that’s how I made all my friends.”
Her first child was son Bennett, now on the cusp of turning six. “Through JBaby I’d learned about PJ Library,” she says, “so we started getting books, and they ended up being some of his favorites.”
PJ Library came into being 20 years ago as an initiative of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which partners with local Jewish Federations to send Jewish themed books with specific educational goals in mind each month to eligible Jewish children. In Louisville, PJ Library is supported by the Stephen, Sandra and Donald Linker Family Fund, and the Jewish Heritage Fund — specifically, JHF’s Doing Jewish grants. Since coming to Louisville as the national program was being established in 2005, PJ Library has served 965 families with a total of 1501 children. Today there are 312 families with 385 children enrolled locally.
“PJ Library partners with authors and will publish books on their own through PJ Publishing,” explains Jordan Leanhart, Jewish Outreach Manager and PJ Library Coordinator at the Trager Family JCC.
“They actively seek out Jewish authors who are in writing children’s books, and are introducing new books all the time,” she says. Organizers “will also seek out other Jewish children’s books that have just been published. They’ll reach out to those authors and say, ‘Hey, we would like to distribute this and put our name on it,” a mutually beneficial relationship “that gets those books into more kids’ hands.”
“Our goal is to keep people engaged and find new families,” explains Leanhart. Additionally, “we’ve started doing more outreach to the PJ Our Way age range — which we felt was a missed demographic.
Getting books into the hands of children approaching middle school “gives them a little more autonomy,” Leanhart says, “so they get to go on the PJ Our Way website each month and choose from four different books — rather than the original PJ Library program, where books are chosen for them.”
Children 9-12, Leanhart emphasizes, “very much want that freedom,” reflected in the increasingly wide-ranging offerings at the Trager Family JCC. “We just did our first PJ Our Way-geared program for Tu B’Shevat — a Seder and planted parsley seeds,” she says.
That PJ Library segment continues to grow more popular. “At last count, we had about 75 kids enrolled in PJ Our Way,” Leanhart says. “The Harold Grinspoon Foundation rolled out new ways to stay connected as they age out of PJ Library.”
Of course, the process begins even before children utter their first words. When Simon’s son, Bennett “was little, they’d send more basic books, like colors associated with Jewish holidays — a gold menorah or a brown latke. Or for Purim, masks for different characters.”
Essentially, “it’s a very easy introduction into Judaism,” Bennett’s mom says. “As they’ve gotten older, the books have become more complicated, incorporating more Jewish values and Jewish stories.”
Her son, Simon remembers, took to books from the get-go.
“He’s always been bonded with literature,” she says. “And we don’t read him just Jewish books; we’re reading him everything. But there was something about the PJ Library books he did have an affinity for. There was one called ‘Happy, Happy!’ (written by Bara Bat-Shem and illustrated by Mary Hall) — he loved that book — he’d ask us to read it over and over.”
PJ Library became a foundational conduit to Simon’s young family living Jewishly.
“At the time Bennett was born, we weren’t affiliated with a synagogue,” she says, “so it was a way to instill a sense of Jewish pride and Jewish values. We moved back to Louisville three years ago, and now we’re members of The Temple and are involved in many programs at the Trager Family JCC.”
The program boasts a robust literary pipeline.
Books may be central to PJ Library’s purpose, but there’s more to the program than just words on a page. “We host multiple events throughout the year,” Leanhart says. “We have pool parties and Musikgarten on Sundays. In the fall we did a pumpkin patch meetup at Gallrein Farms” (in Henry County, Kentucky) and just did our first indoor playdate.”
Events like these “are a great way to connect with the families,” she adds, “to see what the kids are into, and hear how they’re liking the books.”
“PJ Library’s impact is broad and deep, reflecting a footprint that extends well beyond the U.S. Last year three representatives from Louisville attended the PJ Library International Conference that ran April 8-10 in Springfield, Mass. The conference included approximately 300 participants from 13 countries, “committed to finding ways to connect Jewish families through the Jewish values PJ Library books offer,” Community reported.
“Attendees discussed how to find and create moments of joy through our Jewish values, and bring those moments back to share with our own communities.”
Alison Roemer, Senior Director, Jewish Journeys & Experiences at the Trager Family JCC., commented: “One of the best parts of the conference was sharing ideas with other PJ Library professionals and making connections that will continue throughout the year.”
A key PJ Library dynamic is getting those kids involved early. Very early.
“We’ll reach out to families with new babies and welcome them — it’s called, ‘Shalom Baby,’” Leanhart says. “We have little gift bags we give out, with a bib and a swaddle and a book,” plus links where new parents can go online and register for the PJ Library program.
In other words, PJ Library isn’t just in the book business — it’s in the relationship business.
New families have multiple pathways into the PJ Library experience. Some learn about the program via its Facebook pages, which feature lots of photos of children and parents enjoying its diverse array of offerings. Others may connect via PJ Library’s Instagram page, or simply because they appreciate being able to provide Jewish books to their children at no cost.”
“The programming has gotten us way more connected to the (Trager Family) JCC,” says Carly Mason, who connects PJ Library to families who’ve recently moved to Louisville.
She has two children of her own — daughter Poppy, 4 and son Eli, 1. Both have become avid PJ Library fans.
“They love them, “ Carly Mason says. “We read a PJ Library book every night.”
What makes those books so special to her children? “They’re simple and carry meaningful themes,” she says, “and connect them to being Jewish, in story form.”
One reason the program is so successful is the ongoing commitment of supporters including the Jewish Heritage Fund, which is committed to finding new ways for Jewish Jews to seek out and connect with their Judaism.
“As part of our Jewish Life funding strategy, the Jewish Heritage Fund seeks to support opportunities for individuals to engage with Jewish life in ways that feel relevant and meaningful to them,” says JHF Program Director Jaime Jorrisch.
“We are proud to support the Federation’s PJ Library program, which meets families where they are, boosting parents’ confidence in Jewish topics and traditions and inspiring children’s sense of belonging within the Jewish community.”
“PJ Library is a big part of that,” Leanhart says, adding that the program demonstrates that such support pays substantial, tangible dividends.
The proof is in the parenting.
“Parents say that having these books in their home allows them to connect Jewishly with their children,” she says, often when “it’s a topic they’re not super familiar with themselves, or that makes things easier to explain to their children.” It might be “the concept of tikkun olam or tzedakah on Shabbat.”
Indeed, “there was a large percentage of parent respondents who said that PJ Library helps them ‘do Jewish’ in their households. It helps connect their children to Jewish life.”
Crucially, “it’s kind of a multiplier,” Leanhart points out. “PJ Library has what’s called ‘Get Together’ grants that families can apply for, where they get reimbursed up to $100 to, literally, get together with at least two other Jewish families for Shabbat, holidays, anything like that.”
Leanhart’s own children — ages 3 and 5 — are avid PJ Library fans, as is their father. “My husband, who is not Jewish, is actually the one who predominantly reads the books to them,” she says. “It’s been a great way to bring him in and learn a little bit more, while teaching the kids about their heritage.”
Heritage, and a lot besides.
“A lot of times they’ll have swim parties and pizza parties,” Simon said. “For us it’s a way into the Jewish community without being in a synagogue.”
Of course, at PJ Library it’s the kid-lit that matters most. Zoom-bombing Bennett, asked to name his favorite book, said it was “the one where they find the matzoh everywhere.”
Samantha Simon immediately knew the title: “‘Where is the Afikomen?’!!!” she shouted with unabashed maternal glee. “We just got that book,” she said, turning to her son. “Do you like PJ Library, Bennett?” she queried. He didn’t answer – apparently book-review time was over. But you can bet that when the Passover seder arrives and the middle matzoh is broken in half and hidden, young Bennett will lead the search.