PJ Library grants help families with children connect to community here

Louisville-area families raising Jewish children will now have more opportunities to participate in Jewish life, thanks to a grant opportunity recently awarded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF).

The grants will be distributed to members of PJ Library, the flagship program of HGF that offers free Jewish books and programs to more than 125,000 families around the world. Louisville is among a select group of PJ Library communities in the United States and Canada chosen to participate in the Get Together grants program, an opportunity that will give local families up to $150 to create their own experiences to get together with friends.

Get Together grants are meant to help build social connections among families and encourage them to engage in Jewish life, programming, or learning. In the past, Get Together grants were used for Shabbat-themed experiences, baking or crafts, book clubs, and parent-only evenings.

Get Togethers happen when families want to experience them, and how they want to experience them.

Madelyn Cerra, PJ Library coordinator at the Jewish Federation of Louisville said she is “honored to receive the grant, and thrilled to be part of the global PJ Library community reaching hundreds of thousands of families.” The grants are funded through the PJ Library Alliance. Partners in the Alliance include the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, the William Davidson Foundation, the Marcus Foundation, Inc., the Jim Joseph Foundation, the William & Audrey Farber Philanthropic Fund; the Diane & Guilford Glazer/ Jewish Community Foundation of LA, Carl & Joann Bianco, the Howard & Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation, the Susser Family Trust, Walter, Arnee, Sarah & Aaron Winshall, and two anonymous partners.

PJ Library and PJ Our Way™ families currently living in Louisville are invited to apply to host a Get Together.

Applications open on Monday, May 22 and close Friday, June 30. For more information, visit pjlibrary.org/GetTogether or contact Cerra at mcerra@jewishlouisville.org. Families with children ages 0-8 can receive free books every month by signing up for PJ Library at pjlibrary.org. Children ages 9-11 can choose a free chapter book or graphic novel every month by enrolling in PJ Our Way with a parent at pjourway.org.

Leave a Reply