(Courtesy of Kaplen JCC) In an exciting partnership with PJ Library, the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades will be gifting a free treasury of books or music to children each month in a community-wide, mission-based effort to reinforce the importance of introducing Jewish literacy at a young age. Families raising Jewish children from 6 months to 5½ years of age can participate and will receive age-appropriate, beautifully illustrated books or music built around Jewish themes such as celebrating Shabbat for younger children, and progressing to more sophisticated topics about values and traditions as the children get older. A book or CD will arrive in the mail the first week of each month, addressed to the child to provide a warm and personal connection, and will be accompanied with reading guides to help parents discuss and create activities with their children around the themes.
The program has been made possible by PJ Library, donors of the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in Massachusetts, which implemented the international PJ Library program that now partners with more than 140 communities in 13 countries. Hundreds of thousands of books are delivered each month. “PJ,” as one might guess, stands for pajamas, and the goal is to turn cuddly bedtime moments into meaningful Jewish ones.
“The JCC serves as a vital entry point into Jewish life for our community, and we believe that our partnership with PJ Library will be an invaluable catalyst for providing families with deeper Jewish engagement,” said JCC CEO Jordan Shenker. “It will allow us to bring Jewish learning to life for families looking to nurture a strong sense of Jewish identity in their children, and will serve as an indispensable resource for exposing new generations to Jewish history, tradition and values.”
Families interested in participating can register at www.pjlibrary.org/bergen-east. Towns covered in the program include Alpine, Bergenfield, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Edgewater, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fort Lee, Harrington Park, Haworth, Leonia, Northvale, Norwood, Rockleigh, Teaneck and Tenafly. There will be a limited number of subscriptions, available on a first-come, first-served basis, so early registration is encouraged. To learn more about PJ Library and its growing global community of more than 400,000 families, visit www.pjlibrary.org. For more information or questions about how the program works at the JCC, contact Sue Gelsey at [email protected].
