by david a. chodack
correspondent
As Harold Grinspoon knows, raising Jewish children in an increasingly multicultured world can be a challenge. So the Massachusetts philanthropist decided to do something about it — and the result is the PJ Library.
The PJ Library (the “PJ” stands for pajama) provides families with Jewish-themed books and music they can share with their children, ages 7 and under.
“The original idea came from Dolly Parton,” explained Sarah Clarkson, who runs the program in Santa Cruz. Parton came up with a plan to give away books to children in poor rural areas, as a way to improve their lives. Clarkson said. “Harold Grinspoon liked that idea and decided to adapt it to the needs of the Jewish community, by helping to provide children with early childhood education about Judaism and Jewish culture.”
The program has spread to 48 Jewish communities across the country, including Santa Cruz and San Francisco.
Each program is locally administered and funded by the West Springfield, Mass.-based Harold Grinspoon Foundation and local Jewish organizations. It is free to participating families for the first year, and once a month they receive a package with books, CDs and other materials relating to Jewish culture, history and holidays.
These materials in each package are chosen by leading Jewish scholars, and a parents’ manual is included so that parents can read the books with their children and explain their themes. The idea is for the materials to help spur a family bonding experience, as well as acquaint children with Jewish culture from a young age.
Each community runs its own program and decides how it should be administered. In Santa Cruz, the main force behind the program is Clarkson, whose daughter is also enrolled in the program. “Our whole family really enjoys it,” she said.
Clarkson noted that the program “is primarily an outreach program in the Santa Cruz area. It is currently serving about 150 mostly interfaith families and most of them are not affiliated with any congregation, so this is helping them to acquaint their children with Jewish culture and Jewish life.”
The Santa Cruz program has a grant from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and there is funding for 200 families in the Santa Cruz area to participate in the program. Clarkson noted that the program can add another 50 interested families.
North of Santa Cruz, the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation operates the PJ Library as an extension of Chai Baby, an outreach program for families with newborns and very young children. The federation’s PJ Library is run by Gail Green, with funding provided by the Jewish Community Endowment Fund and the Jim Joseph Foundation.
Families enrolled in the Chai Baby program receive a modified California First Five basket that includes Jewish-themed gifts, articles, resources and coupons. As a follow-up to the Chai Baby basket, participating families may be enrolled in the PJ Library.
There are currently about 350 enrolled families. “Last year, 118 families renewed their membership in the program, which we think is pretty good,” Green said.
Because of limited funding, enrollment in the federation’s PJ Library is limited to Chai Baby participants, but may soon be opened to accommodate children up to age 7, the target range of the PJ Library. “We are always looking for new donors and hoping to expand the program,” Green said.
For more information about the PJ Library, contact Sarah Clarkson at sarah@hgf.org or Gail Green at chaibaby@sfjcf.org or (415) 777-4545.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California