PROOF | Summer/Fall 2021

PROOF A PJ LIBRARY ® MAGAZINE

9 11 16

SUMMER/FALL 2021

Making Spaces for Jews of Color The Future We Make How Jewish kids are taking action with Hazon

PJ Library Welcomed in the Amazon

P RO O F

SUMMER / FAL L 202 1

1

FOREWORD

THE

WHEN MY FAMILY AND I FIRST MOVED TO WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS ALMOST TWO DECADES AGO, MY YOUNGEST SON ISAAC WAS JUST A FEW MONTHS OLD. We were welcomed to the local Jewish community with PJ Library books as part of the first cohort in what would become a worldwide phenomenon.

Isaac loved the rhythm of the books; he would “read” them to himself, remembering what was on each page. One of his favorites was Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, which we received as brand-new members of PJ Library. He loved anticipating what would come next on each page. And I loved Joseph’s thriftiness as he used smaller and smaller pieces of his coat, first as a jacket, then as a handkerchief, and so on, until there was nothing left but a little button.

Though Isaac outgrew the book over time, he still loves a good story, something that has shaped him into a student of history and a regular in an improv group. My son is committed to being a good steward of the earth — practicing tikkun olam — and I am reminded of Joseph and the lessons that Isaac learned many years ago.

Seventeen years later, Isaac is now a thoughtful, confident high school junior, and I have begun the next stage of my career as the director of donor relations for PJ Library. (And I work alongside the previous author of the PROOF foreword, Will Schneider, the director of fundraising and community advancement.) Here at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, I see firsthand how much the program has grown since we received our first PJ Library book all those years ago — thanks to all of you.

My primary responsibility at PJ Library will be conveying to you — our donors and supporters — the depth and breadth of the impact that you have on PJ Library’s programming, and, in turn, on families in Jewish communities worldwide. I am astonished at how much you have enabled PJ Library to accomplish. What began as a small pilot program in semirural Massachusetts has grown into a robust program that brings books and so much more to hundreds of thousands of children around the world.

This issue of PROOF highlights just how global the program has become and features authors who play a role in making our global Jewish community welcoming and engaging. Together we are all working toward a better future.

Thank you for the books that Isaac received as a toddler, and thank you for the impact you are making on the next generation. I look forward to sharing more with you as we continue this journey together.

With many thanks,

Ellen Frank

DIRECTOR OF DONOR REL ATIONS, PJ LIBR ARY PROUD PARENT OF A PJ LIBR ARY ALUMNUS

Will and I walk around Northampton, MA, discussing the impact of PJ Library on our families.

2 PJLI BRARY.O RG

Bringing the SYNAGOGUE into the HOME Central Synagogue’s Pivot to a Virtual Congregation

By Rabbi Rebecca Rosenthal DIRECTOR OF YOUTH AND FAMILY EDUCATION, CENTR AL SYNAGOGUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK

AT CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE, WE OPEN OUR TENT AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE, believing that the more

people who participate in Jewish life, whether through Central or another Jewish community, the better. As the coronavirus pandemic forced much of the world to shut down, Central, with its physical location in New York City, pivoted quickly to a fully virtual congregation. We had already been livestreaming our Shabbat and other worship services and had a vibrant community of participants who had been worshipping together virtually for years, so it wasn’t a far leap for our community. We now have people who used to spend every Friday night in our sanctuary engaging with others from around the world via computer, and our Facebook page has become a source of connection and community for many during the pandemic.

But we’ve had to be creative to face challenges along the way. We are constantly reimagining the worship experience through new music, addressing current events, and finding ways to increase participation from our community, even in a virtual world. During High Holy Day and Shabbat services, we often have different groups of congregants serve as “Jews in the Pews” via Zoom, and we show our congregants at various points throughout the service.

One of my favorite moments came during Sukkot when families joined with lulav and etrog and danced. The joy could be felt through the screen.

Early on during the pandemic, we realized that our littlest kids get the most out of using Zoom for short programs (nothing replaces in-person school) as opposed to watching over Facebook or our livestream.

They love seeing each other on the screen, being spotlighted, dancing to the music, and putting things in the chat (even if they can’t type). Seeing one another face to face, even through a digital screen, has proved critical for keeping our family community connected with one another.

We have also looked for ways — both safely in person and online — for our families to do service and give back. We gathered outside to pack Thanksgiving meals and did socially distanced gardening in a community garden. In addition we baked together on Zoom, donating the cookies to Central’s Breakfast Program, which offers meals to those in need. We wanted to make sure that, even in a pandemic, we could continue to offer families opportunities to help and build community with one another.

These service opportunities have also reminded Central and our families that even when so much in the world changes, the fundamental Jewish values of community, tikkun olam, and openness and welcoming remain the same. And we want people to know that Central Synagogue is here for them, no matter what.

Though we’ve had great success in the last year, the switch to a virtual congregation has been challenging for our little ones. While we already had the structure in place for online worship, we had little experience engaging children and families in a virtual world.

Central Synagogue prioritizes accessibility so that all people can participate in worship services in whatever way is most comfortable and convenient for them. You can find our closed-captioned livestream Shabbat and High Holy Day services on our website (centralsynagogue.org), Facebook page, and YouTube channel as well as via cable TV on the Jewish Broadcasting Service (JBS) or by calling in to our phone line. To learn more about Central Synagogue’s youth and family engagement services, visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/censynyfe.

Central Synagogue is a member of the PJ Library in New York Partnership Network, providing high-quality experiences for families with young children in New York. To learn more about Library partners across P RO O F PJ SUMMER / FAL L 202 1 New York, visit newyork.pjlibrary.org/resources.

3

GIVING GLOBALLY

HELPING BRING PJ LIBRARY TO FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD

By Rachel Kozupsky

DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL PROGR AMS, PJ LIBR ARY

The gift of a PJ Library book is more than a bedtime story. It’s an opportunity for families to create their own Jewish identity and traditions and embrace a new community, regardless of whether they are in Moscow, Tasmania, or in any of the 32 countries that participate in PJ Library.

I am constantly impressed that PJ Library reaches 680,000 kids each month. But I am even more amazed that for the first time as of March 2021, we are reaching 30 in Tokyo. And we continue to reach 77 in Guatemala. Many of the smaller PJ Library communities, although vibrant and full of committed families, have less access to Jewish communal life than where I live in Brooklyn, New York. For many of the global programs, PJ Library is at the core of the Jewish community, with the books enhancing and often creating a sense of belonging.

In order to expand our global footprint, we need additional support. Some communities are not in a position to independently fund their PJ Library program to its fullest potential.

By donating to the PJ Library International Fund, you can help us reach additional families, create new engagement programming, and even launch in new cities, towns, and countries across the globe. The PJ Library International Fund is more than an opportunity to support PJ Library efforts across the globe; it’s a unique chance to build global Jewry and bring us together.

To the generous supporters of PJ Library, especially those who have donated in Miriam Remz’s memory, thank you. PJ Library would not be where it is today without you.

To support the PJ Library International Fund, go to pjlibrary.org/donate and make sure to designate your gift to international communities when asked to do so.

To learn more about supporting the PJ Library International Fund, contact Will Schneider, director of fundraising and community advancement for PJ Library, at will@hgf.org 4 PJLI BRARY.O RG or 413-276-0716.

a letter to my

GRANDMOTHER

By Tamar Remz

CHIEF PARTNERSHIPS OFFICER, HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION

Last winter, my grandmother Miriam Remz z”l died at the age of 94. She was a passionate fan and longtime supporter of PJ Library. But more than that, my relationship with her exemplifies l’dor vador — one generation passing along its values and traditions to the next — and l’dor vador is at the heart of all we do at PJ Library.

Grandma Miriam laid the foundation for my love of travel and my commitment to Judaism; my work with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation has drawn on both.

One of the most gratifying initiatives I’ve worked on as part of the Foundation’s leadership team is bringing PJ Library to countries around the world. After visiting Jewish communities in far-flung locales, I would return, eager to share what I learned with Grandma Miriam.

Inevitably she had been there too and would know more than I did about the community and its history.

It’s not a stretch to say that Grandma Miriam provided a kernel of inspiration for each of the 30-plus different PJ Library programs that I have helped launch around the globe, and I honor her memory through each new community we reach. As part of my job, I’ve become well acquainted with many stories about amazing Jews who lived rich, full lives and gave back in equal measure.

For me, the most important story of such a person cannot be fully expressed in words. There is no way to capture the impact our loved ones have on our lives, but in this letter, I begin to try.

Dear Grandma, I write to you today just as you wrote to me dozens of times over the years in your immaculate cursive that I strained to read. In this letter, I reflect on the woman I have become, informed by who you were and who you taught me to be. In so many ways, just like you, I am … … a world traveler.

My work with the Foundation brings me all over the world. At any given time, I might be in Israel, Detroit, or Russia. People always ask how I can handle so much travel.

It’s in part because I love my job and also because my loved ones live all around the world. Maybe I also have more energy than I can contain. But I think you, Grandma Miriam, had a lot to do with my love for travel. You took me to Spain and Morocco when I was eight, then to the UK, Spain again, France, and Italy, all before I was 20.

You were a citizen of the world, traveling to more than 150 countries in your lifetime.

I have become a citizen of the world — the Jewish world in particular. … ambitious and hard working.

After escaping Europe in the nick of time, you arrived in the US at the age of 11.

You started in sixth grade the spring you arrived, but by that fall, you had been bumped to ninth grade, and you started college at 15. I have always held that in my mind. Influenced by your drive, even without knowing it, I refused to accept that anything — my gender, missed schooling, or any other factor — would keep me from accomplishing great things. You were a leading female professional at a time when that wasn’t the norm. I, too, became a leader in the professional world, and I work to hold my own, just as you did. … fiercely independent.

Late last spring, with COVID-19 in full swing, you reflected, “Tamar, we are strong, independent minds. We are well positioned to handle this pandemic.” You insisted on being independent — sometimes to a fault, as we saw in the last months of your life when you struggled to accept help we knew you needed. But just like you, it is very important to me to set my own course. Even though I have followed my family’s path closely, it has always been on my terms. … filled with chutzpah.

Anyone who knows me can provide examples. And those who knew you, Grandma, experienced your chutzpah (self-confidence). Whether it was moving hotel rooms until you were pleased, traveling to places of questionable safety even though you were encouraged to reconsider, or insisting on having the final word in a debate, you never settled. Neither do I. Perhaps that’s why it was so important to find work that felt important and inspiring to me. … dedicated to the Jewish people.

We both find meaning in being part of something larger than ourselves. How lucky we are that Judaism, our ethnic and religious background, roots us in history. In recent years, we spoke often about how we both value being part of a chain that spans thousands of years. It is this sense of connectivity that gives me confidence in saying that I, our family, and our community will carry your legacy forward. And it is your love of Judaism and the Jewish people that inspired the ways we have chosen to honor you.

In these and other ways, Grandma, I am just like you. In the tradition of l’dor vador, I promise to carry your lessons forward with me — in my work life, my personal life, and my spiritual life.

Love,

Tamar

ME AND GR ANDMA MIRIAM P RO O F

SUMMER / FAL L 202 1

5

Sifriyat Pijama Books Travel the As PJ Library expands across the globe, we are constantly on the lookout for more stories that will speak to Jewish families everywhere. Some stories simply don’t translate well from country to country (a story about American Thanksgiving may be understood in Peoria, Illinois, but not so much in Perth, Australia). Still, many books — especially those based in Jewish values and history — transcend borders. Lately, Jewish homes as far-flung as Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, and Hong Kong have been receiving books originally published in one particular country: Israel.

It makes sense if you think about it. Where better to find rich Jewish stories, both ancient and contemporary, than the Jewish homeland? Israel’s storytellers may have been born in Israel or may have made aliyah by immigrating to Israel from another country; they might be telling a story about Israel, or the land may be a subtle backdrop. Regardless, the glue that holds it all together is the same as what holds PJ Library families together: Jewish history and values. And this universal bond is most apparent in PJ Library’s sister program in Israel, Sifriyat Pijama.

Operated by Keren Grinspoon Israel (Hebrew for “Grinspoon Israel Foundation”), Sifriyat Pijama distributes Hebrew children’s books to kids through school. Once they read and learn about the books in the classroom, kids then bring the books home to share with their families, echoing the model of family storytime reading promoted by PJ Library.

But unlike PJ Library’s lineup, you won’t find many Sifriyat Pijama books about Jewish holidays. Because Jewish holidays are observed nationally in Israel

?

and part of everyday life for Israeli children (not to mention that Israeli kids are out of school during these times), the Hebrew books in the program instead focus on Jewish culture and heritage. This makes them perfect for translating; though Hebrew may be foreign to readers in other countries, the Jewish values expressed in Sifriyat Pijama stories can be understood in any language.

Though Hebrew children’s books have been translated into other languages for a while now, as of 2021, the translation process is coming directly to (and from) PJ Library. This year, PJ Publishing — the publishing branch of PJ Library — is releasing English translations of Sifriyat Pijama books that were initially released in Hebrew, bringing a new and exciting venture to PJ Publishing and the English-speaking PJ Library programs. Two of the first releases will include Eat, Coat, Eat!, a retelling of a traditional Mizrahi (Middle Eastern) folktale that teaches readers not to judge a book by its cover (so to speak), and Do You Like Being a Tree?, an illustrated version of the classic Israeli song written by Datia Ben-Dor in which a child asks a tree what it’s like to be a tree. These stories create a bridge between different cultures with ideas that all kids can understand.

As Hebrew children’s books make their way from Israel to other countries around the world, it’s an exciting time of growth for Sifriyat Pijama and Jewish children’s book publishing in Israel. But even more importantly, these books connect Israeli children with other children around the world, expanding PJ Library’s mission of a universal Jewish book experience for families across the globe.

WHY IS THE ARTWORK ON THE HEBREW EDITION FLIPPED? Hebrew is read from right to left, so Hebrew books are published with the spine on the right side. Illustrations are often drawn with characters looking in certain directions to help the story move with the text or stop you as you’re reading. When translating a book to or from Hebrew, we want to maintain as much of the original intention as possible, which means determining which images need to flip for the story to make sense.

6 PJLI BRARY.O RG

Translating from Hebrew ¡M AN

Os cuidado

res do Plan

eta

ara árvore r aravi Yossi Ma Kober o: Shahar

Ilustraçã

(continua

euchad

In this contemporary version of the tale, which is also featured in an episode of PJ Library’s podcast Have I Got a Story for You!, young Tali feels so prickly that she decides she’s a porcupine and plops herself under the table. Her cousin Shira accepts Tali’s mood and joins her, giving Tali the space she needs to behave like her human self again.

E

PJ Lib rar y ® y res es un pal PJ Lib dado por galardonad rar princip y regala la Fundac o progra ma de ales valo cada me ión Har suas educac old especial: s libr res ete A trav ión jud ia é muito os infa Grinsp apreciado rnos és desta histór suco delicioso, del Jud ntiles deoon, en con ía que identid de sus cue A árvore impulsa um as são junto aísmo. temátic produzem quando as pesso da árvore, más, ad judía e ntos bas con filán la inte a jud , r visita ados gració folhas ía de todos. Porémesquecem de cuidalonga tradição pjspaniinspira con en n y por alta calitropos y el com uma exiones valores, s e se sh.org. dad a organizacio ive ia segue promis mesquinha Há inclus más pro PJ Librar las fam Esta histór nesadoec árvores. jud e. o famas ilias, ela fundas y desarro es no iliarsobre motivá ías judaic de lla con la para as árvor ira geral, todo , cre ado ífica ndoias de histór espec comuni el compro el mu mane las a ndo. at. De explora Tu miso celebração biShv dad y uma humanos, a-se fam nós, el pue r los cham que r do blo jud iliar con la judaísmo: um lembrete de tarefa de cuida vida judat é na ío de evem todoTu biShv tante papel los da Torá descr ía,impor fortalec el mus um temo ndo. prime iroslacapítu Adam o cargo de OsPara apr e Deus dá a cabe Planeta. ender que agora em que nto lidade nsabi o mome Terra, respo cuidar da

utz Ham

This story is actually adapted from a famous tale told by the 18th-century sage Rabbi Nachman of Breslov: “The Rooster Prince.” In it, a young prince believes he is a rooster.

His royal parents try everything to convince him he’s human.

Finally, a wise visitor accepts that the prince is a rooster and pretends that he, too, is a rooster. Once the prince trusts the wise visitor is his friend, the visitor is able to coax the prince back into behaving like a human, even if he’s still a rooster in his heart.

Hameuchad

Tali Under the Table Written by Tamar Weiss-Gabbay Illustrated by Zoya Cherkassky Translated into Spanish and Portuguese

A

er

a

e o de árvor

. Peça de folhas ido em forma va nas folhas papel color Corte o a que escre cuidar ro da famíli outros – a cada memb , m fazer pelos dia” alegre eles pode um “bom coisas que ação, dizer folhas is de estim . Cole as de anima por diante de para mesa e assim a vonta r à se limpa e. Sintamais s da árvor pensa em nos galho enquanto mais folhas mais , quanto adicionar fazer – afinal pelos você pode fizerem uns coisas que ares familiar! e seus famili sua árvore gestos você e feliz será saudável outros, mais

s sécul ssar nossa compara Por muito oras para expre Provérbios como metáf O livro dos o conhecimento valores. são, todo das histórias de e nossos por exten e. Em uma ânea a Torá (e, a uma árvor do Talmud (colet judaico) pergunta personagem rabínicos), ele uma os Roni, um plantando ipais escrit dos princ r por que ele está ver seu fruto. para senho ndo viverá a um está planta a se não re que a Roni que alfarrobeir r responde ão seguinte. Semp O senho tradição para a geraçpouco da nossa e as a árvore amos um nossos filhos compartilh herança com os futuro ndo um ou da nossa , estamos planta nossas filhas issor. mais prom

tos:

vi • Kob

va

• Cola branc

es vida Árvore da os, o povo judeu usou árvor esperança

Hakibb

• Fita adesi

lina um tronc

Hakibbutz

ido

na carto Desenhe s. com galho

e Maara

• Tesoura

coloridas

color • Papel

milia

¿Q tenemoué r s co

El ár

JUGO

• Canetinhas

tu fa

ÁRBO L DE

• Cartolina

Elem en

l para

rara

idad responsabil Qual é nossa do mundo? diante

EL

Material:

so compromis izações ação e o tiva a integr filantropos e organ a, judaic com a que incen temática conjunto ção judaic infantis de poon, em de educa programa Harold Grins em em casa livros os) do judaísmo. premiado pela Fundação as receb y® é um valores (etern com a vida e apoiado A PJ Librar mês, as famílirar os principais to familiar judeu É idealizadotodo. Uma vez por explo rometimen e o povo familiar. o dadas a ula o comp a comunidade do mund estim sendo convi y com ade, judaicas s), a PJ Librar profundas alta qualid em valore a conexões mais todos de (baseadas inspir s histórias rg.br. judaica e Através dessa ece a identidade acesse pjlibrary.o fortal saber mais, judaica, o todo. Para do mund

árbo

Crea un tú y tus árbol par a tu seres querido familia, s se cui que mu dan mu estre cóm tuame o • Car nte. tulina • Pap el • Tije • Peg ras ament • Mat o eria manua les para Dibuja lidades car tuli un tronco de árb na. ol con Recort ramas en la de árb a en el pap escribaol. Haz que el figuras con form por los en las hoj cada mie a de mb as las “bueno demás: alim cosas ro de la famhojas que pue ilia etc. Peg s días” cor entar a de las dia a las libre hojas lmente, mascotas, hacer de limpiar a las decir en má agregar ram la má as del s me todo, cosas que s hojas árbol. sa, a mie familiar ntras má pueden medida que Siéntete hac feliz ser es, los uno s actos am er. Despué piensen ables s por á el árb s hagan de ol gen los otro tú s, ealógico y tus má de tu s saludab le y familia.

A ORE RAR A ÁRV

ando a, mostr sua famíli árvore para s.

Faça uma dos outro cuidam uns como vocês

A!

• Kober

M AS SA! M ÃO N A

OS A L A OB R

A árvore

Haz un

Maaravi

Here are just three popular children’s books initially written in Hebrew and published in Israel that are now being translated into Spanish, Portuguese, German, and English for PJ Library as the stories make their way into the global Jewish world.

no verso)

El ár bol

Escri bió: Yo ssi Ilustr ó: Sh

bol de

Durant metáfo e siglos, el espera ras con árbpueb nzas y valo oles res.

El Lib ro un árb de los Pro aferranol: “Es un verbios árbol sostien a ella, y de v bie de Hon en” (3:18). naventu un alga i, que pre Mientras t gun El hom rrobo si no ta por q planta bre respon vivirá par a Cada ron para mí, de: —Así vez que yo pla co poco nta de nue compar para timos ré un futu stra trad co ro rico ición o leg .

Los cu

de ju go

M ahar aaravi Kobe r

idador es de

El árb ol de hojas est produc a historia haya en el es mu pro y esp habitan bado jam jugo má s árbol tes los llev ás. Pero, delicios la term una larg ina por a a olvidar codicia árbole a tradició secarse. se de cu Est que loss; incluso n de narrac a histor hay una iones genera celebra jud especí festivid les, humano TuBiShv ficame ad, Tu B nuestro s tenem at nos rec nte. En tér os describ planeta. un rol cen uerda que Los cap l tral en D´s le en la mis ítulos el cu ión asigna a Ada del cuidad iniciales de m. o de la Tie r (continú

The Juice Tree Written by Yossi Maaravi Illustrated by Shahar Kober Translated into Spanish, Portuguese, and German In this story, a tree provides people with the most delicious juice ever, but only when people take care of it in return. For centuries, Jews have used tree metaphors to express our values. The Book of Proverbs compares the Torah to a tree (“It is a tree of life to all who hold on to it, and happy are those who hold it fast” [3:18]). The Talmud tells of Honi, who wonders why an old man is planting a carob tree if he will not live to eat its fruit. The man replies, “As my fathers planted for me, so I shall plant for my children.” Every time we share a bit of our tradition or heritage with our children, we are planting for a rich future.

Outside My Door Written and illustrated by Gil-ly Alon Curiel Translated into English A small boy takes a walk through his neighborhood to visit his grandmother. At first glance, this neighborhood could be almost anywhere. But take a closer look: A solar water heater on the roof shows that we’re looking at a very sunny place. There is an abundance of apartment buildings rather than stand-alone houses, many of which sit above ground-level stores. And then there are the signs, newspapers, welcome mats — all in Hebrew. That clinches it: We’re in Israel, a place that feels both familiar and unique.

P RO O F SUMMER / FAL L 202 1 7

la

a en

el dor

so de

la

la sola

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE ON YOUR JEWISH JOURNEY,

By Archie Gottesman

JEWBELONG

COFOUNDER, JEWBELONG

By Archie Gottesman COFOUNDER, JEWBELONG

people can find answers to questions they were afraid to ask. As we say on our homepage: Think of us as the friendly, kinda funny kid from your geometry class who explained in simple language and without judgment only what you needed to know for the test. We provide straightforward explanations, readings and rituals to help warm your heart. We promise never to JewBarrass you because we’ve been there.

When our readers hear the term JewBarrassment (that anxious feeling you get when you don’t know something Jewish but you think you should) for the first time — which happens a lot because we made the word up — they’re ecstatic, and we hear things like, “I’ve been JewBarrassed for years. I just never knew there was a word for it!” or “You mean I wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand what was going on at that bar mitzvah?!”

HERE ARE SOME THINGS I’VE QUIT: INTERMITTENT FASTING, GAME OF THRONES, HOT YOGA, AND STATISTICS 101. It’s

actually kind of refreshing. Instead of feeling guilty when I abandon a book that’s only a quarter finished or stop at season two of Game of Thrones (I know, I know), I feel a sense of relief. Quitting can mean taking ownership of my life, like a way to Marie Kondo the nonessentials that don’t spark joy.

The one thing I’ve never even been tempted to quit is Judaism, which is why it’s so baffling to me when other people do. By quitting, I don’t mean calling a dead stop to a practice or converting to another religion; I mean letting their Jewish practice slide away until it doesn’t mean anything anymore.

Enter JewBelong, an organization I cofounded to help Jews connect to their Judaism with warmth and wit, no matter where they are on their Jewish journey.

We cast a huge marketing net to reach all the DJs (Disconnected Jews) who are lost, missing, or entirely off the Jewish radar, connecting with them in ways that surprise them. For instance, there was JewBelong’s infamous kugel ad, a cheeky ad campaign that played on the possible confusion between kugel and a similarsounding lower-body exercise.

JewBelong’s voice is friendly and irreverent, and we do our best to explain Jewish customs and rituals in simple terms. Most of all, we want to create a space where 8 PJLI BRARY.O RG

More often than not, JewBelong newcomers decide to dip a toe into the Jewish water using our free educational and DIY holiday and life cycle resources, but some people are looking for more. Because JewBelong is all online and Judaism is a communal religion best done face to face, one of the offerings that we are most proud of is JELP (Jewish Yelp), a section dedicated to providing an introduction to other fantastic Jewish organizations — including PJ Library, of course!

When JewBelong can be a friendly pipeline to those who want more Jewishness in their lives, that’s wonderful. When people love our resources and don't want anything else, that’s great too. The bottom line is that once someone clicks on a JewBelong ad or visits the website, they’ve made the leap from DJ to CJ (Connected Jew).

Although it might be tempting at times, the Jewish community shouldn’t be angry at or dismissive of those DJs who are drifting. Yes, they can be frustratingly hard to please, but it’s up to us who feel Jewish connection to inspire DJs to come back.

When DJs hear about the practical values of this complicated but fantastic religion in language that they relate to, they love it instead of leave it. The good news is that Judaism is already full of wisdom and joy. We just need to learn to sell — yes, sell — the benefits in a way that is crystal clear and brings the joy back to the forefront.

JewBelong recently launched a new campaign to address antisemitism called “JewBelong or Jew BeGone.” Find details about the campaign on jewbelong.com or look for their digital ads across Manhattan.

By Tiziana Friedman ENGAGEMENT ASSOCIATE, JEWISH FEDER ATION OF NEW MEXICO

ALBUQUERQUE MOISHE POD COFOUNDER

Making Spaces for

JEWS OF COLOR If you were to imagine what I, the author of this article, look like, I’m confident that you would come up with an image of someone who looks nothing like me. Although now that I’ve told you that, you may be able to guess ... I’m not white. As a Black queer Jew by Choice, it can be difficult for me to feel at home in the wider Jewish community. Instead of looking for permission to exist or validation to fit in, I began making space for myself.

When I chose to be Jewish, I took to Judaism at breakneck speed. I saw in Jewish traditions ways of remembering painful pasts while working toward a better future for the world and wished I knew of similar rituals and practices that existed in the Black community. Within months I had turned my home into a Moishe House; my spouse and I became volunteer community builders, hosting and facilitating regular Jewish programming out of our home for young adults 22-32 years old. I now have a major role in strengthening my local Jewish community and the opportunity to create the Jewish spaces that I want to exist in.

Concurrently, I was experiencing severe depression and anxiety because of burnout in emergency medicine, which doubled during the pandemic.

Health disparities across race and class that are always present in medicine became glaring and debilitating through COVID-19. My own health struggles made it physically and emotionally unsustainable to bear the weight of the ever-present pain and trauma of the ER. At first, the guilt of leaving such an essential profession overwhelmed me. But I realized I could make as much or more of a difference by filling spiritual and communal needs through my volunteer work in the Jewish community. This fueled my desire to leave medicine and pursue a career in Jewish nonprofit spaces.

I was moving so quickly that it took a while for me to realize that I experience the same “otherness” I live through every day as a Black queer woman.

My Jewish identity is questioned in a way my white Jew by Choice friends’ identity isn’t because my skin color makes me easier to spot. I’m asked about what kind of conversion I went through to see if I am a “legit” Jew. I’m asked if I’m lost at synagogues.

I frequently find myself in the dreaded “the Holocaust was worse than slavery” debates. And it hurts.

It feels like the community I was so excited to join is not as excited to have me.

Shutting down and disengaging was not an option.

I participated in a JOC (Jews of Color) career development program from Upstart and was paired with Yavilah McCoy, the CEO and executive director of the diversity and inclusion nonprofit DIMENSIONS, Inc., as my mentor. That experience solidified my career switch to the Jewish community. I founded a program at Moishe House called JOC Joy for the residents, hosts, and staff who identify as Jews of Color to have a place away from the white-dominated spaces we occupy.

I am far from done. Every time one of us pushes for more diversity, more equity, and more openness, our table gets a little longer, and the path is made that much easier for the Jews of Color who will come after me.

Creating a more welcoming and loving community must include how we raise Jewish children.

We need to learn how to talk about racism in the Jewish community and break the stereotype of what appearances we consider “Jewish enough.”

I’m so grateful for the chance to work with PJ Library.

At my programs, children don’t only listen to stories and make crafts. They see exactly what Judaism looks like. It looks like me. It looks like all of us.

P RO O F

SUMMER / FAL L 202 1

9

Across Languages and Continents FINDING COMMUNITY THROUGH PJ LIBRARY

By Florencia Katz

ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, PJ LIBR ARY JEWISH FEDER ATION OF WINNIPEG

During a cold week in November 2002, two newlyweds started their immigration journey in search of a new community.

Seeking a better future for ourselves and our families, my husband and I packed our bags with our dreams, expectations, and newly framed ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) and made our way to Winnipeg, Canada.

I grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in a traditional Jewish home, and synagogue was always a big part of my life. I always enjoyed services, and when I was only 2 years old, I tried to follow along in a siddur (prayer book) as the rabbi and cantor sang the prayers. When I was older, I joined the youth group at the synagogue and later became a youth leader. As an adult, I was inspired to continue as a Jewish education leader, and I worked for many years at a Jewish day school as a kindergarten teacher.

But not long after our wedding, my husband and I decided to start a new life in Canada.

It was a huge change, but we were welcomed by a warm and friendly Jewish community in Winnipeg.

They helped us get settled and feel connected, introducing us to new families and having us over for Shabbat dinner to get to know us.

Our little family grew soon after our arrival as we welcomed our firstborn son. When he was just 3 years old, we received a letter along with our now treasured book Something from Nothing, inviting us to join PJ Library.

And so we did!

1 0 PJLI BRARY.O RG

A few years later, with a toddler and a baby, I made my way to one of the first PJ Library events, and I was hooked! As a teacher and a young mom, I felt empowered and excited, so I volunteered to plan a future program for Pesach.

I have now been working at the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg for close to 10 years. Currently I am the engagement manager and oversee the PJ Library program, which allows me to combine my love for reading and children's literature with giving back to the community that welcomed us with open arms.

My priority at the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg is making sure families feel welcomed and excited to participate. I treasure each time a PJ Library family says they further embraced Judaism, adopted a new tradition, made new friends, tried a new recipe, learned a new song, or offered to volunteer or join a committee because of our program.

I realize that my journey constantly guides the work I do and the way I connect with families. As a newcomer with a different background who spoke English as a second language, I experienced the values of community and belonging and the power of building personal connections with other families. Whether I welcome and connect with families that are new to Winnipeg, are new to the Jewish community, or have no Jewish connection other than PJ Library, I remember how meaningful it was to feel welcomed, accepted, and included.

I came to this community with my ketubah under my arm, few friends, and lots of dreams. My ketubah, made by an Argentinian artist, is a constant reminder of where I came from. I have made amazing friends, and many of my dreams have come true. I am so grateful for the community that I can now call home, and I would like to believe that I have played a small part in making our community more vibrant and engaged.

Regardless of where you come from, how you discover Judaism, or where you are in your Jewish journey, there is always a place for you.

Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability is the largest faith-based environmental organization in the US. The Jewish Youth Climate Movement, launched in 2019, is a program of Hazon.

The

FUTURE We Make

How Jewish kids are taking action with Hazon Introduction by Nigel Savage

CEO, HA ZON: THE JEWISH L AB FOR SUSTAINABILIT Y

All societies establish demarcations between the opportunities and responsibilities of childhood and adulthood. The tradition of becoming a b’nai mitzvah is just one example of this, tracing back two millennia as a concept and at least six centuries in relation to being called up to the Torah.

But for much of the 20th century, becoming a b’nai mitzvah seemed mostly an occasion for a party and gifts.

What does being an adult actually mean? If you are celebrating becoming a b’nai mitzvah this year, you have a statistically decent chance of being alive in 2100. What will the world — its climate, its cities, its coastlines — look like then? What will New York or Miami look like? What will happen between now and then to the people living in the Indian subcontinent or Africa — or Israel? Which species will have become extinct?

There is a growing number of young people rightly asking these questions. That is why it has been important to me and Hazon to create the Jewish Youth Climate Movement to provide some infrastructure and support to the Jewish teens who understand that taking responsibility in the 21st century requires challenging all of us to confront these issues.

The key question to those of us who are adults: Will we listen to what they have to say?

I STARTED TAKING ACTION TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT

at the beginning of the last school year, motivated by a variety of factors — foremost of which are the facts of the climate crisis. Learning that the temperature increase of the planet was causing more frequent floods, extreme heat, stronger hurricanes, the death of coral, and so much more, I knew I had to get involved in the Jewish Youth Climate Movement.

I’m also motivated in my activism by the stories and people I encounter. I remember when I found out about climate change. I was at a friend’s house, devouring buttered popcorn and enjoying myself while watching The Lorax until I began to internalize the movie’s message.

I was also inspired by Greta Thunberg, a teen like me who fearlessly stands up for what she believes in: saving the planet. I had to get involved for the beautiful fish; for my family that always makes me smile; for my friends, who make me laugh until it hurts; for my classmates, who sit around me in school and learn together; for my teachers, who taught me so many important skills; for the cute chubby babies; for the toddlers who love ice cream; for the poor with signs asking for money; and for support in a world that can be cruel. I had to get involved for my home state of Florida that has sandy beaches and amusement parks with long lines and for the next generation of people that will be stuck with the earth we leave to them, in whatever shape that may be.

I want people to know they are never too young to start helping the environment. As Jews, we have an obligation to improve the world. The first thing you can do is to talk to your parents about climate change.

You can ask them questions about the crisis. You can also recycle, turn off the lights, eat less meat, and do so much more. You can pursue systemic change by joining the climate movement like I did all those months ago. Lastly, you should know that you are not alone; there are so many young people out there who also care about the environment.

Asher Sochaczewski, 10th grade PJ LIBR ARY ALUMNUS FORT L AUDERDALE, FL P RO O F

SUMMER / FAL L 202 1

11

“STANDING UP FOR WHAT YOU KNOW IS RIGHT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY. Especially if

the one you face is bigger and stronger than you,” reads the forward to Eve Bunting’s Terrible Things. Every year on Yom HaShoah, the day of Holocaust remembrance, my elementary school teachers pulled this book from the shelf and read it to my class in a solemn tone.

This Holocaust allegory uses different animal species to represent the various groups persecuted in the Holocaust.

As each group of animals is taken by the Terrible Things, none of the other animals stand up for the captured group, which naturally infuriated me.

Why don’t any of them realize what’s going on? Don’t they understand the consequences of their passivity?

But Little Rabbit, my favorite character, is the only one to challenge the injustice of the status quo. Little Rabbit inspires me to act on my responsibility to speak out against injustice in general, particularly in the case of the climate crisis. I’m not on the frontlines of the crisis, so climate change can feel like an “over there” issue, as Jonathan Safran Foer puts it in his book We Are the Weather. Right now, it seems like climate change is happening to other people. Other people are being affected by fatal floods; other people are battling powerful storms; other people are climate migrants. Other people, not me. But history has taught us that what happens to other people is our business. Little Rabbit galvanizes me to question the world as it is, and I joined the Jewish Youth Climate Movement partly because of my faith in youth power. We need to amplify each other’s voices until the Little Rabbits of the world prove that we’ve learned from our history to stand up for what’s right, even if it isn’t easy.

Raphaela Gold, 12th grade PJ LIBR ARY ALUMNUS NEW YORK, NY

1 2 PJLI BRARY.O RG

THE PERIL OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS is daunting to all of us, but as a child it can seem all the more intimidating. Even as a kid, social justice struck a chord with me, and I knew it was something I wanted to further explore. I canvased for political campaigns and attended rallies advocating for everything from health care to immigration justice. When I attended my first meeting for climate advocacy, however, I was not empowered or excited for the work to come. Instead I was scared.

But when I pulled away all the demoralizing statistics and the complex politicization of the issue, I had a sense of childlike wonder. The same little kid inside me that is scared by the problems that plague the world is also a bit of an optimist.

That kid sees a problem and says, “We can fix this.”

When I think of myself as that kid, I remember my mom reading to me Margaret Bloy Graham’s Be Nice to Spiders. That book was the same copy my grandmother read to my mom years before. Despite the story’s relative anonymity, the book was impactful in my life.

Like the protagonist, I learned my lesson to befriend and treat with respect the creatures that we share our planet with. While not everyone I know got the pleasure of reading Be Nice to Spiders, we all have a way that we can connect to a simpler side of our own being — a side that is content in the outdoors and the many marvelous facets of the earth’s flora and fauna.

With that in mind, we can more easily remember why we’re here and what we’re striving for.

Lucy Waldorf, 10th grade PJ LIBR ARY ALUMNUS NEW TON, MA

Caring for our environment is a central element of tikkun olam, repairing the world. Here are a few of our favorite PJ Library titles that center on this important Jewish value.

THE COVER OF THE LORAX by Dr. Seuss is

perfectly lighthearted, depicting bright trees and a fluffy creature with a giant mustache, but the inside of the book reveals a deeper message.

This book is an illustration of who I am: the Lorax, waving my arms and shouting about the crisis we have created (and been born into). Whether it is climate change or environmental degradation, I see the urgency of the problems created by human greed.

Just as the Once-ler disregards the Lorax’s warning, I often feel ignored and belittled when speaking to adults about the crisis. Our world is currently in peril, but many refuse to see the problem caused by our societal disregard for nature, our obsession with money, and our propensity to take without ever returning. This story revealed to me the power of a single individual’s actions — how the choices one makes can drastically affect the world around us. The values represented in The Lorax are reflected in Judaism as well: Each of us has an obligation to protect the earth and our environment from exploitation. When I was a child, this book helped me understand the finite resources that our planet possesses and how easily they can be depleted.

We are living in the time right before the last Truffula Tree falls, protecting it from axes that hack. My generation holds the last seed and the responsibility to plant it. This book reminds me that “[u]nless someone like [me] cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.

It’s not.” So now I wonder if I am actually the Lorax or in fact the little boy in this story. Am I the Lorax, standing up and speaking out against the atrocities others are committing against our planet, the one warning others of our grim future? Or am I the little boy, asking the old Once-ler how to fix what has already been done, learning from the mistakes of the past and creating solutions for the future? Perhaps I am a bit of both.

Bella Weksler, 12th grade BOULDER, CO

26 Big Things Small Hands Do Ages 2 to 4 Years Written by Coleen Paratore Illustrated by Mike Reed Caring for the environment may be a big job, but small hands can help. That’s the message in this empowering book for little ones. In the words of Rabbi Tarfon, “It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but you are not free to desist from it either” (Pirkei Avot 2:21). None of us can fix the world all by ourselves, but each of us, no matter how young, can help out in meaningful ways.

The Forever Garden Ages 6 to 7 Years Written by Laurel Snyder Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill Laurel’s beloved neighbor, Honey, is getting ready to move away. As she packs her belongings, Honey continues tending to her garden, even though she won’t be there to enjoy its fruit.

This sweet contemporary retelling of the Talmudic tale of Honi and the carob tree is a reminder that, as Honey tells Laurel, “This garden isn’t really mine. … It belongs to everyone.”

Solomon and the Trees Ages 8+ Years Written by Matt Biers-Ariel Illustrated by Esti Silverberg-Kiss Long before he becomes king, Solomon spends much of his childhood convening with nature, talking with the animals and the trees. But when Solomon first ascends to the throne, he forgets his friends in the forest. In this beautiful midrash, Solomon comes to understand just how important it is to safeguard the earth — and gains the wisdom he is famous for.

DID YOU KNOW? The PJ Library website has a comprehensive database of every PJ Library book sent to families. Looking for a Rosh Hashanah book for 5-year-olds that teaches them to care for the environment? You can search for that! Visit P RO Oand F SUMMER / FAL Lbook 202 1 you’re looking13for. pjlibrary.org/books find the

GETTING INTO OUR STORIES

PJ LIBRARY IS TELLING JEWISH TALES IN MORE AND MORE WAYS, BUT THERE’S ONE COMMON THREAD

hope to improve things or that simply because worse things exist, we should stop kvetching (which means complaining in Yiddish, but you can kvetch in any language). As a parent, I aspired to give my own kids a more optimistic and empowering message.

I adapted the traditional folktale's goats and chickens into bossy robots and bags of moon sand. That was some good nerdy fun, but my understanding of the moral still hadn't clicked into place. Only when I put myself into the mind of the main character did it finally dawn on me how wrong I'd been about this story.

The moral isn't to shut our mouths and tolerate awful conditions; instead, if we want to improve our outward circumstances, the first step must be to end our inner war with them. And sometimes that requires obeying a moon-bot or filling your house with goats.

By Jason Allen

SENIOR CREATIVE WRITER, PJ LIBR ARY

A JEWISH FOLKTALE FROM EASTERN EUROPE tells of a family struggling with an intolerably crowded home.

In crisis, they seek out their rabbi’s wisdom. The rabbi advises them to bring their noisy chickens to live inside.

When that doesn't work, they're told to also bring in their mischievous goats and then finally their giant cow. When the family tells the rabbi that none of this has helped, that in fact things have become intolerably intolerable, the rabbi says they should now send all the animals back outside. Ahhh … Suddenly the family feels they're living in peace. It seems the rabbi has fixed everything.

When I was asked to write a modern adaptation of this story for PJ Library's podcast Have I Got a Story for You!, to be honest, I wondered why. PJ Library's book offerings include several adaptations of the folktale, and the moral (or at least what I thought was the moral) never really resonated with me.

These stories are described as demonstrating the Jewish value of sameach b'chelko, being content with one's lot in life. I struggled with this as a theme because I took it to mean either that we shouldn't 1 4 PJLI BRARY.O RG

Instead of forcing myself to write about a character who learns to tolerate his lousy lot in life, I could now wholeheartedly write about someone whose situation improves once he stops seeing the world as his enemy.

And once I heard the brilliant performance of the cast and efforts of the production team in the podcast episode, titled "Moon Station One," I was glad I had given up the war with my initial qualms and had finally found my own connection to the story.

I work alongside some fantastic storytellers at PJ Library who are bringing more and more Jewish stories off the bookshelf and into new places, like podcasts, videos, read-alouds, special mailings, social media posts, and beyond. We may all have different styles and methods, but I'm sure of one thing we have in common: the crucial step of finding our connection to the story. I'm equally certain it was the same for the storytellers whose time-honored works we adapt.

Maybe something in a classic Jewish story strikes an obvious and deeply personal chord in us. Or maybe something in the original doesn't sit right with us and we have to wrestle with our own worldview to understand the story before we can present it to others, as happened with me. Or maybe we have to poke and prod until something jumps out and excites us, provokes us, and pulls us in. But if we're going to ask your family, in more ways than ever before, to connect with our stories, we absolutely have to do it ourselves.

No goats, chickens, or cows were forced to move in with me during the writing of this article.

Take a look at just some of the ways we've recently reached out of traditional storybook pages to connect with you and the children in your life.

Day 2 Day 3

A number of storytellers have contributed modernized Jewish tales for our award-winning podcast.

Search for Have I Got a Story for You! wherever you get podcasts.

Scan this QR code to listen:

tch of your

s they sprout —

eat them up!

A Jewish Folktale Retold by

Naomi Shulman & Danny Paller Illustrations by Sabina Hahn

nspoon Foundation

Day 4

Toward the end of 2020, Naomi Shulman and Danny Paller turned a centuries-old Talmudic tale into a uniquely unfolding story creation with The Carob Tree.

Day 6

Day 5

The Carob Tree was also brilliantly animated into a short video you can watch on PJ Library’s YouTube channel, where you’ll also find animated read-alouds of PJ Library picture book favorites.

PJ Library’s digital team connects tens of thousands of people each day with the most modern form of storytelling, one social media post at a time. Connect with us via the @pjlibrary tag on pretty much every social platform.

P RO O F

SUMMER / FAL L 202 1

15

Ma

n

,B au s

raz

il

PJ Library WELCOMED IN THE

AMAZON When the first PJ Library books made their way into homes throughout western Massachusetts, no one knew just how far PJ Library books would travel. Now, more than 15 years later, kids in the Amazon — the place, not the store! — are growing up with the same books as children from San Francisco to Siberia.

Meet Anne Benchimol, vice president of the Amazon’s Jewish Committee for the Beit Yaacov Rebi Meyr Synagogue and PJ Library ambassador in Manaus, Brazil, where the days are warm and humid and the Jewish community is tiny with a big history. “We may live far away from the rest of the tribe,” Benchimol says, “but our community is 200 years old.”

So how did Jews end up in the Amazon?

1 6 PJLI BRARY.O RG

When rubber was king in Brazil in the 1800s, many Jews from Morocco — including Benchimol’s ancestors — immigrated to take part in the burgeoning industry. In 1824, not long after Brazil became an independent nation, the new Brazilian constitution guaranteed freedom of religion for all citizens.

With economic prosperity and the opportunity to practice their faith freely, Brazil seemed like the perfect place for Jews to settle with their families.

Unfortunately, that prosperity didn’t last for long. After the rubber industry crashed in 1929, many in the Amazonian Jewish community left to search for new opportunities elsewhere, but those who remained held fast to their traditions and customs.

“Jews in the Amazon and Manaus really wanted to preserve their culture,” Benchimol explains, “because when you leave your place of origin, you want to keep your center, your essence.”

And their traditions are still being passed down today. “The way we pray is almost the exact same way of praying as our greatgreat-great-grandparents when they arrived in Brazil,” she points out. “The same music, the same intonation, the same everything.

We keep our traditions — and we are very proud of them, by the way — because that’s what we can offer to our kids.”

But it’s not all the community has to offer their children. Thanks to Benchimol, they now offer highquality Portuguese Jewish books too. Benchimol first heard about PJ Library through her daughter Rebecca, who married an American. “[Rebecca’s] mother-in-law had signed up one of her American grandchildren for PJ Library, so when he was finished with the books, they’d send them on to Rebecca’s son Benjamin,” she explains.

Then a friend told Benchimol about the PJ Library program in Brazil, so she contacted the director of PJ Library in Brazil, Karin Zingerevitz. In just six short months, just about every Jewish child in Manaus started receiving PJ Library books. “Manaus is like a case study — every eligible child is signed up,” says Zingerevitz. She ascribes the rapid growth to the incredibly close-knit nature of the Jewish network.

Anne Benchimol with her grandchildren Zingerevitz echoes this last point. “Before PJ Library came to Brazil, we had maybe five Jewish books in Portuguese for kids. I know the titles because I bought them,” she says, laughing. “Having PJ Library in Brazil will change the future of the Jewish community here.”

With more access to Jewish children’s books, kids in the Amazon can feel more connected to the larger Jewish community through PJ Library while also sharing the experience with other Jewish children in their region. And with so many of the eligible children in the Jewish Amazonian community already signed up for PJ Library, it’s clearly a hit with adults and kids alike.

With an organization that promotes acceptance and inclusion of all Jewish traditions and cultures and universal Jewish values, PJ Library is a perfect fit for the Manaus Jewish community. Even though the Jewish community in the Amazon has customs that may not be familiar to other Jewish groups, families can easily connect to PJ Library because the books and resources are all-inclusive without focusing on any one culture or practice of Judaism. Benchimol agrees: “It fits us because it’s fit to be everywhere.”

era os Como outr a do século II EC) consigo ver volt nto, viveu por delas!”, diz eu me leva “Quando has, até a menor que vamos ovelhas. ria minhas ovel esposa, na histó todas as na sala de Rachel, sua quando ele entra . Talvez ele para de fora entanto, tar contar. No fiança fica do ladoajudou a conquis i o con do de Rab foi o que aula, sua o. O lega humilde eitado sábi o passado sua ieshivá os r como resp namentos, em seu luga de discípul seus ensi ares em milh Akiva está de ensino) e nos é famoso ão e ao Ele também “Am ele. (instituiç do versículo vras que daram com que estu ortância pala (Lv 19:18), nizar a imp por eter mesmo” e livro. como a ti no final dest o próximo raic m em heb aparece

adt

!

M ÃO N A M AS SA!

A letra em que o sevivon cai determina o que o jogador deve fazer.

NUN: o jogador não faz nada.

GUIMEL: o jogador pega tudo que está no montinho.

Sempre que o pote fica vazio, cada jogador coloca uma ficha antes que o próximo jogue. À medida que os jogadores vão ficando sem fichas, são eliminados, e a última pessoa que permanec e é a vencedora!

M. Mizrahi

HEI: o jogador pega metade do que está no montinho.

SHIN: o jogador coloca uma de suas moedas no montinho.

A PJ Library® é um premiado program a de educação judaica compromisso familiar. que incentiva a integraçã É idealizado e apoiado filantropos e organiza oeo pela Fundação Harold ções judaicas do Grinspoon, em mundo todo. Uma casa livros infantis vez por mês, as famílias conjunto com de temática judaica, todos de alta qualidad recebem em principais valores (eternos) do judaísmo e, sendo convidad as a explorar os .

Através dessas histórias (baseadas em valores), com a vida judaica, a PJ Library estimula fortalece a identidad o comprometimento e judaica e inspira a comunidade e familiar o povo judeu do conexõe s mais profundas com mundo todo. Para saber mais, acesse pjlibrary.org.br.

O MAQUINISTA ARI e o INCIDEN TE DE CHANUK Á

im

ri Oe omincaiqdeuntiendiestCahaA nuká

Rachel roa para o é bem Uma co o personagem do burr hel. As ela é Rac

ria, estr Nesta histó mas a verdadeira Rachel, um o pai de mento tam que engraçado, icas con vava o casa ília foi fontes juda to rico, não apro eza da fam só mui isso a riqu homem não Akiva, por de tudo, Rachel ntivou dela com sar ela. Ape bém o ince negada a como tam sua jornada. De ele com em toda se casou nica), e o apoiou rash (lenda rabí para o a estudar outro mid no mercad acendia acordo comparte do cabelo l Akiva qua o eu com ela vend prar o óleo poder com (continua

Deborah Bodin Cohen ilustrações Shaha r Kober

no verso)

O maquinista

Como n com

Todos a bord

Ari, o maquinista, m anos 1800, na époc pode parecer muito um pontinho na hist desta história, a terr Império Otomano ,e aquelas moedas turc esteve sob domínio g persa e britânico; os soldados judeus que Chanuká, se rebelara sírio. O moderno e ind Israel foi finalment e fu e décadas depois do t Ari viajava entre Jafa e de um lado para o outr

Dias deliciosos

Ari leva uma carga muit moedas turcas: sufganio para sonhos recheado s um milagre: depois de re Sagrado, os Macabeu sq grande menorá de ouro, suficiente para durar um acenderam a menorá, ea dias: o suficiente para co

Kar-Ben

• Tesoura , l: algodão • Opciona sivos, cola glitter, ade , sucata, colorida l que r materia qualque goste ou a você tenh de usar os lista com uma faça ço do papel, o um espa Em um lado animais, deixand , unicórnio, dez lobo o lado nomes de palavra (pode ser er). Do outr dez a você quis de entre cad os nomes mo – o que lista com hipopóta inhão, arco faça uma eira, cam espaço do papel, seu dia a dia (cad bém um tam do e tos vras que obje a!). Deix s as pala lquer cois adulto). íris – qua palavra. Cor te toda um a a para saco de entre cad peça ajud eveu (ou ais em um escr anim dos você outro. os nomes objetos em Coloque nomes dos vra de cada papel e os e uma pala perada rtida: pegu ines criatura parte dive inário ver qual Agora, a extraord papel para ore seu animal as saco de acha que enhe e dec Como você animal? ele. sairá! Des nome para reagiriam ao seu e dê um cado mer no pessoas

el s de pap • Dois saco pequenos colorido • Papel , colorida ha etin • Can ceras, lápis gizes de de cor

e o jard

Material

oeo a integraçã incentiva unto com judaica que n, em conj Materi casa al: ld Grinspoo de educação bem em ação Haro lias rece programa ipais as famí pela Fund • um sevivon premiado por mês, orar os princ ry® é um o e apoiado Uma vez as a expl A PJ Libra É idealizad do todo. o convidad • pelo menos dez mun familiar. send do e, fichas para cada isso judaicas qualidad jogador (as comprom fichas podem ser nizações s de alta ísmo. liar objeto qualquer os e orga ica, todo pequeno: ento fami nos) do juda filantrop feijões,etim tica juda pedaços de chocolate valores (eter a tis de temá o comprom , moedas etc.) undas com livros infan ry estimula prof Para começar, Libra mais PJ cada jogador recebe a es), a conexões quantidadrary.org.br. mesma em valor pjlib e de fichas. O objetivo e inspira (baseadas , acesse e judaica é ganhar a maior quantidade de moedas as histórias saber mais a identidad possível. A cada todo. Para Através dess judaica, fortalece rodada, os jogadores devem do mundo u vida a colocar jude com uma moeda no montinho do meio ade e o povo e girar o sevivon. comunid

O burro

, as burro inventar Neste livro o que pensar do ade para a criativid muito bem Que tal usar no lombo. ais? novos anim

Ari encontra duas meninas brincando com sevivonim debaixo de uma oliveira.

Elas lhe explicam o que aquelas letras em hebraico representam. A brincadei ra de sevivon é simples e divertida – aprenda a jogar:

Cohen / Kober

Brincar de sevivon

am animal não sabi Surpresapessoas no mercadocom o jardim

e o jardim

m corage emplo de Akiva (que Akiva, exlíderes do povo judeu,past or de

• Halberst

M AS SA M ÃO N A

O burro

cê tem O que vo de novo? ido aprend

Busheri

Though the Jewish community in the Amazon is understandably protective of its particular traditions, it embraces PJ Library’s focus on the diversity of Jewish practice and universal values and is searching to expand its connection with the rest of the Jewish world. “You give an opportunity to our kids to be connected all over the world. If I want to pass something on to my kids, the thing I want to pass is good values. And that’s what I find inside these books,” Benchimol explains.

“They do not judge if readers are converts or very religious or Ashkenazi or Sephardic or Moroccan — they want to teach Jewish values to kids. That’s what motivates us. And it gives the children a book in their hands!”

For Benchimol, it’s personal; her own grandkids are now PJ Library subscribers too. “PJ Library is very new here, but we are in love.”

P RO O F

SUMMER / FAL L 202 1

17

An Extraordinary Camaraderie THE THRIVING JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

By Ross Kriel

PRESIDENT, JEWISH COUNCIL OF THE EMIR ATES

Since 2008, I have worked in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and I moved permanently to Dubai with my wife and children in August 2013.

I have led the Jewish community in the UAE since 2014 along with other founders and builders, following the example of pioneering Jewish families who built the foundations of our community. From them, we gained our ethos — a camaraderie that cuts across Jewish denominations and linguistic and national differences.

Our Jewish community is the first new Jewish community in a Muslim and Arabic country for at least 140 years. What makes our formation all the more significant is that it occurred post-1948 in the context of the state of Israel and the disappearance of Jewish communities in the Islamic and Arabic world.

So how was it possible for a Jewish community to emerge in this setting?

The UAE is a remarkable place, and among its many virtues, it embraces religious expression, accommodating 1,000,000 Christians; 660,000 Hindus; 50,000 Sikhs; 38,364 Baháʼís; 200,000 Buddhists; and so on. This is a legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed (former president of the UAE) and results from the ongoing work of UAE leaders at every level in developing the radical tolerance that typifies the UAE’s society.

As Jewish lay leaders, we made certain choices that helped us find a space in the social ecosystem of the UAE. We could have chosen to be a secret community, concealing our practice from the authorities and creating 8 PJLI BRARY.O RG 1 8 PJLI

a covert religious life. Instead, we actively sought to build relationships with government leaders in the UAE and were always affirmed and encouraged to do so.

However, we also did not seek to sensationalize or actively showcase our presence and in the early years accepted that our religious life would be essentially a private one. This allowed us time to make sense of our Jewish life in the UAE and to respect the privacy of our members. Our media shyness changed in 2019 during the Year of Tolerance when the Jewish community was included in a book called Celebrating Tolerance, which featured the various religious communities of the UAE. At this point, we began telling our story and taking our place more publicly in the UAE’s plural religious life.

Through hundreds of acts of kindness, guidance, and intervention, a group of Jewish lay leaders were enabled to achieve something extraordinary: the founding of our community in the UAE. This help spanned many great Jewish organizations, including the American Jewish Committee, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and of course PJ Library; religious leaders, such as the Rev. Andrew Thompson; and key UAE leaders, including Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba and H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi.

As Jews, we are poised to embrace a future version of ourselves — a future in which Israel is deeply integrated in the region and Jewish-Muslim affairs are positive, reciprocal, and conducive to peace, stability, and prosperity. We look toward a future in which we as diasporic Jews find new relevance in how we relate both to Israel and our new home, the United Arab Emirates, as we work together to build a thriving Middle East.

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS THROUGH BOOKS

By Reva Gorelick HANDS ON!

I love working for the PJ Library community in Dubai for many reasons, one of which is that it gives me an opportunity to meet families who read the books in multiple languages. Many of our families previously received PJ Library books in other cities before they relocated to Dubai as expatriates; they are really happy to have something like PJ Library, which links them to a globally connected Jewish community.

Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaa Gilani-Williams /Fedele

PJ LIBR ARY COORDINATOR, UNITED AR AB EMIR ATES

How can we make peace?

Brothers and Sisters

This story is inspired by a classic tale of two brothers who sneak grain into each other’s homes, night after night, until the night they accidentally bump into each other. According to tradition, the spot where the brothers met is where King Solomon later built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem (which translates to “city of peace” in Hebrew). The Temple is no longer there, and the 3,000-year-old city of Jerusalem has known its share of conflict, but this legend reminds us of the ideal that Jerusalem represents: brotherly (or sisterly!) love. To learn more, visit pjlibrary.org/yaffaandfatima.

Make Stuffed Dates

Ingredients

Pitted Medjool dates Whipped cream cheese (room temperature) Crushed pistachios (optional) Honey

Arrange the dates on a tray, pitted side up.

Spoon a little bit of cheese into each date.

Sprinkle the tops with pistachios, then drizzle with a little honey. Now invite a friend to share a meal of dates and tea, just like Yaffa and Fatima!

Shared Roots

Yaffa and Fatima are neighbors and friends.

They’re not sisters, but Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages. The Hebrew word shalom and the Arabic word salaam both mean “peace,” and speakers of both languages use the words to greet one another. As Yaffa and Fatima show us, the best way to bring peace is to see your neighbors as members of a larger human family. The Jewish idea of b’tzelem Elohim (the divine image) holds that all people

Adapted by

(continued on back of flap)

Fawzia G ilani-Williams Illustrations by Chiara Fedele

Kar-Ben

www.pjlibrary.org

YAFFA AND FATIMA SHALOM, SALAAM

Yaffa and Fatima both grow and sell dates, a sweet and chewy fruit. Dates flourish in warm climates like Israel, but they are sold in grocery stores around the world. Making stuffed dates is easy, fun, and delicious.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I've delivered PJ Library books by driving around Dubai and dropping them at families’ homes, which has been a really nice opportunity to meet or catch up with children and parents face to face in their backyards. In April, we sent out the book Yaffa and Fatima: Shalom, Salaam. When I gave the book to one of the parents, her face lit up, and she was so excited about how culturally appropriate the book is. She knew it would be such a good opportunity for both of her children — not only her 5-year-old — to learn about friendships with people of different cultural backgrounds.

I'm really excited to have an opportunity to deliver such an important book to families in our community, and I'd love to be able to distribute that book more widely to families who didn't necessarily receive it this year.

It's a wonderful example of how PJ Library books are not only age appropriate but also culturally relevant, which is something the families here in Dubai are really looking for, especially in a place where so many diverse cultures are represented. I'm really happy to play a small role in making that happen.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT My family and I have been regularly visiting Dubai for several years.

In that time, we have witnessed its development into a place that not only accepts its Jewish community but openly welcomes and encourages the growth of that community.

Early on, we were struck by how isolated the younger members of the community were, having limited contact with other young Jewish children and cheder (Jewish elementary school). That is why we felt so strongly that the sponsorship of a PJ Library program would be especially meaningful and beneficial. Not only is it a rich source of Jewish content, but it also provides a link to the wider community of PJ Library readers.

Jacob Lyons London, England

P RO O F

SUMMER / FAL L 202 1

19

PARTNER

Spotlight PJ LIBRARY’S WORLDWIDE IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF JUDAISM HAS PROVEN PARAMOUNT TO OUR MISSION. We are very fortunate to be able to support the charities, organizations, institutions, and programs we are passionate about, and we feel that the future of these entities depends, in part, upon us leaving legacy gifts. One of our legacy gifts is to the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, including PJ Library, which is managed by the Federation.

The well-being of children has been a lifelong commitment of ours. When Harold Grinspoon presented his brilliant PJ Library concept to the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation in 2006-2007 as he was seeking partner funders, Elizabeth knew that she wanted to be part of this fabulous opportunity. It is an honor and privilege for her to be one of the mother/grandmother founders of PJ Library in Portland. It is such a loving, subtle, nonintimidating way for parents to educate their children about Jewish identity and tradition, and it is a very special opportunity for all parents to bond with their children. Children are a priority, and PJ Library puts them first. It is a win-win situation.

We are so enthusiastic about supporting PJ Library in perpetuity with our legacy gift, and we hope others will join us on this exciting legacy journey.

Elizabeth and Ruben Menashe Portland, Oregon

THE MISSION OF THE ZEFF KESHER FOUNDATION IS TO FOSTER A CONNECTED JEWISH WORLD FOCUSED ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISRAEL AND WORLD JEWRY. Without active interventions to change a divergent path, we will not be a connected Jewish people. To that end, I support the Jewish Agency for Israel, JEWISHcolorado, my local Federation, and PJ Library. When I moved to Colorado with my 3- and 6-year-olds, it was a dramatic change to come from Israel — where Judaism was just part of the air we breathed — to a place where you need to actively choose to be a Jew. We did not belong to a synagogue in Israel, but in Denver, that was the best way for my children to understand their Jewish heritage. We didn’t have a Federation in Israel, but in Colorado, that was the best link to Israel. That’s where we discovered PJ Library and the ease of connecting to our heritage through amazing books.

Diana Zeff Anderson Denver, Colorado

20 PJLI BRARY.O RG

OUR FAMILY’S INVOLVEMENT WITH PJ LIBRARY BEGAN WHEN CAROL RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM HAROLD GRINSPOON IN WHICH HE DESCRIBED HIS VISION TO BRING PJ LIBRARY TO COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. He asked to partner with our foundation, the Isaac and Carol Auerbach Family Foundation, to introduce PJ Library to the Philadelphia community.

Since then the foundation has contributed each year, primarily in Rachel’s home community of Seattle through the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.

In addition, Carol introduced Harold to the OyBaby series, a collection of Jewish-themed music videos for young children created by Lisi and Rob Wolf. These wonderful videos, the second of which features Rachel’s oldest son Jonah when he was a preschooler (he is now 18!), were sent to families in the early years of PJ Library.

Over the years, six of Carol’s grandchildren have benefited from and enjoyed PJ Library along with countless children all over the world. We applaud Harold’s vision and creativity in being the early gateway to the Jewish engagement of young families, and we are proud to play a small role in this endeavor.

Carol Auerbach and Rachel Hyman Jupiter, Florida, and Seattle, Washington

WE GIVE TO PJ LIBRARY BECAUSE BEING JEWISH IS IMPORTANT TO US AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE IMPORTANT TO THOSE THAT COME AFTER US. To connect with our long and rich history and understand Jewish values and the relevance of those values to our lives today, we need to remember our stories. There is great wisdom reflected in our 5,000-year history. That wisdom and the traditions that support it are passed on through the stories we tell. When we lived in Jewish villages and neighborhoods, those stories were all around us. Today we are much more scattered, and the stories that transmit Jewish wisdom and tradition aren’t as easily accessible. PJ Library makes sure that these stories remain alive. Through them the essence of being Jewish can be passed on to our children, grandchildren, and the children of others. Without PJ Library, these stories and the reservoir of knowledge and history that they represent might be easily forgotten.

Moses and Susan Libitzky San Francisco, California

ROO OFF SUMMER PPRO SUMMER//FAL FALLL 202 20211

21 21

WHEN YOU WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, WHERE DO YOU START? For us, the answer lies in our commitment to our local Jewish community.

For the past 30-plus years, we have been involved in the Milwaukee Jewish community, our synagogue, and the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center. Our family has grown to include two girls (now young women!). All of us have benefited from our connection to the Jewish community and its strength, built by the generations before us.

We saw a way to build on the impact of PJ Library and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in Milwaukee by creating an endowment gift for the PJ Library program at our JCC. We feel it is imperative to strengthen the connection families have with our Jewish community, especially the interfaith families in our JCC. PJ Library books and projects are a major way we can touch those families and make them more comfortable with their Jewish connections.

Our incredible PJ Library program professional, Rabbi Shari Shamah, has developed more ways to connect with our families through PJ Library. We are happy to support the program through special holiday and seasonal gift packages for our families. We also help provide PJ Library materials that grandparents can share with their grandchildren in person or on Zoom.

Our goal is to engage and build connections with more Jewish families; our gift to PJ Library makes that happen.

Sue and Rick Strait Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center:

The Sue & Rick Strait PJ Library Young Family Engagement Endowment Fund has secured our connections with young Jewish families in our community for the future. In addition to establishing their endowment fund, Sue and Rick have also supported programs like the JCC Family Movie Night: Parking Lot Edition, a Rosh Hashanah outreach event, and a Shabbat engagement event.

Sue and Rick have been involved with Milwaukee’s PJ Library program since its inception, with Sue serving as a trusted advisor from the beginning.

“Sue and Rick are amazing people who invest their time, energy, and passion in our Jewish 22 PJLI BRARY.O RG community,” shared JCC Community Services

and Program Director Rabbi Shari Shamah.

“They not only give from their hearts, but they inspire others to want to get involved. We are grateful for their support and partnership.”

The Straits’ endowment also helped launch a five-year strategic planning process for PJ Library. Going forward, we envision both remote and in-person PJ Library programs that will continue to engage young families, particularly those not otherwise Jewishly affiliated.

Sue and Rick Strait have always been passionate about maintaining the vibrancy of Milwaukee’s Jewish community, and their investment in PJ Library helps ensure that goal.

WHEN IS A CHILDREN’S BOOK

a Good Book for Children?

By Winnie Sandler Grinspoon

PRESIDENT, HAROLD GRINSPOON FOUNDATION

When our son was a toddler, my friend asked him, “Do you know what your mommy does for work?”

He answered “Yes! She works in the kitchen!”

This wasn’t the answer my friend expected. I had returned to my job as a lawyer after my son was born.

Each morning I headed downtown to a law firm in the financial district where I worked developing civil cases for trials. But from the view of my toddler, my work happened at home. Every evening when I returned home, my son and I would spend time in the kitchen.

He would play with his toys, and we’d catch up on the day as I went about getting dinner on the table.

Fridays were even busier as I scurried to prepare a more festive meal. My son was right: I did work in the kitchen. His understanding of his mommy’s work made perfect sense from a child’s viewpoint.

The best children’s book authors are keenly aware that children don’t experience the world as adults do.

A skilled author writes for a child’s specific cognitive stage, with words and images that a child can connect to. Picture books need just the right mix of prose and illustration to create an engaging story that meets a child at their level. Some books are beautiful and inspiring from an adult’s point of view but simply won’t engage a child. The illustrations may be too busy, for example, or the concepts too abstract. Aspiring authors often try too hard to teach a lesson at the expense of the story itself. A book is a miss when it strays too far from how a child processes the world.

I often sit in on the PJ Library Book Selection Committee meetings. The group searches for engaging stories with beautiful and captivating illustrations that share an important aspect of the Jewish experience, and a primary consideration is whether a book will resonate with a child. The experts on the committee often discuss whether a certain book will work for a particular developmental stage.

They consider everything from the visual cues in the illustrations to the quality of the cadence and the complexity of the prose. Books are often tested with children of different ages in advance of the meeting, and we hear reports on what questions they had or what captured their attention.

At a recent meeting, one of the toddler books under consideration had a scene of a mom cooking in the kitchen. A committee member noted that this was yet another book that showed a mom at the stove.

While the scene was only one element of the story, it was something to consider. The committee strives to create a diverse lineup of engaging books that act as windows and mirrors, providing views into the lives of families that have different experiences than the reader, as well as families that are familiar, whether in composition, religious practice, work life, or home life.

With this guiding framework in mind, the committee reviewed the toddler book in its totality. There was agreement that the prose and illustrations were warm and inviting and were likely to engage a young child. It showcased a Jewish holiday celebration in a beautiful way. The kitchen scene was happy and familiar. The illustrations were bright, and there was just the right amount of humor to make the book engaging for both kids and adults. The committee chose the book for the PJ Library lineup.

I appreciate the thought that the committee puts toward every book it considers, and I was pleased that the group selected that toddler book. It was a sweet, lovely story, and I am sure it would have resonated with my toddler when his perspective was centered at home. Plus, the joy of Jewish celebration often happens around a dinner table or festive meal, just like in the book.

As parents and caregivers, our job is to expose our children to a broader worldview as they grow. Children learn through the totality of their experiences, including through the many books they read during childhood. Some children’s books will challenge stereotypes or teach important lessons in age-appropriate ways, and others are wonderful and engaging stories that children enjoy for their warmth and familiarity. Some children’s books artfully accomplish both of these goals. All of these books deserve a valued place in our children’s libraries.

P RO O F

SUMMER / FAL L 202 1

23

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID SPRINGFIELD, MA PERMIT NO. 71

67 Hunt Street, Suite 100 Agawam, MA 01001 USA 413-276-0800 pjlibrary.org Have an address update?

Want to sign up to receive PROOF? Contact us: proof@hgf.org

REF L ECTI O NS: RETIRING

( PROFES SI ON ALLY )

FROM PJ L IBRARY

By Paul Lewis, FORMER PJ LIBRARY TEAM MEMBER, PROUD PJ LIBRARY GRANDPARENT As we walked off the 18th green, my golf-playing partner asked, “Are you Jewish?” I had met him for the first time just four hours earlier when we teed off, but I wasn’t surprised by the question. I was pretty sure he was Jewish too. “Yes, I am,” I said proudly. “I thought so,” he continued. “I thought I recognized you from Mount Sinai.”

I got a good laugh from that. Clearly my fellow golfer took to heart the lesson from the Passover Haggadah, “In every generation, let each person feel as if they themselves had emerged from Egypt.” Being Jewish instantly linked us to each other and our shared story that stretches back thousands of years.

I love being part of the Jewish story. And I love telling stories, which may be why I like Passover so much and why I was a journalist for 33 years. As a family engagement program with bedtime stories at its beating heart, PJ Library was a good fit for me in 2009.

I retired at the end of 2020, grateful to have had two careers where going to work didn’t feel much like work because I was so invested in the mission.

When I came on board at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library had a staff of a dozen, and I heard a lot of “Who is PJ, and why does he have a library?” We had launched in about 50 communities and already were distributing thousands of books each month. My job was to tell the PJ Library story to pitch it to Jewish communities throughout the US and Canada.

Frankly, it wasn’t a hard sell. Most people could see this — sending free Jewish books directly to families’ homes — was a big idea that was elegantly simple.

To make the program even easier to embrace, philanthropist Harold Grinspoon would pay for half the cost of the program in every community. Harold’s method of philanthropy is brilliant: Create more 24 PJLI BRARY.O RG

philanthropists by seeking partners and inspiring others to join him in doing tzedakah.

Those early days were exciting and head spinning.

In a blur, we grew, and now it’s truly astounding to see children in more than 30 countries around the world receive books published in 7 languages.

However, the numbers and the books are only part of the story. It’s the impact of PJ Library that fills me with joy: the numerous people who have told me they met their best friends because they attended PJ Library programs, the families who began lighting Shabbat candles because of PJ Library, the donors who are proud to ensure a vibrant and rich Jewish future for their children and grandchildren through their gifts to PJ Library, and the kids who are excited to live joyful Jewish lives because PJ Library inspired their parents to send them to Jewish summer camp.

I’ll always treasure my memories of the mom who couldn’t wait to show me photos of the sukkah her family built for the first time because they were inspired by a PJ Library Sukkot book, and the 5-year-old who learned the word tzedakah from the PJ Library book Bagels from Benny and then asked her dad when he finished reading the story, “Daddy, what do we do for tzedakah?”

It’s not hyperbole to say PJ Library is the most effective and most beloved initiative in the Jewish world — and it’s still growing!

What an honor to have been a part of it.