Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
Grants given to foster social connections and new opportunities in communities across the continent
(Denver, CO) – Families in Colorado raising Jewish children will now have more opportunities to participate in Jewish life, thanks to a grant recently awarded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. The foundation created PJ Library, which offers Jewish themed books, music, and programming to families around the globe.
JEWISHcolorado received $25,000 to expand PJ Library engagement in collaboration with its 22 partner agencies in the greater Denver Metro area who serve children between the ages of 6 months and 8 years.
The winning initiatives emphasize building social connections among families as well as engaging them in Jewish life, programming, or learning. They range from creative holiday festivals, PJ Library stories in the park, and ongoing neighborhood gatherings for families to enjoy PJ Library books and get to know one another.
“JEWISHcolorado is honored to receive this grant, and thrilled to be part of the global PJ Library community reaching tens of thousands of families,” said Doug Seserman, President & CEO of JEWISHcolorado. “PJ Library’s innovative strategy for engaging both interfaith and unaffiliated Jewish families is paramount in this community.”
The grant proposals were chosen through a competitive process open to local organizations implementing PJ Library across North America. The 15 winners were selected from among 55 applicants after they were considered by both PJ Library staff and external reviewers.
“PJ Library’s impact goes well beyond the more than 144,000 books we send out each month,” said Judi Wisch, Director of Community Engagement for PJ Library. “We have worked closely with our local partners for years to help advance Jewish family engagement, and this is the first time we are able to add financial support to great initiatives to help ensure their success.”
These grants are the first stage in a five-year strategy to extend Jewish engagement in North America, through the support of the newly-formed PJ Library Alliance. Partners in the Alliance are the William Davidson Foundation; the Jim Joseph Foundation; the William and Audrey Farber Philanthropic Fund; the Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; Walter, Arnee, Sarah and Aaron Winshall; the Susser Family Trust; and an anonymous partner.
