Boulder Jewish News Arts, Culture, Events, Lifestyles, Holidays, Synagogues, Education
Grassroots meetup initiative a culmination of networking and connection-building at the April 2025 PJ Library Conference hosted by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
On June 1, PJ Library families in Louisville, Boulder County, met up at heritage Park as part of the first ever PJ Library Global Playdate, joining 18+ communities across the US and Canada who did the same in their own cities. The meetup was planned entirely by PJ Library Parent Connectors across each location, with support from each locale’s program officers and The Harold Grinspoon Foundation/PJ Library. The meetup was timed to the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates receiving the Torah, and is traditionally celebrated through late night learning sessions and eating dairy products, which is why communities across the continent enjoyed ice cream in the park at the Global Playdate.
The idea for a global day of PJ Library meetups stemmed from a Parent Connector Networking Session at the recent PJ Library International Conference in Springfield, MA. There, 39 grassroots professionals (known as Parent Connectors or Ambassadors) who work at local organizations such as JEWISHcolorado and spend their time building 1:1 relationships with other parents, participated in a two-part brainstorming and connection-building workshop to develop ideas for family engagement at the local level. Throughout the year, PJ Library Parent Connectors create meaningful opportunities for families with young children and serve as guides in connecting families with Jewish resources or organizations in their neighborhoods.
“All of our gatherings hold deep significance,” says Jennifer Golden, a PJ Library Family Connector for the Boulder area. “Before stepping into my role as a Community Connector, my primary goal was to find families who shared similarities with us. It’s easy to connect with others who enjoy snowboarding or outdoor adventures. However, it’s much more meaningful to find families from diverse Jewish backgrounds who wish to bond over their shared identity and raise their children as Jewish, even if they are not consistently involved in synagogue activities. Organizing PJ Library family meetups has become a monthly highlight for me. It’s comforting to know that there is almost always an opportunity to come together with the broader Jewish community of young families simply to share, learn, play, and celebrate with. We love that our PJ Library gatherings have introduced us to familiar with varying perspectives and approaches, enriching our understanding of how to nurture Jewish life with young children.”
PJ Library is known globally as a free book program that sends age-appropriate Jewish books monthly to children ages 0-12. Since 2005 the program, run by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, has distributed over 60M books to families in more than 40 countries. PJ Library also creates and distributes digital and print resources including recipes, activities, music, holiday guides, the PJ Library Haggadah, and more, which families can use to create immersive Jewish experiences on their own terms. PJ Library’s Get Together microgrant program also helps subscriber families host their friends for low-prep Jewish-themed gatherings by providing $100 supply reimbursements and creative activity ideas.
PJ Library is available everywhere in North America through its implementing partners, which enable PJ Library locally and engage with Jewish families in nearly 200 communities, including Boulder County. These partners bring PJ Library to life through low-barrier, high-quality experiences that create vibrant PJ communities, like this weekend’s gathering in the park.
“PJ Library families span the diversity of Jewish life, and they all consistently tell us that they’re looking to come together with other Jewish families” says Jessica McCormick, Director of Family Experience for PJ Library. “It is so meaningful to see this meetup stem from the community of professionals we were able to create at our conference, and from the resources we provide our incredibly creative parent connectors. I can’t think of a better way to make Jewish community than ice cream in the park with new friends.”
Reflecting back, the four PJ Library events across Colorado carry new significance, considering the fear and hate the Boulder Jewish community experienced the following day. But the organizers carry on in strength.
“The significance of this gathering, along with our regular PJ Library meetups, has only been further underscored,” relays Golden. “For many, embracing and expressing their Jewish identity publicly can be daunting; yet it becomes more reassuring when surrounded by a community of friends who stand united. While PJ Library is already a remarkable program, being part of the PJ Library community is truly transformative. We are forging bonds – building connections with neighbors and turning them into lifelong friendships – all through a free children’s book subscription. And that sense of unity is something that cannot be taken away from us, regardless of the challenges or adversities we may face.”
About PJ Library
PJ Library inspires joyful Jewish experiences by sending free storybooks and activities to families with children ages 0-12 and offering ways to connect with community. The program was founded in 2005 by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) and, with the support of generous donors and partners, now distributes 650,000 books in seven languages in over 40 countries every month. The PJ Library family experience is built around the monthly storybooks and also includes family-focused holiday guides and other free gifts. Anyone who visits PJ Library’s website can hear original storytelling podcasts and explore a vast collection of Jewish parenting resources. The program welcomes families across the diversity of Jewish life. Learn more or sign up for monthly children’s books at pjlibrary.org.
