Let me start by saying that I *love* the PJ Library, and this is why… Read any study on the Jewish future and you will learn about the three factors that have been found to have the most impact on Jewish continuity. They are (in order of effectiveness and—alas—expense): (1) Jewish Day School; (2) Jewish Sleep-Away Camp; and (3) Organized Israel Trips. There is one factor, however, that I believe outperforms all three of these. Unfortunately—due to it (a) having a high correlation to these other factors; and (b) being something highly variable from household to household—it is extremely hard to quantify or qualify and so it has not been adequately studied. That factor is Jewish Home Life, the extent to which an individual or family “does Jewish” at home. The PJ Library enhances Jewish Home Life by bringing Judaism into the home in a non-threatening, inter-generational and non-denominational format. And here’s the PJ Library’s best kept secret: it’s meant to get parents and grandparents reading Jewish books just as much as it is meant to get Jewish books read to children.
My one complaint about the PJ Library is that I find that my family is deluged by retellings of Noah’s Ark. I’ve never quite understood why this apocalyptic story is a primary choice for children, Jewish or not. (Okay, I get the whole menagerie-on-a-boat thing, but you still have to admit that the whole God-destroying-the-world-as Divine-punishment thing is a bit dark for children.) My issues with Noah’s Ark as children’s lit aside (I think I can safely assume that I’m in the minority with this opinion), I find the over-reliance on variants of this story by the PJ Library to be an indicator of laziness on the part of the selection committee. I mean, Old MacNoah Had an Ark? Really? My kids love the scatological humor contained in the book, but I don’t find anything particularly Jewish about the story aside from the fact that it’s a silly children’s adaptation of a Jewish (Mesopotamian?) text. Of course, for every Old MacNoah, there is also a Littlest Pair (which is fantastic) so maybe I have nothing to complain about. But I’m Jewish so I will anyway. So what do I do with the two extra copies of Fox Walked Alone, The Littlest Pair, Naamah and the Ark at Night, Noah’s Bark, Old MacNoah Had an Ark, and Old Noah’s Elephants that my family has accumulated? I donate them to my library which—despite being an academic library—has a children’s book collection and which is not a Jewish library. In this way, I hope that these books get a wider audience. My suggestion then would be to donate the PJ Library books that your library gets as donations to public libraries. Alternatively, the idea suggested by Susan Lentini in another message in this string was also really good: include spare PJ Library books with a pair of pajamas when doing a PJ drive. Brilliant! Steven From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]]<mailto:[mailto:[email protected]]> On Behalf Of Marga Hirsch Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 2:58 PM To: Jane Pasternak; Amy Turim & Larry Hershman; [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Cc: Susan Lentini Subject: Re: [ha-Safran] I'm confused about PJ Library Jane’s post touches on an issue that I have begun to be concerned about, namely, the developing glut of gently used PJ Library books. Park Avenue Synagogue families with children aged 6 months to 8 years may all sign up for PJ Library thanks to the generosity of a synagogue family. The first child in the family receives his/her monthly age-appropriate books, and then the subsequent children in the family receive copies of the same books. When the children outgrow the books, many families bring them to the library. I have lost count of the number of copies of The Shabbat Box I have received. Other titles are accumulating close behind. I have been thinking for a while that it would be a good idea for us as a community of librarians to develop a plan and purpose for all these books. Send them to libraries in communities that don’t have PJ Library? To libraries in Israel that want children’s books in English? Ideas, anyone? Note: I’m interested in there being an answer to this question, but I don’t have time to take on a book redistribution project myself. Marga ********************************* Marga Hirsch Librarian & Publications Editor Park Avenue Synagogue 50 East 87th St. New York, NY 10128 212.369.2600, x127 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]]<mailto:[mailto:[email protected]]> On Behalf Of Jane Pasternak Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 1:07 PM To: Amy Turim & Larry Hershman; [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Cc: Susan Lentini Subject: Re: [ha-Safran] I'm confused about PJ Library Hi Amy I am the coordinator of PJ Library for the greater Hartford area. You are correct that PJ Library is for families only. This program is funded in part by The Grinspoon Foundation and some very generous local philanthropists. We have been extremely fortunate in our area. I do not know of anyone else involved in the funding for this program. This past year, I gave a gift to 12 synagogues in our community a book rack with a box of PJ Library selections which came out of our marketing budget. I know that some books were put in the libraries and that librarians have read the books to groups that come in. Othes have the books available for families to read while in the synagogue. You may want to contact the PJ coordinator for your area and see if they are willing to do the same. You can also ask your synagogue families to donate duplicate books they may have gotten at home. Many parents have offered their duplicate books to us in the Family Room at our JCC. I hope this helps a little. If you have other questions, please feel free to contact me. Jane Jane Pasternak Family Room Parenting Center Director Mandell Jewish Community Center Zachs Campus 335 Bloomfield Avenue West Hartford, CT 06117 • 860.231.6342 [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> • fax 860.233.0802 ________________________________ From: Susan Fried [mailto:[email protected]]<mailto:[mailto:[email protected]]> Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 8:53 AM To: Amy Turim & Larry Hershman Cc: Jane Pasternak; Susan Lentini Subject: RE: [ha-Safran] I'm confused about PJ Library Dear Amy, My colleagues next door help run the PJ library. I’m including Susan and Jane on this email, so hopefully they can give you some guidance. All the best, Susan Fried Koopman Senior Librarian 860-231-6375 ________________________________ From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> [mailto:[email protected]]<mailto:[mailto:[email protected]]> On Behalf Of Amy Turim & Larry Hershman Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2012 9:23 PM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Subject: [ha-Safran] I'm confused about PJ Library This may be very old news to many of you, but I’d like to understand the role my synagogue library could play in supporting PJ Library. According to what I see on the website, their funding comes from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and other monies donated by libraries. The money from the HGF and the “Implementing Partners” goes to purchase books that are then free for participating member families. Is this correct? Are any AJL libraries involved? As great as this idea is, I don’t have a budget for this purpose, though perhaps our congregation would support a fundraiser. I have a feeling that I’m missing a crucial piece, and I’d appreciate any clarification. Thanks – Amy Turim Temple Emanuel Kensington, MD
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