PJ Library program comes to Canada
by Rebeca Kuropatwa
Jewish Tribune
June 16, 2009
WINNIPEG – Stories and music are some of the simple pleasures parents get to enjoy with their young children.
A new program to Winnipeg – The PJ (pajama) Library, Jewish Bedtime Stories and Songs for Families – was designed especially for parents to take pleasure in with their pajama-clad kids.
Although the program has been available in the US for a couple of years already, it is new to Canada.
Right now, PJ Library is available in more than 100 communities across the US. Each community is sponsored by a local Jewish organization and local donors to promote vibrant Jewish life.
Within the last month or so, PJ Library has kicked off in Winnipeg, Calgary and Montreal. The program will be branched out to more Canadian cities in the near future.
Once parents sign up for the PJ Library program, a free bedtime story (book or CD) will be sent to them each month (for one year).
According to Faye Rosenberg-Cohen, planning director/ GrowWinnipeg coordinator, Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, once interested parents register for the free PJ Library annual subscription, they can re-subscribe each year for as long as they have children within the set age range.
The Jewish-content-filled books and music are specifically geared to children ages six months to six years old. And, all of the materials are carefully selected by a team of experts.
“PJ Library will enhance subscribers’ Jewish journey, regardless of their level of Jewish observance or affiliation,” said Rosenberg-Cohen.
“This is a great way for us to connect in a significant way with parents of young children in our community and also to be able to offer them access to some of our other excellent family programs,” she added.
Starting off with 150 subscribers, Rosenberg-Cohen said the federation has already received enough subscription requests to put them over the 200 mark. It is anticipated that the popularity will grow even further from there.
Created by The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, The PJ Library is a North American program implemented by each local community.
In Winnipeg, the project is put out by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
For more information, visit http://pjlibrary.org