Help Making Bedtime a Jewish Experience for Denver Families

For many Denver families, Jewish values are something they would like to instill in their children, but they don’t always know where to begin. Do we try to teach them about the holidays, practices and traditions on our own? Do we wait until they begin Sunday school and rely on professional educators? What if we teach them the wrong things?

Hundreds of Denver families have found a partner in teaching Jewish concepts and values: The PJ Library. The PJ (as in pajamas) Library is a free program available to Denver families raising Jewish children between the ages of 6 months and five-and-a-half years. Participants receive a Jewishthemed book or CD every month for a full year, complete with a reading guide that helps parents lead discussions and plan activities around the holiday, lesson or value. Books are engaging and age-appropriate, and cover a variety of topics that will help your children understand why their Jewish heritage is so special.

This wonderful program has been funded by The Harold Grinspoon Foundation and Shalom Baby, with support from Rose Community Foundation, Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, Steven and Courtney Green, and Stuart and Judy Heller. Because of their commitment and generosity, nearly 900 Denver-area children are being served to date.

The PJ Library collection is available for preview and check-out at The Reading Jungle family library, located in room 205 at the Robert E. Loup Jewish Community Center. Subscription renewals are offered at a low rate of only $18 per year, and families living outside of the Denver area who would like to participate can do so for an annual fee of just $60. If you would like to enroll your children, or know somebody who would, please e-mail us at pjlibrary@jccdenver.org.