STORIES THAT BRING US TOGETHER
PJ Library is an expanding global community linked by shared stories and values that spans across five continents and more than 620,000 subscribers.
FREE BOOKS FOR JEWISH FAMILIES
PJ Library: Ages 0 – 8 years | PJ Our Way: Ages 9 – 12 years
Start Building Your Jewish Library
PJ Library sends free award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values, culture and tradition to families with children from birth through 12 years old.
The age-appropriate books are a gift to your children and will be mailed to your home once a month.
Right now, over 1,300 children in the Austin area receive a free PJ Library book every month.
The PJ Library is a project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, with generous local support from The Loewy Family, The Clifford Zeifman Family, The Meltzer Family, Shalom Austin and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
The Next Chapter
People often ask what comes after PJ Library. The answer is PJ Our Way, for kids ages 9-12. It is kid-driven–they choose their own books, creating a totally tailored experience based their own interests and reading level. To make the choice easier, there’s a website with summaries and author bios, along with ratings, reviews, and video trailers created by members themselves. Kids can also take polls and quizzes, participate in monthly interviews and challenges, post their own reviews, and comment on blog posts. The website also a blog for parents, where you can read about the books and find family discussion questions for each story.
BEYOND THE BOOKS
Connecting Families
PJ Library isn’t just about the books. Whether you are looking to meet people, want to learn something new, or just need to get out of the house, there are PJ Library events for your family happening in nearly every community across the United States and Canada, including right here in Central Texas.
Be sure to join our Shalom Families Facebook group for updates about upcoming events.
Connecting Kids
First-time campers may be eligible for a $1,000 grant through the PJ Goes to Camp program. If your child is a PJ Library subscriber and they’re attending an overnight Jewish camp for the first time, they may meet the qualifications.
GLOBAL IMPACT
Since Harold Grinspoon first sent Jewish books to 200 children in Western Massachusetts in 2005, PJ Library has grown to send free books to more than 200,000 subscribers throughout the United States and Canada. Today, PJ Library is an expanding global community linked by shared stories and values that spans across five continents and more than 620,000 subscribers.
PJ LIBRARY IS EMPOWERING JEWISH FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD – from the unaffiliated to the deeply involved – to engage with Jewish life. From Russia to Uruguay, families are creating their own treasured Jewish moments and memories through the simple act of reading stories together. Stories that celebrate the joy of Jewish culture, values, and tradition.
PJ LIBRARY IS MORE THAN A PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN, IT’S A PROGRAM FOR FAMILIES – for parents, PJ Library serves as an entry point to engage in conversations about Jewish values or concepts with their kids. Through guides on book flaps, online resources, and local engagement programming, PJ Library empowers parents to create their own Jewish practices that are meaningful and resonant.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS AROUND THE WORLD are driving the creation of local activities. These partners, which include schools, Jewish community centers, and synagogues, utilize resources from PJ Library to assist their teams in engaging families.
IN THE CLASSROOM – in many countries, PJ Library delivers books to children through their classrooms. Whether attending a private Jewish day school in Mexico City or a public kindergarten in Tel Aviv, children can connect with Jewish traditions and values through high-quality Jewish children’s books. Children are introduced to the books in class, usually with a lesson or activity, and then take them home to keep and enjoy with their families where they continue the conversation.
PJ Library is a project of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, with generous local support from The Loewy Family, The Clifford Zeifman Family, The Meltzer Family, Shalom Austin and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
CONTACT US
7300 HART LANE
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731
(512) 735-8000
7300 HART LANE
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78731
(512) 735-8000
ARTS & CULTURE
Literary Arts
Visual Arts
Theatre & Film
Dance
COUNSELING & SUPPORT
Jewish Family Service
Counseling & Groups
Case Management
References & Resources
Copyright Shalom Austin 2022. Privacy Policy.