Family receives 500,000th book from Harold Grinspoon Foundation's PJ Library
by Sandra E. Constantine
The Republican
April 29, 2009
GRANBY - Molly E. and Alyssa G. Hoffenberg got a special treat recently when Harold Grinspoon, the founder of The PJ Library, presented them with the 500,000th book given away by the Jewish philanthrophic organization.
The book, "The Legend of Freedom Hill" by Linda Jacobs Altman, is about a friendship between a Jewish girl and a slave girl, and demonstrates the Jewish tradition of hospitality.
"Being Jewish, I am very interested in the Jewish people," Grinspoon said after visiting the Hoffenberg home on Kendall Street to present the book.
Distributing high-quality children's books with Jewish themes is a good way to foster the values, culture and identity of the Jewish people, Grinspoon said.
He started the project, which is headquartered in
West Springfield, in 2005. It gives away books in 108 communities through the help of local partners in the program.
Marcie Greenfield Simons, the director of the program, said the Hoffenbergs typify the kind of families The PJ Library likes to help.
Nancy A. Hoffenberg, who grew up Catholic, said she fell in love with Judaism while studying the religion prior to conversion prompted by marrying a Jewish man.
Hoffenberg had a strong, supportive mother-in-law to teach her Jewish traditions and was adrift when she passed away. Hoffenberg noted that the role of the mother has always been very important in passing on Jewish ways. Even though Hoffenberg is now divorced, she maintains a strong desire to raise her children as Jews.
"I just fell in love with the stories," Hoffenberg said of the books her family started getting about four years ago.
The stories motivated her family to get more involved in Jewish traditions and join Sons of Zion synagogue in Holyoke. Her two daughters now attend Hebrew school.
Hoffenberg said 7-year-old Molly liked the book so much that she took it to bed with her and that Alyssa, 10, also liked "The Legend of Freedom Hill."
"I liked the story it told about being nice to other people," Molly said of the book. Hoffenberg's experience was so compelling that her family is featured in the PJ Library's promotional material. The organization took on the "PJ" name for pajamas in recognition of the time when most parents read to their children: bedtime.
The books are geared to children ages 6 months to 8 years old.
Grinspoon said he got the idea for the program after learning of a similar effort to encourage literacy by singer Dolly Parton.