WORLD TRAVELING WITH PJ LIBRARY
The life of a Foreign Service Officer for the US State Department is one of world travel and exploration. So, when PJ Library Mom, Kara, had the opportunity to join her husband in such a life, she was eager to do so. Raising children in such a lifestyle, however, has since presented a few challenges. “We didn't give a single thought to how we would raise future children with Jewish values in places as far-flung as Indonesia, Ecuador, or China,” Kara tells PJ Library.
For Kara, the PJ Library program has helped in building the Jewish identities of her two daughters amid the family's international lifestyle. “PJ library has been a huge help,” Kara says.
With each global move, Kara’s mother (who is “ever plugged into the Jewish world,” according to Kara) has helped the family keep an updated mailing address on file with PJ Library. “She's so efficient,” Kara reports. “Wherever we land, two PJ Library books (one for each daughter) are always waiting for us at the US Embassy upon our arrival.”
One PJ Library book has been particularly helpful to Kara and her family — The Children’s Jewish Holiday Kitchen written by Joan Nathan and illustrated by Brooke Scudder.
“With our recent move to Taipei, Taiwan, I forgot to pack recipes in my suitcase,” Kara explains. “I would have been in a pickle except for the fact that one of the PJ Library books waiting for us was The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen. From cover to cover, the book is packed with kid-friendly kosher recipes.”
One of Kara’s daughters — the oldest, who had received The Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen as her monthly selection — was especially willing to help Kara prepare a Kosher meal. “Armed with her PJ book of recipes, she was eager to help out in the kitchen and was generally in high spirits despite being in a new, unfamiliar place,” Kara says. “It was a wonderful first chapter in our new life in Taiwan.”
Do you have a PJ-related photo or video? Share it with us! Send it to outreach@hgf.org.
December 27, 2013