THE NEWLY LAUNCHED PJ LIBRARY COMMUNITY in Broward County, FL grabbed the attention of many Jewish philanthropists recently when over a thousand enrollment requests were garnered in the very first week of operations. Families throughout Broward County flocking to the Jewish Federation of Broward County website.
Sheryl Greenwald is president of the Sam Berman Charitable Foundation Inc., a major donor in the effort to establish a PJ Library program in Broward County. Though she knew PJ Library would be popular in her community, Greenwald admits she was nevertheless amazed at its sharp takeoff.
“I heard a lot of people were interested,” Greenwald says, “but when I heard the first day there were 600 [enrollment requests], I was astonished. People replied so fast!” She adds, “I knew it meant people had already heard of the program and were eager to send their names in.”
For Sheryl Greenwald, the PJ Library program represents a personal accomplishment. “I’m doing this on behalf of the Sam Berman Charitable Foundation,” she explains. “I showed this to the Board because it was something good to do for Sam—it was something he would have liked to have done.”
In addition to funding the PJ program in Broward County, the Sam Berman Charitable Foundation is also funding the launch of a PJ Library program in Jacksonville, FL. For Greenwald, this represents another important milestone.
“Sam was actually raised in Jacksonville,” Greenwald explains, “and it was always a very small Jewish community for him. He grew up very poor. His mother took care of him, but there weren’t many Jewish people there at the time. So, having PJ in the community where he grew up would be very special for him.”
EXPECTATIONS OF ENGAGEMENT
Greenwald first heard of the PJ Library program while attending the Lion of Judah conference in New Orleans in 2010. “I was introduced to the program at the conference,” she recalls, “and I made the commitment while I was there to start the PJ Library in Broward County. Everybody else has it, and we have a very large Jewish community here.”
Greenwald, as a mother herself, recognizes the value of children’s books that reflect the core values of Judaism. “If you don’t educate kids when they’re little, it is so much harder to engage them when they’re older.”
In Broward County, Greenwald hopes the booming PJ program will encourage engagement. Through the program, she anticipates that people will “become involved in Jewish Federation and in helping the Jewish community.” She adds, “The PJ program will bring people closer to the Jewish religion.”
<< RETURN TO THE PJ LIBRARY BLOG'S HOME
October 1, 2011