The Harold Grinspoon Foundation is excited to present the 2020-2021 cohort of PJ Library New York Engagement Grant recipients. Funded by the PJ Library Alliance, these 9 grants ranging from $7,500-$15,000 will support programs designed to expand and deepen the engagement of families raising Jewish children in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester.
The selected initiatives offer innovative programs designed to identify and engage families who are new to the implementing organization and/or to PJ Library, and connect families to compelling and high-quality Jewish experiences in New York.
PJ Library Alliance partners include the Harold Grinspoon Foundation; William Davidson Foundation; The Marcus Foundation, Inc.; Genesis Philanthropy Group; The Azrieli Foundation; Anonymous; Jim Joseph Foundation; The Micah Foundation; Anonymous (2); Carl and Joann Bianco; The Crown Family; Marilyn Einstein and Steven Sim Charitable Fund; Dr. Steven Grinspoon; One8 Foundation; Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation; Stephen and Bebe Saks Family Foundation; Mike and Sofia Segal Family Foundation; Susser Family Trust; Walter, Arnee, Sarah, and Aaron Winshall; Zucker Family Foundation; The Sam Berman Charitable Foundation; The Sherrie R. Savett Family Foundation.
Family Tree
Lab/Shul, Brooklyn, NY
Family Tree is a virtual community-building endeavor developed and delivered by Lab/Shul to engage children aged 4-6 years-old and their families in a child-driven and parent-guided Jewish educational experience based on topics deeply rooted in Jewish values. Topics may include: compassion (chesed), empathy (tzedakah), and love for our planet (ba’al tashchit). Our intention is to bring together parents from NYC and beyond with a diverse set of backgrounds who are like-minded, have similar needs, and are interested in an alternative to the “traditional” Jewish community.
Malkhut and Me
Malkhut: Progressive Jewish Spirituality in Queens, Jackson Heights, NY
Malkhut and Me will be a series of Shabbat morning experiences for kids ages 0-preK and their parents. The program will run monthly from Late summer/Fall 2020 to Spring 2021. Malkhut will engage Tkiya to create interactive musical experiences which introduce families to Shabbat practice and Jewish themes and values. We’ll target families in Jackson Heights and other western Queens neighborhoods, many of whom have no existing connection to Jewish institutions. Malkhut staff and parent volunteers will work to build social connections among families who attend.
L'Chaim: To Life
Marks JCH, Brooklyn, NY
Marks JCH has learned through the Covid-19 pandemic that families crave community, and connecting with one another. With L’Chaim program, Marks JCH looks to create a monthly Jewish engagement program (virtual or in person) for families and, in conjunction provide weekly virtual classes on Jewish Literacy through immersive approach for their children.
"Y" Volunteer Family Corps
Mid-Island Y JCC, Plainview, NY
Mid-Island Y JCC will engage families with children ages 3-8 in hands on mitzvah projects through the creation of a young family volunteer corps. Families will meet (virtually to start and then in person) monthly to participate in hands-on projects which they will create and then have the opportunity to deliver to the community and those in need. Projects will be determined by the parent volunteers/connectors who help us identify needs and projects that their families will enjoy.
Playdates with a Purpose Family Initiative
Repair the World NYC, New York, NY
Repair the World NYC is excited to launch a new initiative that is designed with the flexibility to respond to the shifting needs of families in the NYC Jewish community, given the current health and economic crisis. This iteration of Playdates with a Purpose will function as a “pop-up” model, bringing families together in service regardless of where they reside across NYC. Repair will offer monthly programs for families; each program will invite families to participate in a meaningful service experience, grounded in Jewish wisdom, to learn about a partner and community need, and to take part in hands-on engaging learning through play and song.
Family Circles with PJ Library, Sanctuary: A Co-Op for Jewish Living
Larchmont, NY
Sanctuary will launch "Family Circles" for families with children ages 5-8. Just as the shape of a circle is embracing, centering and ongoing, each Family Circle will embrace a small, set group of families, center around a shared interest (nature, cooking, art), and meet on an ongoing basis (3 times over 3 months). This intentional structure will maximize relationship building, facilitate playful and thoughtful Jewish encounters, and empower children, parents and grandparents to be active participants and co-creators of Jewish life.
L’Dor Vador: From Generation to Generation
Shorefront Ym-Ywha of Brighton- Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, NY
Most families who chose to raise their children in the Shortfront Y area prioritize preserving their Russian-Jewish culture and the grandparents are central in passing the language and stories to the next generation. As quarantine is ending and families are getting back together, the Shortfront Y anticipates that children will spend much more of their time with grandparents. The Shortfront Y will host a series of virtual and live communal events utilizing technology, as well as our beautiful beach front location that allows us to plan with social distancing in mind, connecting three generational families and celebrating the unique traditions of the Russian-Jewish community while learning and playing together.
New Moms Series
Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center, Inc., Commack, NY
The SYJCC seeks will launch a Jewish new moms group for those who live in Suffolk County. This new program of the Parenting Center will provide much needed support for first time new moms while introducing them to other Jewish moms on Long Island and providing them with resources to bring Judaism into their family from the start, thus creating a community of well connected Jewish working moms.
Sharing Our Stories: From Baby to Bubbie and In Between
YM&YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, New York, NY
Sharing our Stories connects families with young children (with grandparents/special seniors) in an intergenerational community of caring and story-sharing. PJ Library books will inspire gatherings, with an option for families to create tangible books with their own family stories as an ongoing parallel project (self-guided yet fully supported). In between five events, empowered parents will gather in a parent-led cohort for three community-building events, taking increased ownership of the program, and helping co-create it in a way that naturally draws in new families from their own networks.
September 24, 2020