Here’s the Story – The PJ Library in Greater Washington Blog
PJ Library Blog
Hakarat Hatov: Recognizing the Good in Summer
Summer provides so many great opportunities for family adventures that it’s a perfect season for hakarat hatov, the Jewish value of “recognizing the good.” From celebrating freedom to enjoying the fruits of summer, from learning new skills at camp to visiting new places while on vacation, each moment presents the chance to feel thankful. Saying […]
Marking the Next Steps on Your Journey
I’ve talked frequently in this space about the Shehechiyanu prayer — a way of pausing to mark the occasion of doing something for the first time ever or the first time in a given year. But as the school year ends and the summer season begins, I had to wonder if there is a blessing […]
Celebrating Growth and Sharing the Love of PJ
Earlier this week, I was at the PJ Library International Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts. While western Massachusetts is where PJ Library began and where the PJ Library “home office” is, the influence of this program extends beyond the state’s borders to cover the globe. Not coincidentally, the theme of the PJ Conference was tz’michah (growth), […]
Let Your Children Help at Passover!
It’s bashert (meant to be) that celebrating Passover requires you to “tell it to your children” (a line in the haggadah — “the telling”) and is also designed to make it easy to do so! With sensory experiences, symbolic foods, and a handy guidebook in the haggadah, the whole holiday is meant to help children […]
The Values of Purim
I’m delighted to welcome a return to public celebrations of Purim. I hope you’ll join us for an event and carry the values of Purim throughout the month. There are many ways to celebrate the holiday, including observing the four Purim mitzvot (commandments), but I want to focus on two: hearing the story and […]
Celebrating the Birthday of the Trees
February is filled with fun! We have Tu B’Shevat (“the birthday of the trees”) starting on Sunday night, and many fun events around the area throughout the month. Tu B’Shevat is a great holiday to celebrate with kids in a few different ways: Take the opportunity to introduce a new fruit, either something grown on […]
Raising Lifelong Readers
January is the perfect time to snuggle up and read with your family. Whether it’s quietly reading books next to each other or reading aloud together, you can enjoy quality time as a family and set your children up to be lifelong readers. Some tips to make reading fun and engaging: Don’t be shy about […]
8 Ways to Brighten Your Chanukah
Chanukah is a celebration of courage, Jewish pride, and kindling new light in dark times. It is also provides a multitude of opportunities for families to celebrate together. Throughout the month, your family can celebrate these values in eight different ways: Read books about Jewish heroes: PJ Library offers many biographical picture books about Jews […]
Because We Were Strangers
In 37 places in the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible), we are reminded to love strangers because we were once strangers in a strange land. In fact, the phrase כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם (ki-gerim hayitem, “Because you were strangers”) appears in the Torah more frequently than any other. By reminding the Jewish people […]
Using Sukkot to Teach Hospitality
It seems hard to believe, but we are only halfway through the fall holidays! Up next is Sukkot (festival of booths). Beginning on Sunday night, many Jewish families will enjoy meals, and even sleepovers, outdoors in temporary homes called sukkot (the singular is a sukkah), inviting others to join them. The practice of inviting others […]