The Commission for Jewish Education (CJE) enriches and strengthens Jewish life and education throughout the Greater Palm Beaches with a vision of a vibrant, engaged community energized by the beauty of Jewish life and learning.
Through CJE’s Family Engagement & Outreach efforts, our goal is to identify unengaged or under-engaged young families raising Jewish children in our community and to help them navigate their respective Jewish journeys by fostering connections with peers and the many community resources available through our Jewish schools, synagogues, agencies, organizations and programs.
Since 2008, through the support of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, and local donors, the CJE has implemented PJ Library® and PJ Our Way® , projects that strive to deepen the identities of Jewish families and strengthen their relationships to the Jewish community by providing a monthly FREE gift of an age-appropriate Jewish book to children from birth to 12 years old.
Give the gift of Jewish learning to the child in your life…for FREE!
PJ Library® sends free Jewish children’s books to families across the world every month. We know that something magical happens when parents sit down together to read with their children. PJ Library® shares Jewish stories that can help your family talk together about values and traditions that are important to you.
A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library® is made possible through partnerships with philanthropists and local Jewish organizations. Families raising kids from birth through 9 years old with Judaism as part of their lives, are welcome to sign up.
PJ Library® welcomes all Jewish families, whatever your background, knowledge, or family make-up, or observance may be. Through its partnership with Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, PJ Library® offers activities for your family — because you’ve got to get out of the house and meet new people sometimes.
Your children are learning about the world around them through the stories they hear. PJ Library® books can bring Jewish ideas and inspiration for you and your children to share together.
Locally, the program is made possible through generous support from Friedman CJE and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, along with Sheila & Alec (z”l) Engelstein, The Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, and so many others! We are always grateful for our loving founding donor, Dorothy Adler (z”l).
To learn more and to sign up, click here: pjlibrary.org
PJ Our Way® is the next chapter of PJ Library® for kids ages 9-12. [They can actually sign up the day after they turn 8 ½!] It is available free of charge throughout the U.S. and Canada to families raising Jewish children. Every month, kids can visit the PJ Our Way website to choose a book from a selection of titles that have been reviewed by a panel of educators, parents, and kids. That’s 12 free books a year!
Kids can also submit reviews & videos about the books, take polls & quizzes, participate in monthly interviews & challenges, and comment on blog posts. They can also create book trailers & videos to communicate with peers about the books.
Sign up today at pjourway.org!
CJE’s Jewish Family Engagement & Outreach Team offers:
CONNECTing with Young Families Raising Jewish Children
The Family Engagement & Outreach team of professionals serves as “concierge” to our Jewish community, helping to answer questions about programs, services, synagogues, schools and more. We accomplish this through face-to-face meetings, communications via email & phone and with various social media platforms. Our social media efforts include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, reaching busy parents where they are. Annual mailings of printed resource materials, such as our “Jewish First Steps” and “Jewish Next Steps” brochures, help families raising children in Jewish households to identify their Jewish journey and then connect to local Jewish organizations and institutions. In addition, we offer a wonderful gift for families with new babies through our Shalom Palm Beach Baby welcome program.
GROWing with Jewish Institutions, Synagogues & Families
Our strong connection to local families allows our Family Engagement & Outreach team the unique ability to identify their needs and work collaboratively with our community partners to fulfill those needs. Such partnerships provide our community with PJ Library®and PJ Our Way®family engagement & outreach programs for all of our partners including tot Shabbats throughout the area. Through some of our collaborations, we strengthen our living bridge between PJ Library®families in the Greater Palm Beaches and those families in our partner region in Israel. These collaborative programs occur throughout our 900-square-mile catchment area in Jewish settings and in public spaces.
LEARNing with Jewish Early Childhood Learning Centers, Jewish Community Day School, Religious Schools and Synagogues
The Family Engagement & Outreach team meets the needs of the Jewish community by providing expert consultation services in family life education, family engagement programming, professional teacher development and outreach. Consultations provide resources and tools that enhance synagogue and school family programs, improve online communications and increase public awareness and involvement for institutions and schools. Our goal is to support those who implement programs and services with the latest tools and resources, enabling them to offer dynamic and high-quality engagement programs and learning opportunities that support our diverse community of families raising children in Jewish households.
Here is a listing of the activities happening in our Jewish community. You’ll find information about ongoing & recurring programs hosted by local early childhood centers, our day school and other Jewish organizations. Click here to see all the listings.
Have a new baby or know a new parent in the greater Palm Beaches? Shalom Palm Beach Baby welcomes families with new babies (born within the past 12 months) by helping make connections and engage in the vibrant JEWISH life of the greater Palm Beaches. Each new Shalom Palm Beach Baby family receives a free welcome box filled with gifts, resources and information to help celebrate (and navigate) raising a family with Judaism as part of the home. Families must live in our service area: east to Palm Beach island, west to Wellington, south to Boynton Beach, and north to Port St. Lucie.
beliefnet
Beliefnet offers answers to many questions families have about what is special about Jewish life and how it differs from other religious traditions.
18Doors
18Doors empowers people in interfaith relationships – individuals, couples, families and their children – to engage in Jewish life and make Jewish choices, and encourages Jewish communities to welcome them. For interfaith couples and families in formation, 18Doors helps you build confidence in your relationship with Jewish. They understand Jewish interfaith relationships – and deliver knowledge and connection to help you open the door to Jewish in a non-judgmental way.
Be’chol Lashon (Hebrew for “in every language”) strengthens Jewish identity by raising awareness about the ethnic, racial and cultural diversity of Jewish identity and experience. Be’chol Lashon brings the historic Jewish commitment to civil rights and racial justice forward into the 21st century. Embracing the historical diversity of the Jewish people and, more importantly, the growing diversity of the community today is the most important step toward securing relevancy in an exciting American future.
Gateways
Jewish special education info for parents raising children with special needs.
Bible Belt Balabusta
Being Jewish in the Buckle of the Bible Belt is always an adventure.
Creative Jewish Mom
Many crafty ideas for Jewish celebrations.
Kveller
Kveller – for those who want to add a Jewish twist to their parenting.
My Jewish Learning
My Jewish Learning is a transdenominational website of Jewish information and education geared toward learners of all religious and educational backgrounds.
How to Create a Backyard Sanctuary for Kids with Disabilities
Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County-Inclusion & Early Intervention
Jewish Grandparents Network
The Jewish Grandparents Network explores new ways for grandparents to play joyful and meaningful roles in our families, to cherish our time together, and to share our Jewish stories, heritage, and traditions. The Jewish Grandparents Network proudly welcomes, respects, and values the participation of all, including interfaith families, people of all abilities, religious practices, backgrounds, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, and socio-economic status. Jewish Grandparents Network believes that diversity in our families makes us stronger, enriches the Jewish community, and enables us to be better Jewish and world citizens. Inclusivity is at the core of their mission as a community. They embrace inclusion as a mindset, a way of thinking that opens doors to opportunities for meaningful engagement, connection, and belonging. Together, we can cultivate a more inclusive Jewish community that recognizes the value, dignity, and capabilities of every individual.
PJ Library® Grandparents
Grandparents play an important role in the lives of their grandchildren. They pass down tradition and heritage through the values they’ve taught their children and the family history they share with future generations. This link provides resources to help you support your grandkid(s) on their Jewish journeys.
If you’d like connections on your Jewish journey, we are here for you!
Our contact information is below, as well as our social media links. Please connect with us, friend us and reach out anytime!
Erika Simon Connect with us on Facebook here.
Director of Family Engagement
ronni.ticker@jewishpalmbeach.org | 561.209.2608
Family Engagement Officer/PJ Library® Manager
erika.simon@jewishpalmbeach.org | 561.209.2616
Family Engagement Officer
iryssa.jackowitz@jewishpalmbeach.org | 561.242.6681
Follow us on Instagram here.
