PJ Goes to Camp

PJ Goes to Camp is sponsored by Harold Grinspoon Foundation (in partnership with Foundation for Jewish Camp). Offers grants for campers who are alumni of PJ Library or have a sibling who is a member, and are not in a "One Happy Camper" city. There is also a limited lottery for grants to kids currently enrolled in Jewish Day Schools.

HGF News & Updates | Harold Grinspoon Foundation PJ Library’s Sephardic Stories Initiative Enters Its Third Year with Four PJ Publishing Book Deals and a New Writing Cohort PJ Library’s Sephardic Stories Initiative (SSI) was launched in 2024 to inspire, motivate, and empower burgeoning authors of Sephardi and Mizrahi backgrounds to leverage their cultural histories and meaningfully add to the cannon of Jewish children’s literature.

3 Tips to Make Volunteers Your Organization’s Best Resource JCamp 180 Shares New Logo, Resources Ahead of Summer Camping Season Finding Community Through Story: Inside PJ Library’s Sephardic Stories Initiative Retreat New PJ Library Soundtracks Bring Music to Jewish Families Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards Foundation for Jewish Camps Grinspoon Jewish Story Awards 3 Tips to Make Volunteers Your Organization’s Best Resource When it comes to the work that Life & Legacy undertakes with Jewish organizations to promote current and after-lifetime giving to build endowments, an organization’s employees are just one part of the picture.

Another key stakeholder in a strong culture of philanthropy is the volunteer.

PJ Library’s Sephardic Stories Initiative Enters Its Third Year with Four PJ Publishing Book Deals and a New Writing Cohort PJ Library’s Sephardic Stories Initiative (SSI) was launched in 2024 to inspire, motivate, and empower burgeoning authors of Sephardi and Mizrahi backgrounds to leverage their cultural histories and meaningfully add to the cannon of Jewish children’s literature.

Finding Community Through Story: Inside PJ Library’s Sephardic Stories Initiative Retreat For four days, twelve writers from across the United States, Australia, and Israel gathered—eight in person in Boyds Mills, Pennsylvania, and four virtually—to learn, write, and connect around a shared goal: creating children's books that celebrate Sephardi, Mizrahi, and Ethiopian Jewish stories.

New PJ Library Soundtracks Bring Music to Jewish Families In April, PJ Library families received a special insert with their book mailing inviting them to tune in to PJ Library soundtracks.

PJ Library Kicks Off Summer in NYC with Partnerships and Programs for Readers of All Ages As the weather warms up and the school year comes to end, PJ Library is kicking off summer in the city with several activities and festivities celebrating Jewish New York’s longstanding vibrancy.

JCamp 180 Shares New Logo, Resources Ahead of Summer Camping Season JCamp 180, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, debuted its new logo last week via email to 100 overnight and nearly 40 day camps. PJ Library Sparks Meaningful Literary Connections in Cape Town South Africa is the only country on the African continent with a PJ Library program.

Its presence there is thanks to a partnership between King David School in Johannesburg, Herzlia School in Cape Town, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, and generous donors.

PJ Library’s Annual International Conference Draws 200+ to Talk Growth (and Why It Matters) A year ago, when PJ Library convened 175 partners, program professionals, and parent connectors in Springfield, Massachusetts, for the annual PJ Library International Conference, the program was on track to mail 244,448 books to children ages 0-12 across North America.

A Note from Harold and Winnie Winnie Sandler Grinspoon will be retiring from her active professional role as President of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and transitioning to chair of the Board of Trustees. PJ Library’s Award-Winning Podcast Network Reaches Two Million Downloads In 2019, PJ Library created a first-of-its-kind podcast, Have I Got a Story For You! , featuring contemporary retellings of classic Jewish stories.

Bringing Jewish Joy: PJ Library at the 2026 European Jewish Leaders Summit The ECJC, in partnership with the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and global partners has convened its Summit for Jewish Leaders every three years since 2015.

PJ Library is Your Go-To Destination for All Your Passover Needs Passover is the ultimate Jewish story – a tale of freedom, hope, and food – which makes it the perfect holiday to share with the entire family.

PJ Library and Streit’s Partner Once Again to Bring Passover Fun to Families PJ Library and Streits, two beloved names in Jewish family traditions, have joined together for the past several years to feature PJ Library on – and inside – the Streit's Matzo box. PJ Library Launches “Next Level Books Fund,” Enabling Independent Publishers to Create Quality Jewish Children’s Books This investment earmarks $1.

2 million over the next three years to support the creation of beautiful, meaningful, and beloved Jewish children's books by investing in publishers, authors, and illustrators.

Why I Encouraged Making “Purim Baskets” for Animals On February first, PJ Publishing, PJ Library’s publishing imprint, released three brand new children’s books highlighting different aspects of Purim: Today I Am a Hamantasch (age 0) by Varda Livney, Purim Baskets (age 1) by Nancy Churnin, and Purim Possibilities (age 3) by Barbara Kimmel.

With 8,000 Events and Counting, PJ Library’s “Get Together” Offers a Tool for Connection PJ Library families hosted 8,000 Get Togethers between early September and late December 2025. Q&A with Michelle Koplan, Winner, 2025 Grinspoon Amber Awards In honor of the open nomination window, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation is running a series of Q&A’s with the 2025 winners, concluding with Michelle Koplan.

Q&A with Elana Frank, Winner, 2025 Grinspoon Amber Awards In honor of the open nomination window, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation is running a series of Q&A’s with the 2025 winners, continuing with Elana Frank. JCamp 180 Announces 36 2026 Day Camp Grant Recipients JCamp 180, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, is excited to announce the 36 recipients of the Day Camp Matching Grant.

PJ Library and 92NY Hold First Ever Jewish Children’s Book Festival This past Sunday, over 2,000 families ventured to the Upper East Side for a day dedicated to the joy and excitement that Jewish children’s books inspire. Q&A with Jon Falk, Winner, 2025 Grinspoon Amber Awards In honor of the open nomination window, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation is running a series of Q&A’s with the 2025 winners, continuing with Jon Falk.

A PJ Our Way Milestone: 2 Million Middle Grade Jewish Books This week, PJ Our Way, the continuation of PJ Library for middle grade readers aged 9-12, is marking a huge milestone: Two Million PJ Our Way books have been mailed since the program’s inception!

Q&A with Jeremy Burton, Winner, 2025 Grinspoon Amber Awards In honor of the open nomination window, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation is running a series of Q&A’s with the 2025 winners, continuing with Jeremy Burton.

Q&A with Rabbi Ana Bonnheim, Winner, 2025 Grinspoon Amber Awards In honor of the open nomination window, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation is running a series of Q&A’s with the 2025 winners, starting with Rabbi Ana Bonnheim JCamp 180 Welcomes Four Nonprofit Jewish Camps From Across North America JCamp 180, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, equips over 100 Jewish nonprofit overnight camps and nearly 40 day camps across North America with knowledge, skills, and resources to help them develop long-term organizational excellence.

That excellence is key to a camp’s ability to thrive and offer experiences that create lifelong Jewish connections. Buy Books and More at PJ Library’s New Online Store Just in time for Hanukkah, PJ Library is making several of its books, holiday guides, and family-friendly gifts available for purchase in a new online store!

PJ Library Celebrates Five Years and 120+ Jewish Kids Books in Brazil When PJ Library began in Brazil in 2020, there were approximately five Jewish titles for kids available for sale across the entire country. And these books were difficult to get ahold of.

Shalom Bayit (A Peaceful Home): How PJ Library is Strengthening Jewish Engagement in Latvia Every November, as snow begins to fall, the Latvian resort town of Jūrmala, located along the chilly Baltic Sea, transforms into a warm hub of Jewish life and learning. On one Friday morning after school, Jewish families pack up excited children and head to the three-day Gibush Conference, known in Latvia as “the main Jewish event of the year.

” Meet the First Five Winners of the Grinspoon Amber Awards Earlier today at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) named its inaugural five winners of the Grinspoon Amber Awards.

Little Learners, Big Ideas at PJ Library in the UK’s Engagement Conference Earlier this week, the PJ Library UK team brought together 33 Jewish educators — including nursery school teachers, synagogue educators, and communal professionals — for a day of learning and inspiration at the second Community Engagement Conference.

Four Steps to Build a Strong Legacy Initiative As a Life & Legacy Community Consultant of 10 years, Tammy Dollin knows the questions, hesitations, and fears that arise around asking people to consider leaving legacy gifts. After all, it’s taking two already challenging conversational topics — death and money — and combining them.

Life & Legacy Surpasses $2 Billion in Commitments Towards a Vibrant Jewish Future Today, the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) has announced that the Life & Legacy program has surpassed $2 billion in legacy commitments. This program, a collaborative effort across 70+ communities, is paving the way for a vibrant Jewish future across North America.

JCamp 180 Conference Invites Jewish Camps to Go Forward Through Inspiration, Learning, and Connection Last week’s JCamp 180 annual conference welcomed more than 400 camp directors, development professionals, board members, and lay-leaders to Western Massachusetts for three days of networking, learning, strategizing and, of course, campfire-style singing.

Mentorship, Camaraderie, and Culture at PJ Library’s Sephardic Stories Initiative Retreat Around the table there were colorful stories of Bukharan cooking, Iraqi Passover customs, Turkish coffee rituals, Libyan family lore, and other tales woven from a rich treasure trove of Sephardic historical memory.

‘PJ Library Presents: Afternoons with Mimi’ Joins Kids Podcast Series Exploring Big Feelings A few weeks ago, Kids Listen, a nonprofit organization dedicated to high-quality children’s audio, announced the launch of Big Emotions: Kids Listen Mashups About Feelings, a limited podcast series.

For 20 Aspiring Authors, PJ Library’s Picture Book Summer Camp Is More Than a Writer’s Retreat Each August for the past four years, PJ Library has invited 20 emerging Jewish storybook authors to the rolling hills of rural Pennsylvania for PJ Library’s Picture Book Summer Camp (PBSC). 5 Tips for Engaging Your Organization’s Board to Help Build an Endowment What will your organization look like, ten, twenty, fifty years from now?

There’s no sure-fire way to predict the future, but building an endowment is the best way to secure it. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation Welcomes Michael Hoffman to Board of Directors Hoffman is joining the HGF’s nine-person board, which includes the Foundation’s founder and namesake, Harold Grinspoon, and oversees the Foundation’s investments to support the pillars of a strong Jewish future.

Life and Legacy’s Annual Conference Strategically Positions Jewish Communities for Future-Building Success This past week, 220 representatives from Jewish communities across the U.S. and Canada came together in Springfield, Massachusetts for the 2025 Life & Legacy Leadership Conference.

175+ Program Professionals and Parent Connectors Glimpse into Mirrors and Windows at PJ Library’s International Conference This past week, 175+ PJ Library partners from communities across North America came together with PJ Library staff in Springfield, MA for three days of learning and networking at the organization’s International Conference, which has been held annually since 2009.

PJ Library and Penguin Random House’s New Book Tells the Story Behind the First White House Seder PJ Library, in partnership with Penguin Random House’s Crown Books for Young Readers, is excited to announce the release of “Next Year in the White House: Barack Obama’s First Presidential Seder,” a heartwarming Passover children's book by award-winning author Richard Michelson and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator E. B. Lewis.

Harold Grinspoon Deepens Commitment to Jewish Children’s Book Authors with the Grinspoon Jewish Story Awards It’s a remarkable feat to write a book, especially one that speaks to the values and vibrancy of the Jewish community.

Since 2020, The Harold Grinspoon Foundation has recognized the significant achievements of new authors selected for the PJ Library and PJ Our Way line-ups, and now, the Author Incentive Award will be known as the Grinspoon Jewish Story Awards.

The Grinspoon Amber Awards to Honor Outstanding Professionals in the Jewish Communal Field The Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) proudly announced the launch of the Grinspoon Amber Awards at the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) 2024 General Assembly gathering in Washington DC.

This March, PJ Library Presents, A Podcast Network for Kids (With a Jewish Twist) Crosses the One Million Download Milestone This March, PJ Library Presents, the award-winning podcast network for kids, has crossed the one million download milestone.

As one of the largest free book programs in the world, PJ Library launched the network three years ago as another way to help parents bring Jewish stories, celebrations, and traditions into family life. Why is this matzah box different than all others?

PJ Library, the free, global Jewish storybook program created by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, is teaming up with Streit’s Matzos to bring kid-friendly resources and activities to more Jewish families in the U.S. and Canada this Passover.

Foundation for Jewish Camp and JCamp 180® Partner to Present the Jewish Camp Summit in December 2024 Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) and JCamp 180, a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), are partnering to host a joint Jewish Camp Summit December 8-11, 2024.

Pioneer Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation Celebrates 20th Annual Teachers Awards 2023 marks the 20th Anniversary of the Excellence in Teaching Awards for educators in Western Massachusetts. The award, given by the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation (HGCF) in partnership with the Irene E. and George A.

Davis Foundation, seeks to motivate teachers at all stages of their careers to aspire to excellence. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s JCamp 180® to invest $25 million in Jewish Camps JCamp 180, a core program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), will support more than 100 nonprofit Jewish overnight camps over the next five years with the $25 million Forward Together matching grant.

New $11 Million Grant Programs for Nonprofit Jewish Summer Camps Announced as Camps Prepare for Strong 2021 Summer As nonprofit Jewish summer camps continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing uncertainty, leading Jewish funders are committing to nearly $11 million in matching funds for Jewish camps, with the hope that their effort continues to further recovery and inspires additional giving in 2021.

PJ Library New York Engagement Grants Awarded The Harold Grinspoon Foundation is excited to present the 2021-2022 cohort of PJ Library New York Engagement Grant recipients. The investment in nine partners will help us continue to GROW BOLDLY in New York City, Long Island and Westchester by identifying and engaging families new to PJ Library who are not yet actively participating in Jewish life in their local community.

Keren Grinspoon Israel Announces New Executive Director Keren Grinspoon Israel (KGI) announced today that it has selected Andrea Arbel as its new executive director, following Galina Vromen’s retirement after 18 years with KGI and the U.S.-based Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF).

U.S. Library of Congress Honors Literacy Programs in Israel The Library of Congress has announced that Keren Grinspoon Israel (KGI, the Grinspoon Israel Foundation) has been selected as a 2020 Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program Best Practice Honoree.

Local Farmer Awards Marks Sixth Year and 70 New Infrastructure Projects At an essential time for local farmers, a group of community philanthropic leaders and businesses have come together to fund the Local Farmer Awards for the sixth year in a row.

Pioneer Valley College Students Recognized for Entrepreneurial Spirit 86 students from 14 local colleges and universities recently received awards for their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit (This represents 55 unique businesses and business concepts.)

The Harold Grinspoon Foundation to Give $10 Million in Emergency Grants to Non-Profit Jewish Summer Camps in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic The Harold Grinspoon Foundation today announced $10 million in new emergency grant funding to support the non-profit Jewish summer overnight camps that participate in the foundation’s JCamp 180® program. "A community is too heavy to carry alone."

If ever there was a time to serve our communities, it is now. I write to share an update on some of the immediate steps we are taking at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in light of COVID-19.

Local Farmer Awards Marks 5 Years and over Half a Million Dollars Granted for Farm Infrastructure Projects Celebrating its 5th year, the Local Farmer Awards are funded by a group of philanthropic leaders and businesses, the Local Farm Awards recently gave $142,500 in amounts up to $2500 to 62 farmers in Western Massachusetts and Eastern New York for materials and equipment to make infrastructure improvements.

2018 Excellence in Teaching Awards Program Honors 113 in 3 Banquet Programs The third and last spring banquet honoring a total of 113 teachers in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden Counties was held on May 10th at the Log Cabin in Holyoke.

Three Winners of Elevator Pitch Competition and Best Entrepreneurial Exhibitors Announced In front of a crowd of 450 guests including college presidents, faculty, entrepreneurs, and students, three students were selected as the winners of the 15th annual Live Elevator Pitch Competition last night at Grinspoon Entrepreneurship Initiative Annual Banquet.

Local Farmer Awards Give $135,000 to 59 Farmers in Western Massachusetts This month, the Local Farmer Awards, funded by a group of philanthropic leaders and businesses, gave $135,000 in awards to 59 farmers operating in Western Massachusetts to fund infrastructure improvements on their farms.

Grinspoon Foundation honoring local farmers at awards ceremony The Harold Grinspoon Foundation honored western Massachusetts farmers for the third year running Wednesday night. Forty-nine local farms each received $2,500 grants to support local agriculture.

Over 500 Pioneer Valley College Students Attended the November 3rd Entrepreneurship Conference in Springfield The 13th annual Grinspoon, Garvey & Young Entrepreneurship Conference was held on Friday, November 3 at the MassMutual Center and was by all accounts a great success.

Local Farmer Awards Give $116,000 to Local Farmers Now in its 3rd year, the Local Farmer Awards program is helping farmers welcome the growing season with funds to make infrastructure improvements to expand their businesses.

Local Banks to Sponsor Live Collegiate Elevator Pitch Competition Six local community banks will sponsor a live elevator pitch competition at the fourteenth annual Awards Banquet for the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation's Collegiate Entrepreneurship Initiative.

Second Year of Local Farmer Awards Received by 47 Farmers Recognizing that farming is essential to our community, Local Farmer Award partners, the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation and Big Y awarded 47 local farmers from the Berkshires to the Pioneer Valley $2,500 to make physical infrastructure improvements to their farms.

Local Banks to Sponsor Competition for "Best Pitch in the Valley" Six local community banks will sponsor a live elevator pitch competition at the thirteenth annual Awards Banquet for the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation's Entrepreneurship Initiative.

“Sergeant Shower” Wins Elevator Pitch Competition and Best Entrepreneurial Exhibitors Announced Jonathan LaFrance, an MBA student from Bay Path University took first place at last night's business competition pitching Sergeant Shower, a biodegradable 2-sided single-use all-in-one shampoo and body wash cloth mitt.

Grinspoon Foundation Honors Outstanding Educators Over a hundred well-wishers attended the Educators' Gala at Temple Beth El in Springfield on May 28, at which four outstanding teachers in our region received Awards for Excellence in Jewish Education from the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.

Ten More Families Commit Majority of Wealth to Philanthropy Today the Giving Pledge announced the addition of ten new individuals and families to the pledge since May 2014, bringing the current total of signatories to 137.

Elevator Pitch and Alumni Award Winner Announced Laura Whiteley, a Holyoke Community College took first place at last night's business competition pitching a small wallet with the ability to protect itself with thumb print recognition and tracking capabilities.

Board Appointment of Winifred Sandler Grinspoon Winifred Sandler Grinspoon has been appointed President of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a non-profit organization that support programs that enhance the vibrancy of Jewish life, primarily in North America and Israel.

New Study Shows American Jews Are Embracing “DIY Judaism” Findings from the largest known study of North American families raising Jewish children pose a provocative question: Could DIY Judaism be the answer to concerns about declining Jewish identity and engagement?

Community Banks to Sponsor Annual Pitch Competition at 15th Annual Entrepreneurship Banquet The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Initiative will mark its 15th year with an evening of exhibits, contests and celebration at the Log Cabin in Holyoke on April 25, 2018