Beltway Bambinos

(re) discover Washington DC through the eyes of your children

Celebrate the High Holidays at home with PJ Library

Each fall, Jews around the world celebrate the High Holidays: Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).  It’s a time when one can take a deep breath and think about the ways to make ourselves and the world a better place. Traditionally, many families celebrate the holidays at synagogue and with relatives and friends. This year, to stay safe, many are staying home, so PJ Library has created a FREE, everything-you-need family guide to help celebrate what may be many family’s first High Holidays spent entirely at home. It’s easy to subscribe to PJ Library just click HERE! Be sure to check out and download this beautifully-illustrated “High Holidays at Home: A PJ Library Family Guide” featuring new and familiar rituals, hands-on activities such as shofar making and challah baking, conversation starters, “unpacking” of selected prayers (with tips on talking with children about God), and family-friendly explanations — all aimed at making the ten days the High Holidays are celebrated meaningful, memorable and fun for families, this year and in the future. The guide is also accompanied by an interactive online companion that offers helpful how-to videos, music, and audio versions of blessing and prayers.

Our family used the guide to make homemade challah, using the recipe in the guide. It was so simple and a great way to bond and discuss the holidays.

It’s easy to subscribe to PJ Library just click HERE!

PJ Library podcasts for children

Since being in quarantine, podcasts have been a popular way for children to get their fill of information and entertainment while being in the car headed someplace for an extended stay or in the comfort of their homes. The good part about podcasts is that they are easily accessed through a smart phone, tablet, or computer. Prepare for hours of entertainment and even some learning opportunities.

This month PJ Library has two new episodes of the PJ Library Have I Got a Story for You podcast. You can find them here. Every episode of Have I Got a Story For You takes a classic Jewish folk tale and gives it a modern twist. You can explore episodes here and if you find one you really like, be sure to click on the episode page to find activities, book lists, and keep the fun going.

The podcast is just one element of the always-free and open PJ Library Listen hub where you will find all things audio from stories, songs, Spotify playlists and the podcast.

Keep an eye out for PJ Library’s downloadable “fall guide,” coming next month.

Summer Sweetness program from PJ Library

The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and PJ Library are partnering with local organizations to bring families together for stories and hands-on activities around Jewish values through August 20 for a series called Summer Sweetness. For each event, a “guest reader” will read a PJ bedtime story with the night’s theme, and your family can create and learn something to put those values into action. Join us in your pajamas to spread more kindness, gratitude, and friendship in the world.  Best for ages 3-7.

Get the full schedule online here.

PJ Library invites families for a LIVE interactive tour of Jerusalem to unlock the mysteries of the Holy City

Fun for the whole family, admission is free to “You Be the Detective: A Family Tour of Jerusalem,” a unique webinar, which runs from 1:30pm-2:30pm ET on Monday, July 13, 2020.

Though the coronavirus has upended summer travel plans for many, this July, PJ Library wants to send families to the holy city of Jerusalem for a unique and interactive trip. On Monday join engaging tour guide Jonty Blackman for the LIVE hour-long webinar “You Be the Detective: A Family Tour of Jerusalem.” Though bags don’t need to be packed and admission is free, space is limited and registration is required here. With Israel also suffering from coronavirus fall-out, tourism in the land of milk & honey has all but stopped. But that’s not stopping PJ Library from inviting interested “tourists” to unlock the mysteries of Jerusalem with a unique, interactive webinar.

Along with veteran Israel tour guide Blackman, families are invited to explore both the old and new city including stops at Jaffa Gate, the Knesset, the City of David and the world-famous Machane Yehudah outdoor market. And, along the way, PJ Library tourists will be invited to uncover the mysteries of Jerusalem, find the yummiest food in the market and discover ancient secrets hidden in archaeological discoveries. Don’t miss out on the most exciting trip of the summer – without leaving your home – with “You Be the Detective: A Family Tour of Jerusalem.”

PJ Library offer families enriching activities

Though some of the country is slowly re-opening from months of shelter-at-home regulations, many school districts across the US have resorted to online learning for the rest of the year. PJ Library, an organization that sends free books to more than 225,000 children across North America each month, continues to offer quarantined families a rich and varied menu of on and offline activities – from hours of scheduled virtual events like “Read Aloud” and “Craft Along” sessions, virtual field trips and much more. 

From awesome activities to pandemic parenting, PJ Library’s “Resources for Quarantined Families” hub continues to offer a plethora of engaging suggestions for together time. 

PJ Library Listen is the hub for all things audio, including read-alouds, dance party music, and must-hear podcasts featuring PJ Library’s Parents’ Choice award-winning “Have I Got a Story for You!,” storytelling games to play with kids, printable games, recipes, and ideas for unplugged time. 

Another valuable resource for families seeking additional enrichment outside of online classes is the PJ Library Facebook page, which offers a daily schedule of live community story time readings, craft demonstrations and sing-a-longs, virtual field trips, and more. Recent highlights included a “visit” and Q&A with New Zealand author Elissa Brent Weissman to talk about her novel The Length of a String; author Eric Kimmel reading an entire chapter from his book Scarlett and Sam: Escape from Egypt; virtual trips to Chicago’s Field Museum, the New England Aquarium and the Pacific Coast Trail; a live challah baking class with author and filmmaker Tiffany Shlain; and instructions about how to make a shadow puppet theater at home. 

For parents and caregivers, PJ Library offers support to help navigate delicate situations that may arise because of the pandemic, including the webinar “Talking with Children about Death and Loss in the Age of the Coronavirus,” hosted by the Director of PJ Library in New York, Rabbi Melanie Levav and PJ Library’s Director of Organizational Partnerships, Sarah Ruderman Wilensky (now available on PJ Library’s YouTube channel) and the posts “How to Talk to Kids About Scary Situations” and “How to Talk to Your Kids About Cancelled Summer Plans,” and “How to Stop Losing It with Your Kids.”

The fun, festive holiday of Purim is exuberant, colorful and full of joy

Let PJ Library’s unique, family-friendly ideas enliven your family celebrations this March! The early springtime holiday of Purim, with all of its festive fun, is an especially accessible holiday for children; this year, the holiday falls on March 9th-10th.

On Purim, it’s customary to listen to the biblical Book of Esther (also known as the Megillah in Hebrew), put on comic productions of the story of Purim called purimspiels (Yiddish for “plays”), dress up in costumes as the famous characters from the story, bake (and eat!) hamantaschen, shake Purim groggers (noisemakers), give gift baskets (mishloach manot) to friends and do tzedakah and other good works to spread joy and help the needy.

This Purim, PJ Library wants to help families celebrate in fun and unique ways, so they’ve created 18 great ideas sure to spur creativity and togetherness.  Whether your children have never dressed for Purim before or baked a classic, delicious hamantaschen – or you’re just tired of the same old routine – check out these enjoyable activities! And, for more, families are welcome to visit PJ Library’s Purim Hub!

If you currently receive PJ Library books, be on the lookout for the special February mailing, which contains a Purim gift basket to make and decorate!

A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library sends more than two hundred ten thousand expertly curated books to families raising Jewish children – every month, at no cost to subscribers. Families raising Jewish children may subscribe here, tapping in to a wealth of information, parenting resources and community events as well as free books.

PJ Library’s Hanukkah Guide

With Hanukkah just around the corner, PJ Library offers a crash course in traditions for the Festival of Lights with an Easy Hanukkah Guide: recipes, gifts and activities for each night.

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is coming up – and that means eight beautiful nights celebrating the miracle of the Maccabees, lighting the menorah, and, well, figuring out what to do to build your family’s own special traditions.

Whether you grew up celebrating Hanukkah or are building traditions with your own family, PJ Library has resources and books for you! Check out their latest post – a Hanukkah “cheat sheet” supplying parents and kids with story book ideas to read each night of Hanukkah, gift ideas to make or exchange, recipes to cook together including delectable latkes and sufganiyot donut holes, and more. You’ll also find a “Get Togethers” section to help you share the holiday with your friends and family!

A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library sends families expertly curated, age-appropriate Jewish children’s books each month at no cost to subscribers. The books encourage parents to share and explore Jewish values, ideas, and traditions with their children. Sign up here for free books, parenting resources, and activities to help your whole family learn, create and play together far beyond story time.

logo design courtesy of New Leaf Design