28 | MARCH 9 • 2023 

OUR COMMUNITY

M

any of us know 
that PJ Library 
sends free, award-
winning books that celebrate 
Jewish values and culture to 
families with children from 
birth through age 12. What 
you may not know is that PJ 
Library offers “Get Together” 
grants to help families host 
Jewish-themed gatherings 
with friends.
Get togethers can be 
anything from hosting a 
traditional Shabbat dinner 
to a Jewish book club to a 
playdate with other Jewish 
families. Requests have been 
made for costume parties 
and hamantaschen bakes to 
help celebrate Purim. Need 

help with an idea? Visit the 
PJ Library website for ideas 
on how to celebrate holidays, 
tips for hosting a get 
together and much more to 
make your experience both 
easy and unique. 
As director of 
Programming and 
Engagement for PJ Library 
Detroit and JDetroit, 
Shoshana Fain helps facilitate 
the PJ Library Get Together 
grants locally. 
“Our main goal is to 
build community by giving 
people the incentive to do 
something Jewish they may 
not have done otherwise,” 
Fain said. “If they were 
already planning to get 

together, they can make it 
extra special with the $100 
grant. Since September 
2022, we have had over 100 
applicants, and our goal is to 
get to 200 by May 31, 2023.”
Parent Stacey Wisenthal 
of Beverly Hills said, “We 
were so fortunate to be able 
to take advantage of the PJ 
Library Get Together grant 
for our Chanukah party 
with preschool friends. We 
rented a space, and the kids 
played Chanukah bingo, pin 
the shamash on the candle, 
ate pizza, had snacks and 
got cookie kits to take home 
to decorate. It was a nice 
opportunity for the parents 
to be able to mingle as well.”
The PJ Library Get 
Together grant helped 
parent Kara Rodnick of West 
Bloomfield host a special 
Shabbat experience for her 
family. In her application, 
she said, “We would like to 
have a real Shabbat dinner. 
Being married for six years 
and having a 2-year-old, 
we have never done a real 
Shabbat dinner before. I 
would like to include family 
and friends. I would like to 
have my daughter help light 
candles and enjoy a nice 
meal with our family.” 

Here in the Foon family, 
in September, I hosted the 
first night of Rosh Hashanah 
for my extended family and 
friends. I applied for a PJ 
Library Get Together grant 
and found the process to be 
both simple and rewarding. I 
visited the website to get new 
and exciting ideas for how 
to make the holiday more 
enjoyable for the children 
and adults alike. 
I hosted my next PJ 
Library Get Together 

for Purim and made 
hamantaschen with my 
5-year-old twins and their 
friends.
The process is easy! 
Families can apply up to 
three times before May 31, 
2023:
Step 1: Submit an online 
application for approval 
detailing your Get Together 
plans with at least two 
families other than your 
own.
Step 2: Once approved, 
within three to five days, 
host your event!
Step 3: Complete a simple 
online report sharing details 
on your Get Together event.
Step 4: PJ Library will 
reimburse you for up to 
$100 of expenses to feed, 
entertain and delight your 
gathered guests. 

Questions? Contact Shoshana Fain, 

director, programming and engage-

ment, PJ Library Detroit and JDetroit. 

To apply, visit https://pjlibrary.org/

beyond-books/get-together/get-togeth-

er-2023.

PJ Library is helping families get 
together with friends for 
Jewish-themed gatherings.

SAMANTHA FOON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

‘Get Together 
Grants’

Bea Wiesenthal, 4, 
and Edison Mentzel, 4, 
both of Beverly Hills

Jordyn Rodnick, 
2, of West 
Bloomfield

