How one charity helped start a new chapter in Russia
Every month, over 630,000 Jewish children in 21 countries receive books that the whole family can read together, thanks to the US-based Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF)
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
A delegation from the US-based Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) has visited Kiev, Moscow and St Petersburg.
With support from leading Jewish philanthropists, the Grinspoon Foundation runs PJ Library, an international charity programme which provides children with Jewish books in English, Hebrew, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian.
Every month, over 630,000 Jewish children in 21 countries receive books that the whole family can read together.
The visit marked PJ Library’s third anniversary in Russia and the programme’s launch in Ukraine.
The delegation was headed by the programme’s founder, 89-year-old American philanthropist Harold Grinspoon, and the Foundation’s president, Winnie Sandler Grinspoon. The delegation included the leadership of Genesis Philanthropy Group, JDC board members and donors from the US, Canada and Hong Kong.
HGF President Winnie Sandler Grinspoon said: “During our trip we met PJ Library parents, Jewish educators and leaders from across the former Soviet Union who cherish PJ Library books and educational materials. PJ Library in Russian is the largest PJ Library programme outside North America and Israel. We look forward to welcoming thousands of Jewish families in Ukraine to the PJ Library family”.
The programme was launched in Russia in December 2015, with support from its international partner, Genesis Philanthropy Group. It was also backed by the Joint Distribution Committee, the Russian Jewish Congress and several private donors.
The programme now sends books to 7,800 children in 60 regions. Eighty-six books with a total circulation of 170,000 copies have been published and given to families.
In April, the programme’s pilot phase started in Kiev, Odessa and Dnipro. Later, books will become available to Jewish families all over Ukraine. Apart from Genesis Philanthropy Group, the programme launch was supported by the Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, the Gazin Family Fund and the Koum Family Foundation.
Ilia Salita, Genesis Philanthropy Group president and CEO, said: “As a global partner of PJ Library, Genesis Philanthropy Group is very glad that the library’s books can go to readers in Jewish families in Russia, and now also in Ukraine. It is very important to us, because through family reading, children can experience Jewish culture and our common heritage, regardless of where they live today”.
The mission concluded in St Petersburg, where the YESOD Jewish community centre hosted PJ Library’s first all-Russian conference.
The conference gathered 120 educators from 45 Russian cities, as well as their colleagues from Ukraine and Moldova. The programme included presentations by 20 outstanding lecturers, educators, artists and other specialists.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
