Jewish Learning Venture

As we prepare to observe Juneteenth, we invite our community to reflect on the ongoing journey from liberation to justice.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas learned they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. For many Jews, the themes of freedom, remembrance, and collective responsibility resonate deeply with our own story of liberation.

This year, we are honored to share a thoughtful essay by Rav Tiferet Berenbaum exploring Juneteenth through a Jewish lens. Her reflection challenges us to consider what it means to celebrate freedom while continuing the work of building a more just and equitable society for all.

As we approach Juneteenth, may we learn, listen, and recommit ourselves to the sacred work of pursuing justice.

Read Rav Tiferet’s essay:https://static1.squarespace.com/static/647e1978be6e9a41fef6dc6c/t/6a3037643c479b4915dab3bf/1781544804794/Updated+Rav+Tiferet%27s+Juneteenth+Essay.pdf

Every person is created b’tzelem Elohim (in the image of God) and deserves to be seen, valued, and celebrated for who they are. This Pride Month, we honor the dignity, belonging, and uniqueness of LGBTQ+ individuals and families in our community. 🌈✡️
(we kinda do it all year long, too. just saying.)

One of the highlights of the PJ Library Conference was connecting with Harold Grinspoon, whose vision and enduring commitment to Jewish families has transformed communities around the world.

Through PJ Library, millions of books have found their way into the hands and hearts of children, helping families create meaningful Jewish moments together. We are grateful for Harold's leadership and for the opportunity to carry that vision forward here in Greater Philadelphia.

Every day, Jewish Learning Venture and jkidphilly build on that foundation, connecting families to Jewish life, community, learning, and each other through experiences that help Jewish journeys grow and thrive.

Thank you, Harold, for inspiring this work and for believing in the power of investing in Jewish families.

This partnership with PJ Library and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation is truly an honor. To have our work, approach, and engagement recognized by Alex Zablotsky and the entire PJ Library team is a celebration of our shared commitment to Jewish families.
Thank you for celebrating this milestone with us - and for helping make it possible.

PJ Library Executive Director Alex Zablotsky and Director of Community Partnerships Rachel Rapoport were privileged to join Jewish Learning Venture, PJ Library's implementing partner in Philadelphia, last week for their annual gala. This year's theme was a celebration of 18 years of PJ Library in Philadelphia!

Lori Shapiro, the First Lady of Pennsylvania, spoke beautifully about the power PJ Library held for her four kids, each of whom received the books.

Alex spoke about the incredible impact PJ Library and JLV have made through our partnership.

"Something I’ve learned through my years at PJ Library is that Jewish parents and families are looking for the same things, no matter where they live. Parents share with us the same hopes of sharing Jewish values with their children, and the same challenges of building Jewish pride and resilience in these challenging times. Our research has found almost identical levels of interest in Jewish community, all around the world. And Philadelphia continues to meet that demand," Alex shared. "We trust the JLV team to blend a keen analytical approach with beautiful relational engagement."

At the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, we focus on scale - delivering books to as many homes as possible. We rely on our local partners, like JLV, to build on those monthly deliveries and to develop authentic, enduring Jewish community. Mazal tov to the JLV for 18 years of doing exactly that!

18 years. Thousands of families. Countless Jewish stories.

We're honored to be featured in the Jewish Exponent as we celebrate PJ Library in Philadelphia's Chai Year. For 18 years, PJ Library - acting as an access point to jkidphilly programming - has helped connect families across Greater Philadelphia to Jewish life, community, and tradition - one book at a time.

Thank you to the families, supporters, and partners who have been part of this journey.

Read the full story below!
https://www.jewishexponent.com/pj-library-in-philadelphia-marks-chai-year/

PJ Library in Philadelphia Marks ‘Chai’ Year Over 18 years, PJ Library has distributed close to 1 million Jewish children’s books to young families in Philadelphia.

🌈 Happy Pride Month from Jewish Learning Venture! 🌈

This month (and every month, really), we celebrate the Jewish LGBTQ+ community - parents, kids and tweens - and reaffirm a value that guides everything👏🏻 we 👏🏽do 👏🏿: everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and that they belong.

YOU ARE WELCOME HERE.

Jewish learning is enriched by the many identities, experiences, and stories that make up our community. We are committed to creating spaces where people can show up as their full selves, connect meaningfully, and find a sense of belonging.

What an extraordinary evening celebrating 18 years of PJ Library in Philadelphia and the story of Jewish Learning Venture.

Our Celebration was one of the most joyful and well-attended in JLV history — a room filled with longtime supporters, new faces, powerful stories, and deep connection. We were especially honored to welcome Pennsylvania First Lady Lori Shapiro, who reflected on her family’s own jkidphilly journey.

Throughout the evening, we heard story after story about the impact of PJ Library and jkidphilly. Again and again, we were reminded that these books are never just books. They are doorways to connection, identity, community, and Jewish life.

Todah rabah to our event chairs, honorary chairs, partners at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, our Honorary Committee, and the incredible JLV staff for making this evening possible.

Here’s to 18 years of stories and to all the stories still waiting to be written.

Jewish identity has never looked just one way.

As we near the end of Jewish American Heritage Month - alongside Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month - we’re creating space for stories, identities, and experiences that deserve to be seen, heard, and honored.

Join jkidphilly and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History on May 31 for an interactive adult-only workshop with award-winning educator and "What Jewish Looks Like" co-author Liz Kleinrock.

Together, we’ll explore identity, belonging, representation, and the many ways Jewishness is lived and understood today, especially in the JoC community.

🗓 May 31
🕐 1:00–2:30 PM
📍 Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History

✨ The first 100 registrants will receive a free copy of "What Jewish Looks Like."

If you’ve been craving meaningful conversation, deeper connection, and a more expansive understanding of Jewish community, we hope you’ll join us.

Register today: jkidphilly.org/event/what-does-jewish-look-like