In April, PJ Library families received a special insert with their book mailing inviting them to tune in to PJ Library soundtracks. Chosen with the same energy and intention as PJ Library’s hand-selected books, these curated playlists full of Jewish music invite families to learn, enjoy, and dance to the beat of their own Jewish drum.
Drawing from a wealth of Jewish music, PJ Library has reimagined and relaunched its music offering for today’s families. The “Music Hub” on the PJ Library website features sets of themed playlists for listeners of different age ranges. There’s one for the youngest listeners that can help start a great day, one for bigger kids about the joys of friendship, and one for tweens about repairing the world.
Music is a familiar offering for PJ Library. When PJ Library was created in 2005, the program was known for sending both Jewish books and music to families. Each December, instead of a book, families received a CD such as Free to Be the Jew in Me, by Rick Recht, or Jammin With Jew!, by Josh & the Jamtones. Over time, as the way people listened to music changed from CDs to mp3s and then to streaming, PJ Library paused sending CDs.
Fast-forward several years, and PJ Library’s Music Hub has become a reimagined music offering that listeners can really move to. Since its launch on April 1, the webpage has been visited by almost 10,000 unique users, and in the months of April and May, it was one of the one of the most-visited pages on the PJ Library site.
“Offering Jewish music to PJ Library families has always been about supporting them to connect with each other and with Jewish themes and values in a uniquely engaging way,” says Alli Thresher, director of digital content, PJ Library. “We can reach some kids best through books, other kids through podcasts, and now we have the opportunity to reach some specifically through music. We knew that re-introducing music was an opportunity for PJ Library to innovate and expand, and we’re so excited to be able to re-enable this core offering on streaming platforms so that families can integrate it directly into their lives.”
Directing families to these online soundtracks is the insert — a piece of mail that serves as a beautiful accompaniment to each of the new PJ Library soundtracks. These illustrated pamphlets, distributed according to the same age range as the playlists, share deeper learning about the songs and their topics, along with thought-provoking questions, conversation starters, and fun family activities.
"These songs come together to create beautiful soundtracks for Jewish living," says Danny Paller, creative director, PJ Library. "There will be music for waking up and going to sleep, music for looking inside ourselves and acting in the world, music for celebrating and imagining and just plain shaking our bodies. Like many of our books, the songs will introduce us to a wide range of Jewish places, experiences, and languages. It will add a whole new layer to the PJ Library experience."
Families can look forward to several more PJ Library soundtracks this year. In July and November, subscribers will find pamphlets enclosed with their PJ Library books, leading them to even more Jewish music they can use to move, inspire, and connect.
