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OCTOBER 15, 2026

PJ Library’s New Implementing Partner Grant Invests in the Power of Communities

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PJ Library is a powerful tool that local communities can use to help cultivate Jewish life and connection. With its new Implementing Partner Grant, PJ Library is shifting the focus of its community funding to promote that cultivation, by investing in communities as systems. The funds awarded through the grant will be used by the grantees to support infrastructure, strategic planning, parent empowerment, and cross-functional collaboration.

“PJ Library’s impact grows when it’s woven into a community’s broader strategy,” says Rachel Rapoport, Director of Community Partnerships, PJ Library. “These grants invest in exactly that: helping communities build the partnerships, parent leadership, and infrastructure that advance their organizational goals. It’s a long-term investment in each community, and one that moves our shared mission forward.”

PJ Library has granted 23 communities across the U.S. and Canada awards ranging from $2,000 to $20,000, according to the size of the community and the need. Selected grantees will participate in quarterly cohort meetings to share experiences, reflect on successes and challenges, and plan strategically. Grantees are required to raise matching funds equal to 50 percent of the total grant amount by the end of the two-year grant cycle.

Grant applicants were asked to select a primary area of focus within four PJ Library priorities. The focus areas, associated grantees, and example of why each theme is so crucial to a vibrant local Jewish future are as follows:

Parent Empowerment — building leadership pipelines and opening pathways for parents to deepen their connection to Judaism and community.

  • Macks Center for Jewish Connections, in Baltimore, Maryland

  • Jewish Community Center of Northern New Jersey (JCC of Northern NJ), in Bergen County, New Jersey

  • Mayerson JCC, in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • JEWISHcolorado, in Colorado

  • Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Minneapolis

  • Federation CJA, in Montreal

  • Jewish Federation of Ottawa

  • Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, in Monrovia, California

“Our mission centers on building an agile, relational Jewish community that meets families where they are. ... Parent empowerment is critical because it shifts parents from passive consumers of programs to active builders of Jewish life. By putting parents in the driver’s seat, we unlock organic neighborhood networks that a centralized institution could never reach. Over half of our 90-plus annual programs are already parent-led, proving that when you lower the barrier to volunteerism and provide the logistical infrastructure, parents eagerly step up. Empowering this cohort ensures that the Jewish community we build is deeply relevant, highly localized, and driven by the authentic needs of modern families, creating a sustainable foundation for generations to come.” — JCC of Northern NJ

Growth — increasing subscriptions through marketing, partnerships, and targeted outreach.

  • Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago

  • Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut

  • Jewish Learning Venture, in Philadelphia

  • Jewish Community Association of Greater Phoenix (CJP)

  • Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh, in Raleigh, North Carolina

  • The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle

  • Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, in Florida

  • United Jewish Federation of Utah

  • Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada

“Jewish Phoenix (CJP) depends on reaching families where they are, especially those in outlying or underserved areas who may not know community exists for them. PJ Library is one of CJP’s strongest tools for opening that door: It helps families take a first step into Jewish life, relationships, and belonging. CJP’s 2024 Impact Study identified Phoenix as a “growth community,” signaling many young families ready to engage. Yet Greater Phoenix’s vast geography creates real barriers. Families report living far from synagogues and Jewish involvement, leaving many isolated despite their interest. … This grant will help CJP build on that subscription growth to create a pipeline of engaged families who will strengthen Jewish Phoenix for generations.” — — Jewish Community Association of Greater Phoenix

Leveraging PJ Library Content — using PJ Library’s content to provide high-quality experiences and resources that help families deepen their Jewish engagement.

  • Greensboro Jewish Federation, in Greensboro, North Carolina

“The first goal listed in our organization’s 2025-2028 Strategic Focus Areas is ‘Create meaningful, cross-generational opportunities for engagement and leadership.’ We see our PJ Library families as integral in that goal. Our goal is not only to engage families through programs but to provide them with the tools, relationships, and support needed to build lasting Jewish connections. By empowering families to explore traditions, celebrate together, and connect with one another, we foster a deeper sense of belonging and participation in Jewish life.” — Greensboro Jewish Federation

Sustainability – addressing systematic needs and changes that enable the community to expand and sustain its use of PJ Library and secure ongoing funding and growth.

  • Jewish Council of North Central Florida, in Gainesville, Florida

  • Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, in Florida

  • Jewish Federation of New Hampshire

  • Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey

  • Jewish Communities of Vermont (JCVT)

“PJ Library is one of the most effective ways by which we reach, connect, and support Jewish families across Vermont, a rural state with small, dispersed Jewish communities. PJ Library offers a consistent and welcoming entry point into Jewish life. ... To fully realize PJ Library’s potential, JCVT must build the systems, partnerships, and funding needed to sustain and grow this work over time. Strengthening our PJ Library infrastructure will allow us to better identify and engage families, support local programming partners, steward donors, and create meaningful pathways from books to community connection.” — Jewish Communities of Vermont

The next chapter

Insights from the 2024 PJ Library Triennial Subscriber Study show that PJ Library makes its greatest impact when it is intentionally embedded in a broader community strategy, with the goals of empowering parents, strengthening Jewish identity at home, and serving as a trusted pathway into deeper local engagement. Families consistently report greater confidence and increased interest in Jewish life when their community actively leverages PJ Library.

Through this next chapter of grantmaking, PJ Library reaffirms a commitment to partnership, flexibility, and sustainability, meeting communities where they are and supporting where they are headed.

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