Staff Q&A: PJ Library Manager Geri Goldman

PJ Library is an international award-winning program designed to strengthen Jewish identity by sending Jewish-content books and music on a monthly basis to children from newborn through age 8. PJ Library also hosts regular community events for kids and families. Geri Goldman recently became the program manager for PJ Library Minneapolis – she speaks below about her goals for the program:

Why did the PJ Library Manager position appeal to you?

This position combines so many things that I love! I’ve always enjoyed working with children and families, especially in the Jewish community. I have a passion for children’s literature, and absolutely love reading aloud to kids. I love planning events and seeing all the details come together for people to enjoy. This position also appealed to me because it combined so much of my previous work experience as an elementary school teacher, Jewish youth group leader, and representative for Kar-Ben Publishing (Jewish children’s books), all of which were exciting and fulfilling in different ways.

The PJ Library program has been very successful for many years and yet still has room to grow – what are your goals for the program?

I was very fortunate to step into a program that has already had so much success. I look forward to building on that success and expanding the program to benefit even more families in our community. I especially hope to engage families who may be unaffiliated with synagogues or other Jewish organizations and help them feel a greater connection to the Jewish community. I am also looking forward to partnering with J-Pride to reach more LGBTQ+ families. I hope to also increase awareness and expand programming for the PJ Our Way program, which is designed for 9- to 12-year-olds. Other goals of mine include expanding our Parent Connector program, increasing our social media presence, and engaging more grandparents in our family programming.

Is it exciting that in-person activities and events are more or less back to normal after a few years of being limited?

I am thrilled that we are able to host in-person activities and allow families to connect and interact with each other in the same space. That being said, I have heard what an amazing job my predecessor and parent connectors did of finding meaningful ways for families to connect with each other during the pandemic. We even found that some of these remote programs, such as evening get-togethers for parents on Zoom, are worth continuing, as they allow people to connect at times when it may be difficult to do so in-person.

Anything else you would like to add?

If you know of any Jewish or interfaith families in the Minneapolis area with children ages 0-12 who aren’t currently enrolled in PJ Library or PJ Our Way, please have them contact me at ggoldman@jfcsmpls.org or go to www.pjlibrary.org (ages 0-8) or www.pjourway.org (ages 9-12) to register for this FREE program.