August 1, 2024
As the war in Ukraine intensified in the spring of 2022, Federation CJA sought out ways to support Jewish families and engage with Ukrainian children in shelters across the war-torn country.
That’s where Federation CJA’s PJ Library stepped in, holding a handful of Zoom sessions with Ukrainian children through the PJ Library in Ukraine program. However, as a growing number of young Ukrainian families made their way to Montreal, the demand for an in-person program grew.
PJ Library Story Time in Ukrainian brought together nearly 100 children across 6 sessions during the last school year. The sessions were funded by Federation CJA, in collaboration with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Jewish Public Library (JPL). They were led in Ukrainian by PJ Library Connector & educator Moriya Barenfeld, who originally hails from Kyiv. She, along with Federation CJA Ukrainian-speaking volunteers Marina Garbar and Ira Zinovyeva, organized creative workshops, shared Jewish stories and fairytales, engaged in arts and crafts activities, and educated participants about Jewish holidays, customs and traditions. Breakfast was also served at all sessions to give families the opportunity to make connections and forge new friendships.
All Ukrainian Jewish children in the program were provided with free memberships to the JPL. They were also given Ukrainian books graciously donated by PJ Library in Ukraine to take home, with another set taking residence at the JPL as part of their permanent collection.
Families who took part in the program were grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality shown to them by Federation CJA and for helping them feel at home in Montreal through books written in their mother tongue.
The PJ Library Story Time in Ukrainian program may be over, but the reading fun has only just begun. Many families have become active members of the PJ Library program and continue to participate in community-wide activities.
It is a testament to Federation CJA’s commitment to fostering engagement and creating lasting bonds for everyone within our community.
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