PJ Library, the flagship program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), is celebrating the delivery of its 50 millionth free book to Jewish families this summer. What started out in 2005 as a small project in Western Massachusetts has now grown to affect the lives of millions of Jewish children worldwide. Books are translated into seven languages and then delivered to over 680,000 kids each month across more than 35 countries.

PJ Library is a collaborative undertaking, a gift from the Jewish community. Here in North America, the program is made possible by partnering with nearly 200 communities to reach more than 240,000 children per month. Locally, the Jewish Federation of St. Louis partners with HGF to bring PJ Library to the St. Louis Jewish community.

This 50 millionth book milestone would not be possible without PJ Library’s significant international growth. In 2009, the HGF launched Sifriyat Pijama in Israel through its sister organization Keren Grinspoon Israel. Since that time, the HGF has partnered with philanthropists around the world to open programs in Latin America, Europe, Russia and the Pacific Rim.

PJ Library is funded by the HGF and forward-thinking donors, including generous philanthropists and foundations, Jewish communal organizations, and many individual donors who have found joy through PJ Library. “We couldn’t have reached this amazing milestone without the help of our philanthropic partners,” said Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, president of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation. She added, “It is through a community effort that we are sharing millions upon millions of stories with the next Jewish generation, and we look forward to doing even more together in the years to come.”