By Lacey Storer
Contributing Writer
For 12 years, PJ Library has helped families with young children in Kansas City connect to their Jewish identities, traditions and values. Now, the establishment of the Polsky Family PJ Library Endowment will ensure that the program continues to provide free books and music to Jewish children in our community for years to come.
PJ Library is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation that, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, provides children up to age 9 with a free monthly subscription of Jewish books and CDs. Jewish Federation also organizes regular PJ Library activities and events for families, including the annual Hanukkah Glow Party, the Bagels & Babies community baby shower, and Gathering for Good, a series of family volunteering opportunities. In 2020, the events have gone virtual.
“PJ Library is an incredible engagement program for Federation and our entire Jewish community. The books the families receive are only the beginning,” said Federation’s Senior Director of Community Engagement Andi Milens. “PJ Library programs and activities help engage our young families and build a connection to our community that will last a lifetime.”
“PJ Library is a priority for Federation — we consider it a signature program, and we invest heavily in it, both via dollars and via staff time, because we feel that it is a key building block for Jewish identity and Jewish living,” added Federation Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Derek Gale. “We’re thrilled to be working with the Polsky family to ensure the continuation of this program.”
Federation has been considering starting a PJ Library endowment for some time, and last year was preparing to move forward with launching an endowment campaign. Around that time, Larry Silver, a Federation board member and PJ Library parent, asked if Federation had ever thought about creating a PJ Library endowment.
The timing was fortuitous and led to the Polsky Family Supporting Foundation endowing PJ Library of Kansas City with a lead gift of up to $500,000 in matching funds toward building a $1 million endowment.
Silver is the president of the Polsky Family Supporting Foundation, which was created by the late Norman and Elaine Polsky. The foundation is now run by the Polskys’ children and grandchildren. Silver is married to the Polskys’ granddaughter, Renee, who has been on the PJ Library committee for several years and is currently the committee co-chair.
Silver said the focus of the foundation has shifted toward supporting young families, since most of the Polsky grandchildren currently have young families. He and Renee have two young children and are expecting their third.
“I brought this idea to the board because I really believe in the mission of the program, this idea of bringing Judaism to every young family’s home and I think that Judaism needs to be in the home as soon as possible,” he said.
The endowment is also a tribute to the Polskys’ legacy.
“We decided quite some time ago that every gift we gave from the foundation would really honor Norm and Elaine and what they stood for,” he said. “Judaism is not as big a part of people’s lives as it once was. If they’re not coming to synagogue, we need to find a way to come to them, and that’s really what PJ Library is all about, carrying on the traditions. Those are things the family values and wants to continue.”
As a Federation board member, Silver is familiar with how the organization’s allocations process and budget work. Part of the reason he wanted to establish this endowment was to allow PJ Library to continue in perpetuity while also being self-sustaining, leaving more room in the Federation budget for other local allocations.
“The reason that, with all of our endowments, we make it a match is because that way you’re getting double the money, basically, and the whole idea is that you have the endowment forever,” he said. “This money, once raised, should never have to be raised again.”
Once the Polsky Foundation gift had been secured, Federation invited Harold Grinspoon, the founder of PJ Library, to help raise the funds needed to maximize the match and set a course to develop a $1 million endowment. He and his daughter-in-law, Winnie Sandler Grinspoon, president of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, came to Kansas City last year for a full day of meetings and inspirational conversations with potential donors.
“When Harold talks about his personal commitment to PJ Library, people are inspired to ensure its future in their own communities,” Gale said.
Ultimately, that day led to $250,000 in commitments to the growing endowment. Another significant commitment was made to the endowment later that year, bringing the total to $325,000 ($650,000 when including the matching funds from the Polsky Foundation).
Among the other local family foundations helping to fund the endowment is the Sosland Foundation.
“We are so proud to be associated with PJ Library,” Debbie Sosland-Edelman said.
The PJ Library endowment fund now resides at the Jewish Community Foundation and will generate annual distributions that will cover PJ Library subscriptions for families in Kansas City for years to come. Eventually the fund will also contribute toward PJ Library family programming and events.
“Obviously, with everything that has happened this year, Federation had to shift gears with our planning,” Gale said. “Now, we’re looking to renew our focus on growing the PJ Library endowment to $1 million.”
If you are interested in supporting Kansas City’s PJ Library program and would like to make an investment in the endowment fund, contact Gale at .