After tremendous success last year, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s PJ Library program will once again be distributing book kits across Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) and Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB) classrooms for Jewish Heritage Month in May.
With over 200 classrooms reached through last December’s Hanukkah-themed kits, educators will once again be able to bring Jewish stories to their students.
The Ottawa Jewish E-Bulletin recently spoke to Federation’s PJ Library Coordinator, Eriel Ben-Gal, to learn more about this round of book kits.
E-Bulletin: How were last year’s kits received? What have you heard from educators in the time between last year’s distribution and now?
Ben-Gal: They were received really well. When we sent educators the forms to sign up this time, we asked them if they had any suggestions about what could be added or what they liked about the kits, and we received really good feedback. Many of the educators told me that the guides we gave them have become permanent fixtures of their lesson plans and have been further shared with other teachers in the school boards.
Through this, we have even more teachers signed up to receive the kits that are going to be sent out next month. We’ve particularly made headway with the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB), and it’s exciting to see everything coming together again.
E-Bulletin: What kinds of stories will be in these book kits?
Ben-Gal: Like last time, these kits will feature three books. This time, however, there won’t be a specific focus on a holiday, but rather more of a broader focus on Jewish diasporic identity. There will be Ethiopian, Sephardic, and Ashkenazi stories, among other points that reflect the wide diversity of the Jewish people.
There will also be stories that share historical accounts, such as from the Holocaust, that will be catered to each age group. Finally, the third book will be about a Jewish holiday or value.
I wanted these stories to be reflective of a broad spectrum of what it means to be Jewish, beyond ritual and holidays. Since these books will be shared during Jewish Heritage Month, it was important to me to demonstrate the many facets of Jewish peoplehood. I want Jewish students to feel seen in their classrooms.
E-Bulletin: Last time, you gave a guide for educators on how to discuss these topics with their students. Will there be an updated guide to complement the new stories you’re sharing?
Ben-Gal: Yes, the guide for educators will be based on the books that are in this kit. There will be questions designed to prompt discussion and activities. Last year, we provided a Hebrew word pronunciation guide that were representative of the common themes and key words that came up in each story.
One of the requests from teachers was to have a lesson plan to go along with the books, so I am collaborating with them on how best to do that in the context of Jewish Heritage Month.
E-Bulletin: What outcomes do you look for with this program? What does success look like to you?
Ben-Gal: For me, success can be a number of things.
As I said earlier, Jewish children feeling seen in their classrooms and libraries is a sign that this program is successful. Even something as simple as having a Jewish story on display during Jewish Heritage Month can speak volumes. I’ve heard from teachers about how excited their Jewish students get when these stories are read. For me, hearing that is incredibly gratifying.
Another marker of success was the feedback we have received from educators. Beyond their excitement to bring these stories to their students, I have heard from Jewish educators that it excited them to see their culture represented in their classrooms.
If you’d like to learn more about PJ Library and the book kit program, you can reach Eriel Ben-Gal at [email protected].