I first encountered the concept of "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch" (TANSTAAFL) in high school economics. The phrase originated in the 1800s when saloons would offer a "free" lunch buffet as a loss leader to attract drinking patrons.

PJ Library is a “free” program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF), supported by our Jewish Federation. PJ Library sends high-quality Jewish children’s books to families every month. Now offered in 40 countries, PJ Library distributes more than seven million books annually, helping families connect to, experience, and strengthen Jewish community. Locally, around 800 children receive “free” books every month through PJ Library.

I’ve been quoted as saying, “PJ Library is the best outreach and engagement tool introduced in the Jewish world in decades,” as evidenced above with Harold...

At a PJ Library conference this week, I learned a variation of TANSTAAFL: "It’s really expensive for these programs to be free."

HGF spends millions annually covering about one-third of the cost of books, along with the administrative work of selecting, storing, and shipping them worldwide. It also offers several programmatic grants.

Our Jewish Federation contributes tens of thousands of dollars each year covering the remaining two-thirds of the book costs for local readers and funding local programs.

Visit our website to help support PJ Library and keep it “free.”

For more information about the program, to subscribe, enroll as a grandparent, or see upcoming PJ Library events, please click here.