Salem —   Though the thermometer registered sub-freezing temperatures on the North Shore, more than 60 young children, parents, grandparents and Temple Shalom volunteers gathered on January 30 to celebrate the arrival of springtime in Israel at a PJ Library Birthday Party for the Trees in honor of Tu B’Shevat.

The free program, a partnership of the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation and Temple Shalom of Salem, included a Tu B’Shevat craft, stories, creative movement, songs, dancing, cupcakes and ice cream, and Havdallah. Young children, their parents and grandparents experienced the essence of the holiday, enhanced by the talented Cantor Idan Irelander, spiritual leader of Temple Shalom, who led the group singing Hebrew songs about Tu B’Shevat. The children planted seeds in clay pots they decorated, excited to take them home to watch the plants grow.

The PJ Library Moms’ Night Out brought together 40 mothers and a couple of grandmothers for an evening of socializing and learning at Putnam Pantry in Danvers on Wednesday, February 3. Ken Schulman, head of school of Cohen Hillel Academy, was the featured speaker, engaging mothers in discussion about how to talk to their children about God.

Several mothers said this was an important program in many ways, giving them the opportunity to meet other mothers of young children from across our community, and providing a forum for discussion on this important and challenging parenting topic. The combination of learning and fun, including a make-your-own-sundae bar and a getting to know you game, excited these mothers to get together again.

The PJ Library, a free Jewish-themed book or CD of the month club mailed home to children ages six months to eight years, is funded by the Lappin Foundation, Cohen Hillel Academy and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation of Western Massachusetts, creator of The PJ Library. The Lappin Foundation, whose mission is helping to keep our children Jewish, also funds free, supplemental programming for children, parents and Jewish educators to enhance and enrich The PJ Library.

The ABCs of the Passover Seder is the next parent program of The PJ Library, scheduled for March 10, 7:30 p.m. at Temple Ner Tamid in Peabody, followed by A Taste of The PJ Library...Jewish Food and Recipes on May 3rd at Cohen Hillel Academy. Both programs are free and open to parents of The PJ Library. To register for either program or for more information about The PJ Library, contact Phyllis Osher, Program Associate, at 978-740-4404, email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or register online at http://www.rilcf.org.