Discover nurturing Jewish preschools where little learners grow, play, and connect.
Families with Children
Jewish family life is full of meaningful moments
Whether you’re parenting young children, grandparenting with heart, or showing up as a chosen auntie, uncle, or family friend, you play a powerful role. Federation is here to help you find connection, support, and Jewish joy at every stage.
Free Jewish Books
PJ Library® (ages 0–8) and PJ Our Way™ (ages 9–12) bring free, age-appropriate Jewish books right to your mailbox. Powered locally by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, these programs spark joy, learning, and connection through stories and events across our community.
Parents and grandparents alike can sign up the kids they love—and start creating lasting Jewish memories, one book at a time.
Explore Preschools
Explore Jewish day schools that challenge the mind, nurture the spirit, and build lifelong identity.
There’s more to Jewish education than Hebrew school. Explore meaningful learning that deepens identity and fits your life.
Camp
Jewish summer camp is where joy goes
It’s where kids grow in independence, self-esteem, and Jewish identity while making lifelong friends (and memories). Whether your child loves sports, singing, or sleeping under the stars, there’s a camp that fits and a summer they’ll never forget.
Capital Camps and Retreat Center
Teens
Helping Jewish teens find their people, their purpose, and their path
By supporting bold partnerships and creative programs, we’re making sure teens have access to meaningful, immersive, and welcoming experiences that build identity, leadership, and resilience.
Grandparents
L’dor vador, with love
As a grandparent, your hugs, stories, and traditions help shape your grandchild’s Jewish world. What you pass down—intentionally or in quiet moments—can spark joy, connection, and a lasting sense of belonging.
Whether you’re reading a PJ Library® book together, celebrating holidays side-by-side, or sharing a family recipe over video chat, your role in your grandchild’s Jewish journey is powerful. Here, you’ll find simple, meaningful ways to connect across generations and nurture Jewish identity with love.
Resources to stay close, Jewishly
Whether you live nearby or connect from afar, we’ve gathered ideas and resources to help you share traditions, celebrate holidays, and nurture your grandchild’s Jewish journey.
- Kinzoo Together App Read PJ Library® books with your grandchild over a live video call.
- Video Chat Guide Compare Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, and Google Meet—with simple tutorials to get you started.
- PJ Library® Grandparent Sign-Up Sign your grandchild up to receive free Jewish books—so you can read them together.
- StoryCorps Record and share meaningful stories from your life to preserve and pass on.
- Virtual Museum Field Trips Explore world-class museums together online—then share your favorite finds.
- 5-Minute Journal for Kids Start a gratitude practice together to reflect on the good—Jewishly and joyfully.
Explore More
With teen mental health challenges on the rise, BBYO’s Center for Adolescent Wellness is equipping youth, parents, and educators across Greater Washington with life-saving tools—and transforming how our community supports its teens.
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During a heartwarming intergenerational Passover celebration, Pre-K students from Milton Gottesman Jewish Day School reunited with their older buddies from the Jewish Council for the Aging's Kensington Club. Through the SHARE program, these relationships have flourished, highlighting the power of connection, memory, and Jewish joy across generations.
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Federation’s Teens and Youth Working Group visited Capital Camps to see firsthand how Jewish summer camp shapes identity, nurtures mental health, and builds lifelong community—made possible through shared investment, financial aid, and strong partnerships.
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At Lessans Camp JCC, Ethan and Bennett Blicher thrive thanks to dedicated counselors and a culture of inclusion, supported by The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Bender JCC.
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Federation recently welcomed participants from Kitov, a dynamic initiative of Israel’s Shaharit Institute supported by an Impact Grant, which brings together diverse Israeli changemakers to address societal challenges through dialogue and collaboration. Their visit to DC deepened cross-cultural connections and reinforced shared values between Israeli and American Jewish communities.
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We’re helping parents of young children find connection and belonging through Jewish life, sharing meaningful experiences with their kids and with each other. From PJ Library to synagogue programs to JCC initiatives, these efforts nurture identity, spark joy, and strengthen community across Greater Washington. Together, we are giving young families the resources, experiences, and connections to begin their Jewish journeys with joy and belonging.
Signature Initiatives
Region-wide programs that reach thousands of families each year:
- Expanding access through PJ Library, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, $284,700
- Building relationships with JFamily Ambassadors, Bender JCC of Greater Washington, $67,500
- Building relationships with JFamily Ambassadors, Edlavitch DCJCC, $67,500
- Building relationships with JFamily Ambassadors, Pozez JCCNV, $67,500
Synagogue & Community Programs
Local initiatives that bring families together in Jewish life across Greater Washington:
- Connecting families through The Micah Storefront Project, Temple Micah, $54,000
- Celebrating Shabbat with DC Musical Shabbat, DC Musical Shabbat, $47,000
- Supporting parents with Bereshit: Parenting in Community, New Synagogue Project, $40,000
- Welcoming young families through Young Family Engagement on the Hill, Hill Havurah, $26,250
- Engaging families with Family Engagement Coordinator, B’nai Israel Congregation, $15,000
- Supporting new parents through First Years, Washington Hebrew Congregation, $10,000
- Creating community with Agudas Achim Young Families Outreach Initiative, Agudas Achim Congregation, $9,000
- Gathering families for Shabbat Dinners for Young Families, Tikvat Israel, $6,000
- Building Jewish homes with Young Families Birkat Habayit: A Year of Jewish Homebuilding, Congregation Olam Tikvah, $6,300
- Learning and play through Play with Purpose, Congregation Etz Hayim, $3,000
Sustainability Grants
Additional support to help promising programs grow stronger and last longer:
- Expanding leadership capacity with Congregation Etz Hayim, part-time staff to grow home-hosted programs, $10,000
- Strengthening strategy at DC Musical Shabbat, planning and fundraising for long-term growth, $20,000
- Investing in growth at Tikvat Israel, professional staff support and community fundraiser, $15,000