I'll be honest — I wasn't sure what to expect when I boarded a red eye last week and headed across the country for the PJ Library International Conference. As Program Director for PJ Library and a mother to a two-year-old, overnight travel for work was new territory for me. This trip would be my first time away from my daughter, and my feelings were...complicated. But what I found on the other side reaffirmed exactly why I took this role in the first place.

If you're not familiar with PJ Library, here's the simple overview of what the program does: each month, PJ Library sends free, age-appropriate books to families raising Jewish children. Over 600,000 books are mailed to children around the world each month, which is kind of mind-boggling! But as I've felt since joining this team — and was reinforced by my experience at the conference — PJ Library is so much more than just books. We are builders of Jewish community and identity. We create low-stakes, welcoming on-ramps for families to engage with Jewish life, form connections based on shared values, and explore what Judaism means to families on their own terms. No pressure, no prerequisites — just a gentle offering to take what resonates and leave what doesn't. My role as Program Director offers something rare: part-time work in a space I already occupy as a parent, with a community I care deeply about.

The conference opened my eyes to the real impact PJ Library has on its many subscribers. Seeing representatives from cities and towns across North America like Atlanta, Baltimore, Cleveland, Tulsa (yes, there are Jews in Tulsa!), and Winnipeg reminded me that for many Jewish families across the continent, PJ Library isn't a supplement to Jewish life — it is Jewish life. Those of us in and around Los Angeles are fortunate to have abundant Jewish institutions nearby. For families in more isolated communities, a monthly book in the mail may be their primary, if not only, thread of connection. That is a profound responsibility, and it was clear that the people at the conference took it seriously. Witnessing my fellow program professionals’ passion for their work and excitement for what new ideas they would bring back to their respective communities was inspiring.

In just 48 hours at the conference, not a moment was wasted. Sessions covered everything from programming for babies and new parents, to engaging with grandparents, to the surprisingly fascinating question of how PJ Library's books are selected. There was a meaningful emphasis on families with children in the 0-2 years old age range — a window of development I know intimately right now — and a behind-the-scenes look at how the organization thinks about reaching families before they even know they need us.

My biggest takeaway, though, was something closer to home. I left inspired by a community organizing principle I know from my past experiences in social justice work: what if we grew our impact not by doing more ourselves, but by empowering parents in the farther reaches of the greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys to become connectors in their own hyper-local communities? Like a dandelion releasing its seeds to the wind, the most powerful growth doesn't always come from one central source — it comes from many people carrying the same values into their own corners of the world.

In my journal that I kept during the conference, I wrote down this quote: “nothing about us without us,” a principle borrowed from the disability rights movement that has taken root across social justice spaces. I'm bringing back a goal: to continue working not just for, but with families like yours, empowering you to be builders of Jewish life on your own terms. Together, we can build the vision we share — of community rooted in our values, rich in culture, and that takes care of its own.