By Nancy B. Greer
President & CEO
While investigating the kinds of Jewish experiences that people in our community look for, we learned that neighborhood-based opportunities are key.
Part of the reason is traffic: whether you’ve lived in the Puget Sound region for decades or arrived just last week, you know that getting around town is hard. A more compelling reason is that getting to know your Jewish neighbors, creating durable relationships, and building community is so much easier and fulfilling when you can make connections close to home!
That’s why the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle is committed to offering engaging, neighborhood-based programs where participants can enjoy warm and welcoming Jewish experiences.
In that spirit, we invite families with young children to join PJ Library® families for the launch of Bim Bam Baby! in Queen Anne on Saturday, July 27. Enjoy a sing-along, a bring-your-own vegetarian picnic, and an opportunity to meet other parents. There will be lively, age-appropriate songs and activities for the little ones, as well as time for parents to connect and get to know one another.
We’re launching this fun and welcoming neighborhood get-together at the Seattle home of Karin Cole, one of our two new PJ Community Connectors. Karin is looking forward to bringing families together at monthly Bim Bam Baby! gatherings because she sees how the “power of hospitality” does wonders for bringing people to Jewish life.
Bim Bam Baby! is one program in a menu of family-friendly activities that Karin and fellow Connector Kathy Packer have planned for the coming year. You can look forward to the Family Volunteering Challenge! — monthly opportunities to explore the city, get out into nature, and make a contribution to your community — and to Jewish Parenting Together, values-based, intentional parenting through a Jewish lens.
Karin and Kathy will be meeting and engaging families in Seattle and on the Eastside. When you meet them, you’ll immediately get how excited they are about helping Jewish families connect with each other, build close relationships through shared experiences, and create Jewish memories that are the underpinnings of community.
The potential for building community through welcoming, neighborhood-based gatherings is enormous. As Jews move to the burgeoning Puget Sound region from elsewhere in our country, many are looking for connections with Jewish life that are authentic, widen their circle of friends, and that help them and their families navigate their Jewish journeys, however they define what those journeys are. Through welcoming gatherings like Bim Bam Baby, the Federation is opening doors for families to create community from the ground up and bring exciting energy to Jewish life.
Space at Bim Bam Baby! on July 27 is limited and spots are first come, first served, so please RSVP directly to Karin Cole (address provided upon RSVP). We hope to see you there!
