Timothy and April Else with son Miles, who is now 17 months old.
We spoke to April and Timothy Else about their favorite Jewish activities, their connection to Jewish community, and the ways jkidphilly has impacted their family.
What do you enjoy about jkidphilly?
Our family has enjoyed the variety of local interactive programs hosted by our jkidphilly ambassador. Our son, Miles, has had several opportunities to interact with other children his age through music and play while supporting his development through Jewish culture and education.
Our family has attended events such as PJ Havdalah, music classes, Shabbat playdates in the park, and a (much needed) Mom’s night out! Through these events, we have been able to connect with other Jewish families, strengthen our community and discover age appropriate ways to celebrate Jewish customs and holidays with our toddler.
What kind of Jewish activities do you enjoy at home?
Miles has recently shown a lot of interest in his books and loves to have stories read to him. He has loved every PJ Library book that he has received! We very much enjoy that the books are relevant, colorful, and age-appropriate so that we can capture his attention while immersing him in Jewish education. In addition to reading books, we like to listen to Jewish music, relative to events or holidays, and say our prayers before meals and bedtime.
What are your favorite PJ Library books?
Our favorite PJ Library book is ‘Tu B’Shevat is Coming!’. Miles asks us to read this book (always more than once!) and loves pointing out the animals and trees in the book. The book is perfectly simple for his age while teaching about Jewish traditions of caring for our earth.
Are you part of any other organized Jewish communities?
Our family belongs to Temple Sholom in Broomall. Miles also attends the Preschool and summer camp at Temple Sholom.
What do you think other parents should know about jkidphilly?
jkidphilly has been an inclusive and engaging resource for our family. As an interfaith family, we have felt welcomed, supported and excited to bring Jewish traditions into our home and further extend our Jewish community.
We would highly encourage other families to attend an event with their children! The atmosphere is very welcoming and has provided our son with opportunities to meet other young children in a fun, relaxed environment. In addition to the kid-friendly activities, meeting other Jewish families has been very beneficial for us, as parents. We have enjoyed meeting other like-minded families, learning about local programs and resources, and being able to exchange parenting experiences and advice. We are very happy to have found jkidphilly and look forward to fostering Miles’ development of Jewish traditions and cultures in such an engaged setting.
