About Us > אודות קרן הרולד גרינספון
Real estate entrepreneur Harold Grinspoon established the Harold Grinspoon Foundation (HGF) in 1993 in Springfield, Massachusetts. His wife, Diane Troderman, has been his active partner in all of his philanthropic activities. They are deeply committed to charitable giving, primarily in the Jewish world.
HGF Flagship Programs outside Israel:

PJ Library (PJ for pajamas)  – In partnership with local communities, PJ Library provides families with the gift of free, high-quality children’s books, music, and other resources that foster Jewish learning and create a gateway for deeper engagement in Jewish life. The program, launched in 2005 in Harold Grinspoon’s home community in Massachusetts,  spread across North America and now also reaches the UK, Australia, Russia (in Russian), Mexico and other Latin American countries (in Spanish).

JCamp 180  – This program seeks to stimulate Jewish philanthropy by providing free consulting services and grant-matching opportunities to nonprofit Jewish overnight summer camps. Since 2004, HGF has has worked with dozens of camps to assure their long-term sustainability and growth.

Life & Legacy – This program assists communities across North America, through partnerships with Jewish Federations and Foundations, to promote after-lifetime giving to benefit Jewish day schools, synagogues, social service organizations and other Jewish entities. Through training, support and monetary incentives, Life & Legacy motivates Jewish organizations to secure legacy gifts, steward donors and integrate legacy giving into the philanthropic culture of the Jewish community.

HGF PROGRAMS IN ISRAEL (operate through Keren Grinspoon Israel – Hebrew for Grinspoon Foundation Israel):

Sifriyat Pijama (Hebrew for “Pajama Library”) – Launched in 2009 and operated in partnership with the Ministry of Education to instill a love of books and appreciation of Jewish/Israeli culture & values, Sifriyat Pijama serves children in state preschools (K & pre-K, secular and religious)  and in grades 1 & 2. Children are introduced to selected books in class throughout the school year, and  take personal copies home to keep and share with the family. More than 600,000 children and their families have benefited from the program to date, making it Israel’s most ubiquitous reading readiness and Jewish family education program.

Sifriyat Pijama for Little Kids (SPLK) – Launched in September 2015 for children age 2-3 in daycare center settings, SPLK partners with organizations that operate day care centers to instill a love of books and appreciation of Jewish/Israeli culture. Children receive 8 books during the school year, delivered to the classroom. After they are introduced to each new book by the care giver, the children take a personal copy hope to keep and share with their families. More than 30,000 children and their families have taken part in the program to date.

Maktabat al-Fanoos (Arabic for Lantern Library) – Launched in January 2014 and operated in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Price Philanthropies to instill a love of reading through high-quality picture books that invite discussion on universal humanistic values, Maktabat al-Fanoos serves 100% of children in Arabic state preschools (K & pre-K) and their families, who receive the books for free. Children are introduced to 8 books in class throughout the school year, and then take personal copies home to keep and share with the family. More than 200,000 children and their families benefited from the program to date.

PJ Israel
PJ Israel