Families with young children are beating the heat this summer with frozen yogurt, a story and an art project. The “Sweet Summer Series,” sponsored by PJ Library, is being held at about 20 locations around the metro area through the end of the summer.
The aim of the series is to bring the Jewish community close to where people live and let families drop in and relax in a place they might already want to visit – a nearby frozen yogurt shop, said Sarah Rabin Spira, PJ Library coordinator. “We’re right in their backyard.”
On a weekday, parents don’t want to drive for more than 15 minutes to an event, she said. That’s not enough time for most to make it to a Jewish institution. So 24 area synagogues, schools and JCCs have partnered with PJ Library to co-sponsor the fro-gurt gatherings.
The events are planned for an attendance of eight-to-10 families with children ages 6 months to 8 years. But a recent event in Leesburg attracted 17 families, about 60 people, Rabin Spira said.
Because not everyone in the yogurt shop will be Jewish, the art projects are suitably welcoming for families of other backgrounds who might want to participate. “We say, ‘Would you like to make a mosaic hamsa?’ It’s a universal symbol of peace, and it’s welcoming,” Rabin Spira said.
Events have already taken place in Olney, Rockville and Potomac.
Upcoming events are on: Tuesday, July 22, 5:30-7 p.m. at Sweet Frog (100 Lexington Drive, Silver Spring). Sweet Frog is a Christian-owned frozen yogurt chain.
“Frog” stands for “Fully Rely on God,” according to the company website.
Wednesday, July 23, 5:30-7 p.m. at YogiBerry (3515 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Washington).
YogiBerry is a locally owned chain of frozen yogurt shops. Funding is provided by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation.
For information, go to jconnect.org/home/families/pj-library
