PJ Library (PJ for pyjamas!) gifts away high-quality Jewish books to families with children from birth through 8 years old each month. The award-winning, non-denominational books celebrate Jewish culture, values and traditions through a wide range of stories and beautiful illustrations. PJ Library books are posted directly to children so they can build their own Jewish bedtime libraries.
Each month a new book is sent out to thousands of children in the UK, some of them timeless Jewish classics and some modern interpretations. Many are new and original stories.
PJ Library subscriptions are offered at no cost to families thanks to generous support from sponsors, subscribing families and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation
Meet the Team!
Lauren Hamburger
Lauren is Regional Director for PJ Library Europe and South Africa. She first heard about PJ Library when she was living in New York with her young family and loved reading the imaginative PJ Library books as much as her children did. She realised UK families would also welcome PJ Library into their homes and was excited to launch it there in early 2015. Lauren is passionate about bringing PJ Library to new countries, helping families connect with the local community through PJ Library resources while strengthening their Jewish identity in the home.
Outside of the office, Lauren works with different organisations to expand opportunities for women in Judaism.
Sara Kibel
Sara is the Deputy Director at PJ Library in the UK working with all of our fantastic community partners from synagogues, schools, cheders, nurseries, community centres and beyond. When she is not creating programmes and events for PJ Library, she can be found with a paintbrush in hand, creating designs for hundreds of kippot every year.
Mikhalina Levis
Lina is originally from St. Petersburg and is passionate about creating opportunities for Jewish Communities to thrive and connect. Lina has extensive experience in global organisations as project and product manager. In the last 5 years she volunteered as part of the Limud FSU Europe organising committee. In her spare time, Lina loves venturing on outdoor adventures with her family.
Lisa Culligan
Lisa is the Customer Services and Operations Manager for PJ Library in the UK. She comes from a background in children’s book publishing and lives in Brighton with her family.
Advisory Board
Chair - Libby Dangoor is the Chief of Staff at Multiverse, an education technology company building an outstanding alternative to university and corporate training through professional apprenticeships. Prior to joining Multiverse, Libby was the Operations Director for NowTeach working to establish the charity and their first cohorts of career changers into teaching. Before this she was a Venture Partner at Ark and Portfolio Director at the Social Business Trust, working with social enterprises to scale their impact across the UK. She spent five years as a strategy consultant at Bain & Company. Libby is a school governor at Westminster Academy and an active member of the S&P Sephardi Community.
Lana Saffrin Betesh graduated from the University of Illinois before qualifying as a US attorney. She returned to London, qualified as a solicitor, working at Berwin Leighton Paisner and later at Gherson where she became a partner in Discreet Law. While a student in America, she worked for AIPAC and wrote “A Guide to Jewish Student Leadership”. She has worked with BICOM and Chabad Lubavitch UK, chairing the ONE Dinner since 2010. Lana is on the Advisory Board of Stand With Us UK and is active in other communal organisations including South Hampstead Synagogue and Mitzvah Day.
Alexandra Lewy has a dynamic portfolio career with a love of social impact, the arts and education. She is currently a Trustee and board member of UJIA and co-chair of Si3 the impact investment fund. In her prior role, Alexandra was leading multi-million pound M&A transactions in new markets at Arrow Global in the UK. She has also been a management consultant at KPMG Sydney and a lawyer at leading law firms in Australia. Alexandra has an Executive MBA with honours from Bayes Business School (formerly Cass Business School) and a Bachelor of Law/Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia. She has a love of languages and is currently studying Italian and Spanish, and has recently taken up adult ballet.
Louise Jacobs is an experienced and highly respected change manager, leadership and executive coach and strategic thinker, in the commercial and not for profit sectors. Following a successful career in the City in financial PR and private equity Louise become a Trustee of multiple charitable organisations, including most recently Chair of UJIA, where she stepped down in March 24. She is a Trustee of The Saracens' Multi-Academy Trust, The Chelsea Football Club Foundation and Vice Chair of the Jewish Leadership Foundation (JLC).
Stephen Moss CBE read law at King’s College London and has enjoyed a successful business career in the property, hospitality and leisure industries which he has always combined with an active involvement in the charity sector. Stephen has been a lifelong member, Warden, Chairman, President and now Life President of West London Synagogue. He is a past Chair of Reform Judaism, The Institute for Jewish Policy Research and the JCoSS Trust and has served on the boards of the Leo Baeck College and the Jewish Leadership Council. He founded and chaired The Springboard Charity, from its London beginnings to nationwide coverage, for which he was awarded a CBE, and is currently Chair of London Youth, which supports over 600 youth clubs in London, and of the Royal Academy of Dance which sets the standards in dance education and training in some 80 countries.