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PJ Library’s New Beginnings: Celebrating a new baby, a new relationship, and a new year

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Several photos with the babies at the event and one with the facilitator.

 By Lisa Plotkin, PJ Library Coordinator

In preparation for Rosh Hashanah, new PJ Library families brought their new babies to a class facilitated by local infant music and massage expert, Marija Eanes, PMH-C.

Marija is a Certified Educator of Infant Massage and a Certified Musical Baby Bonding™ Instructor.

Participants learned about creating meaningful connections with their baby and ways to communicate through five types of contact: eye contact, touch, voice, movement, and sound.

Each parent left with new ideas and tools for using intentional contact to strengthen positive bonding with their baby.

One of the easiest ways to support your new baby, Marija suggested, is to slow down everything you do with them.  As we believe b’tzelem elohim, there is value in everyone, no matter how small or young you are, so your baby is communicating in every moment – it’s our job to learn their language.  We said the paramount blessing for firsts – the shechechiyanu – and reflected on the joys, s’michot, of infancy.

One parent reflected, “It’s really nice to start (our daughter’s) Jewish journey this way.”

We are grateful to Marija Eanes for facilitating, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond for their partnership, and to our home host for providing a warm and welcoming space.

Stay tuned for our upcoming PJ Library initiative for new Jewish babies – Shalom Baby, a Jewish Richmond welcome for baby and family, supported by Richmond Jewish Foundation and the Rachel B. Banks Youth Grant.

Please contact Lisa at PJLibrary@JewishRichmond.org with comments and questions.