Meet the Pilania Family

Sagar and Naomi Pilania live in Berkeley with their daughters, Raina (age 4) and Kiren (age 2). When reflecting on the Jewish community in the Bay Area, they have been pleased to see that it is as diverse as their own interfaith family. While they have discovered a range of ways to engage with innovation and tradition in the East Bay, Sagar and Naomi have found that they need to be more proactive in looking for Jewish engagement opportunities, unlike the ever-present Jewish life on the East Coast where Naomi was raised.

With the help of Congregation Netivot Shalom, where the kids attend preschool, and Congregation Beth Israel, the Pilania family has found a way to build an intentional Jewish lifestyle. Some of their other favorite places for Jewish life in the East Bay are Urban Adamah and the JCC East Bay’s Perachim Toddler Playgroup and Sukkot festivities.

Both of the Pilania children have received PJ Library books since birth and they still read many of the early board books, such as Laila Tov: A Bedtime Poem for Babies. Sagar and Naomi feel that the PJ Library books are especially helpful to highlight key traditions around Jewish holidays and to normalize the Jewish experience overall.

The Pilania family experiences life to the fullest, whether it’s Jewish life or the full spectrum of being a multi-cultural and multi-racial family. Naomi shares, “Sagar is from India and my family is Israeli and Romanian, so there is a lot of diversity of food, culture, and tradition in our home. Many years we host a Purim/Holi party, bringing together the joy of these spring festivals. The colors and costumes and chaos represent our family very well!”

PJ Library® sends free Jewish books and music on a monthly basis to children ages 6 months through 8 years of age throughout the Bay Area. Learn More

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