End of summer means beginning of Fall, which means holidays are just around the corner! A slight exaggeration, but I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling like time just flies.

As we get ready to enter our second holiday season with COVID-19 still a public health crisis, we might be wondering what the holidays will look like. Armed with more knowledge and experience of life in a pandemic, we can plan ahead this year and figure out how to celebrate in a way that feels joyous and safe. PJ Library, a free program dedicated to providing fun and easy ways for families to connect with Jewish life through storybooks, released a holiday guide to help families celebrate the Jewish holidays at home. Each month, PJ Library sends thousands of books to kids ages 0-12, to introduce them and their families to Jewish culture or inspire them to create new Jewish traditions at home.

In 2020, considering the stay-at-home orders, PJ Library created a downloadable family guide, “High Holidays at Home.” This year they expanded the guide to include all fall Jewish holidays. “A Time to Grow: A PJ Library Family Guide to the Fall Holidays,” which will be available to PJ Library families as a printed book in 2022, is now available to everyone as a downloadable resource filled with activities, rituals, recipes and more.

The beautifully illustrated guide helps families find creative ways to connect with the High Holidays, which includes Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), Sukkot (Festival of Small Huts) and Simchat Torah (Rejoicing with the Torah), whether they are celebrating at home or at synagogue. “A Time to Grow” also has a digital companion, featuring audio blessings for Rosh Hashanah meals, how-to videos on preparing for the High Holidays, music, stories and more.