About us:

Bergen Reads is a youth literacy program dedicated to inspiring low level readers in grades K-4 with a love of reading, thereby enriching their lives and opportunities for future success.

Trained adult volunteer “Reading Buddies” act as mentors, advocates and role models, going into schools for weekly one-on-one reading experiences with their K-4 students, October through June. Reading Buddies work in the public elementary schools in Hackensack and Teaneck.

This initiative, which is run under the auspices of the National Jewish Coalition for Literacy, has proven to be successful in more than 40 communities throughout the nation.

How can I help?

Become a Reading Buddy:

If you’d like to become a Reading Buddy and have one hour a week to spare during the school day, contact us, 201.820-3947 or bethf@jfnnj.org and we will work to place you in one of our participating schools. No prior experience is necessary – we will provide you with training.

Support us through our Book Centerpieces and Bima Baskets for Tzedakah Program:

Celebrate your special occasion while supporting Bergen Reads. Rent inviting book centerpieces and/or bima baskets and personalize them with ribbons of your color choice; add balloons and other decorations as you like. Each centerpiece comes on a mirrored base with a decorative bookmark attached to explain your donation.

Click here to order your Bima Baskets  / Book Centerpieces

Sample Bima Basket

Sample Book Centerpiece

 

 

 

 

 

Donate:

I would like to support the efforts of Bergen Reads in Hackensack and Teaneck public elementary schools with a donation. Click here to make your donation. 

The Bergen Reads program was highlighted on WFME radio and television. Beth Figman, Project Coordinator and Susan Liebeskind, Co-Chair talk about the impact of Bergen Reads in our community.

Bergen Reads is in its 12th year. This year we had over 135 volunteers working with more than 300 students each week in the Hackensack and Teaneck public schools. Beginning in January 2013, we added the Teaneck Community Charter School as one of our partner schools, bringing our total number of participating schools to nine.

This March, we launched a new initiative in cooperation with Barnes & Noble in Hackensack and thanks to a grant from the State of New Jersey’s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives. Our NOOKstm in Schools pilot program enables our Reading Buddies and teachers at the Hawthorne Elementary School in Teaneck and the Nellie K. Parker School in Hackensack to enhance reading sessions with students using NOOK eReaders. Language and phonics apps along with ebooks and nonfiction magazines are available for exploration.

We thank our generous funders
for their support of our program:

• Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey
• RBC Wealth Management
• Temple Sinai Teen Foundation
• State of New Jersey Office of Faith-Based Initiatives