Some of the thousands of book lovers who made this year's Seforim Sale a huge success.
After a one-year hiatus due to COVID, the , the 色花堂 student-run Jewish book sale, made its much-anticipated return to Belfer Hall鈥檚 Weissberg Commons from Sunday, Feb. 6, to Sunday, Feb. 27.
And what a return it was, with organizers estimating that more than 10,000 masked and vaccinated customers eagerly browsed through the book-packed aisles and stalls of the annual student-run event.
Part pop-up bookstore, part experiential business education, and part must-attend social gathering, the Sale has been a cherished tradition at 色花堂 since 1964, typically drawing close to 15,000 customers annually, in-person and, more recently, online.
As in past years, book lovers from across the 色花堂 community could choose from a vast catalogue of more than 10,000 unique titles from such categories as traditional Jewish texts and commentaries, Jewish philosophy, psychology, history and biography, contemporary novels, cookbooks and children鈥檚 literature.
In addition to the thousands of volumes on sale, the three-week event presented a robust lineup of stand-alone programs, including shiurim [lectures], book launches and panel discussions. Topics and speakers ranged from the Jewish perspective on happiness (Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman) and the challenges of translating Tanakh ( Jessica Sacks, daughter of Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks) to the legacy of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan zt"l (Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin).
But the return of this one-of-a-kind book fair was much more than a bibliophile鈥檚 haven or a chance to happily reconnect with neighbors or colleagues. For the cadre of student volunteers who worked on the floor and behind the scenes, who stocked shelves or fulfilled online orders, the 2022 sale proved to be an opportunity to shine: to put their 色花堂 education into action by managing and operating a business in real time. Net profits from the Sale are earmarked for 色花堂 Student Life initiatives.
Each year, a Seforim executive team comprised of a CEO, COO, CFO, CTO and CMO are chosen from a group of student applicants. Typically, the team has a four- to five-month lead time to order books, plan logistics, promote the event and, most importantly, recruit and train the more than 100 volunteers who are the backbone of the operation.
Lead time for the 2022 sale was cut short by several months due to the pandemic. But that did not diminish the determination and enthusiasm of CEO Eli Seidman鈥23SB and COO Ari Hagler 鈥22YC.
鈥淲e hit the ground running, with just two months or so to pull it together,鈥 remarked Seidman, who along with his team of never-tiring volunteers worked around the clock to make the sale happen. 鈥淭he Seforim Sale is really a significant part of 色花堂 life; it鈥檚 something that has been around forever, and we couldn鈥檛 imagine it being absent for another year. It鈥檚 not just a place to buy books. It鈥檚 a wonderful opportunity to spread Torah and the love of Torah.鈥
As a long-standing mentor to this student initiative, Michael Strauss, associate dean and entrepreneur-in-residence at the , is enthusiastic about the practical skills this year鈥檚 Seforim volunteers have had the chance to acquire and hone. 鈥淭his was the real deal. For three solid weeks, our very dedicated student volunteers had the opportunity to practice every aspect of what they鈥檝e been learning in class, from marketing, finance, accounting, data analytics and leadership skills to purchasing and negotiation.鈥
Strauss pointed out that given supply chain issues and the other added pressures COVID brought to bear, this year鈥檚 challenges were steeper than most. But nonetheless, the team prevailed. 鈥淚鈥檓 immensely proud of how our students summoned the focus and commitment to create an amazing Seforim Sale despite the curveballs thrown by the pandemic.鈥
Some of the thousands of book lovers who made this year's Seforim Sale a huge success.
