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Page Fifteen
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Friday, December 5, 1547
Average Jew Indifferent
to New Jewish Books
Build Homes on Palestine Desert
vails in the Jewish publishing
field is easily explained.
DECENT SALARIES
If books that 10 years ago
would have sold no more than
500 copies now sell in editions
of 3,000, it is not because the
Jewish public has been stimu-
lated and chastened into repent-
ance by Arthur Szyk's "Jewish
Book Month" poster, but because
Rabbis and Hebrew teachers now
get a living wage enabling them
to buy books, a luxury they
couldn't afford during the de-
pression.
As far as the average Ameri-
can Jew is concerned, he just
doesn't buy Jewish books. In
point of fact, he does not even
know of their existence.
One of the severest handicaps
with which Jewish publishers
must contend at present is the
virtual lack of outlets for their
wares.
Distribution and display make
or break sales. -As far as the
Jewish book is concerned, it is
neither distributed nor displayed.
Why then are we so shocked
and amazed upon learning that
Jewish books don't sell?
Even the available 'Jewish
books in English, with all their
shortcomings, could have sold in
much larger editions with a bit
of adequate distribution.
if they were cast in the familiar
•
By DR.
shallow pattern of our one-day
TItUDE WEISS-ROSMARIN
Laura Z. liobson's "Gentle- American book successes that
men's Agreement" and Joshua are „read, chuckled over, and af-
Loth Liebman's ''Peace of Mind" ford the readers vicarious sex-
were among the two most suc- ual thrills and a topic for con-
cessful books of the Atr•..rican versation over the dinner or tea
book market in the past twelve table. The evidence available
supports this hypothetical diag-
months.
Sholom Aleiclim's The Old nosis.
Country" and Arthur Koestler's
To be sure, there are some
Zionist novel "Thieves in the sexy and unsensational books by
Night" too have been doing well and about Jews that were and
Je•
for themselves. There are an- are fairly successful. Maurice
A new settlement rises on former desert waste as newcomers
other two or three books by and Samuel's "The World of Sholom
to Palestine lay foundations of homes on land purchased with
about Jews on the current list Aleichem" and "Harvest in the
funds contributed by American Jewry to the United Jewish
which are rolling up sales run- Desert" did quite well for
Appeal.
ning into four figures.
themselves.
Nevertheless, Jewish writers,
So did some of Ludwig Lew-
educators, and the more articu- isohn's earlier volumesyet, the creative utterances of his the cost of paper, wear and tear
of his typewriter, and fare to
late members of the Rabbinate, neither Lewisohn's nor Samuel's pen.
continue to bemoan "the forgot- books ever came near the best
The Jewish Book Council and and from libraries.
The writing of books about
ten Jewish book." Especially at
sellers' lists. In fact, their best the committees inspired by it
this time of the . year, when books might never have seen have thus far concerned them- and for Jews is a luxury in
Jewish Book Month is observed the light of print were it not selves only with the book and which only those assured of
in many communities, tirades for the subv,ntion of Jewish or- the reader. The problem of the their tread and butter can in-
against "the People of the Book"
Jewish writer, however, is equal- dulge.
ganizations.
As a result, there are only a
that has forsaken "The Book"
This does not detract from the ly important. The truth of the handful of Jewish books on the
are sounded from Jewish pulpits
matter
is,
there
are
only
a
literary quality and importance
market that appeal to the aver-
and platforms.
of Lewisohn's and Samuel's handful of good and worthwhile age reader, the reader who does
Jewish
books
written
in
English
POOR EXCHANGE
books. It does reflect, however,
available. This is due primarily not intend to make professional
Unfortunately, the accusation the turpitude of American Jews
To provide supplementary
to the circumstance that those use of what he reads. The bulk
is bolstered by irrefutable evi- who fail to buy these hooks.
capable of producing such books of Jewish books now being pub- food, clothing, medical care,
dence. "The People of the
can't afford to take time out to lished in this country is frankly educational opportunities and
Book" has forsaken its great CAN'T EARN LIVING
geared to the needs of the rab- other welfare services for the
As a result they, and many write them.
treasure or, rather, it has ex-
The average book about and bis, the educational personnel of Palestine-bound Jewish refugees
changed it for glittering, worth- younger writers, have barely for Jews sells in an edition (the Jewish schools, organizations, on the island of Cyprus, the
scratched the surface of their only edition) of two thousand etc. What with about 10,000 Joint Distribution Committee is
less tinsel.
Notwithstanding the success of creativeness. They have not over a year or two, if things go rabbis, Jewish educators — to now spending at the rate of
three or four books by and about given us the books they wanted well. Then, if the book is truly say nothing of organizational $1,000,000 • a year.
Jews that are enhanced by the to and could have written.
extraordinary, there may be a leaders—clamoring for sermon,
imprint of leading general pub-
The American-Jewish commu- second edition of another three lecture, book review and sundry
Chronicle Social and Club
lishers, Jewish books written in nity, despite its numerical and thousand—and that will be the other educational material, the
English are languishing. Jewish financial strength, has not as yet
minor prosperity which now pre- News deadline is noon Monday.
end.
literature labors under the dou- provided the habitat in which a
ble handicap of insufficient sup- niter for and about Jews can , HARDLY ENOUGH
The author's honorarium (15
ply and failing demand and the earn a decent living. There is
few Jewish books of quality no more scathing indictment of per cent royalties will barely
available to -the English reader our cultural lag than that we suffice to indemnify him for the
are so woefully neglected that have never managed to sustain a expenses incurred in connection
even the zealous efforts of the single creative writer on Jewish with the writing of the book,
Jewish Book Council, the book subjects, enabling him to live by such as the salary of the typist,
department of the ZOA, and oth-
er groups and individuals devot-
ed to the dissemination of Jew-
ish literature, have been of no
avail.
6791 E. EIGHT MILE RD.
SEASON'S GREETINGS
CHANUKAH GREETINGS
•
AETNA INDUSTRIES
----
BASE LINE, MICHIGAN
ONE DIAGNOSIS
There is a school of thought
which suggests that Sews would
'cad books by and about Jews
- -
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Greetings
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CHANUKAH GREETINGS .. •
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GreetingS • • •
convey to
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our
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