FALL COLORS OF BENETTON.
General Book Publishers
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SOL H. MARSHALL
Special to The Jewish News
UNITED COLORS
OF BENETTON.
Our Fall Collection, Informally Modelled In An Elegant Setting
Monday September 10th • 12:30 pm. - 1:30 pm.
The Restaurant, Ritz Carlton Hotel, Dearborn
R.S.V.P. 441.2000
Lunch will be served at Guest expense
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Beacon Hill Professional Mall
18161 W. 13 Mile Rd. (at Southfield) Suite D3
Southfield, Michigan
walk through the
American
Booksellers Associa-
tion's annual trade show in
Las Vegas last month
revealed that changes in
Jewish life today will be
reflected in books that will
reach the marketplace this
fall.
The 15,000 visitors who
thronged the convention saw
fewer "Jewish" publishers
than usually participate
when the ABA meets closer
to the East Coast.
But more of the general
publishing houses seemed to
have books of Jewish inter-
est on display and in their
catalogs for fall delivery.
With governments toppl-
ing around the globe, the
freedom which accompanies
such changes allows former
dissidents to write about
their experiences, hopes and
plans.
Ian Shapolsky, of
Shapolsky Publishers, looks
forward to manuscripts from
Soviet Jews coming to Israel,
the United States and other
countries.
He believes they will write
about their past lives, their
entry into new worlds and
especially what they want
from their new environment.
Shapolsky predicts books
about the movement of
Soviet Jews into Israel.
"Russian Jews coming to
Israel have a strong work
ethic," he said. "They are
willing to take any kind of
job — they are the new
chalutzim (pioneers) of
Israel."
An increased awareness of
the importance of religion in
today's world is reflected in
re-publication and inter-
pretation of the ancient texts
and in educational material
for schools and stories for
children.
Jean Sue Johnson of the
Jewish Publication Society
said JPS will continue what
it has been doing now for 102
years, "to produce religious
and Jewish education books,
because a lot of people are
looking for their roots and
that will remain our focus —
history and traditional
works."
A five-volume Torah
Commentary series will be
completed by JPS in 1991,
she said.
A large number of serious
Judaic titles were featured
in the academic exhibits.
Some were previously
published, while others are
future projects. Many are
from university presses
which had previously issued
books on the Holocaust, but
which are now publishing
Americana along with theo-
logy and Jewish history.
Shapolsky credits Random
House's publication of The
Talmud: The Steinsaltz Edi-
tion, with doing more to open
the general market for Jew-
ish books in this country
than anything else.
"That man came here and
had a million dollar publici-
ty tour," Shapolsky said:
"Because of the excitement
that was generated by this
massive book, every general
bookstore realized that Jew-
ish people buy books, and
$40 books at that."
Representatives of some 15
Jewish book fairs attended
the ABA conclave looking
for books to sell and sear-
ching for authors to be
speakers at their events.
Among them were Esther
Poland and Marla Hassim of
Houston.
"There are about 60 of us
in the country now," Poland
said. "We keep in touch by
telephone during the year
and we meet about three
times during the ABA. We
exchange information about
authors and books."
The Jewish book fair in
Detroit is supposed to be the
oldest and probably the
largest, she said. Others are
in Washington, St. Louis,
Dallas and Houston, and
lately in Denver and
Rochester.
Jewish book fairs usually
are under the auspices of
Jewish community centers
and most of the personnel
are volunteers, but they
make money.
"Our target audience is
the family," said the repre-
sentative from Buffalo.
"Children's books are the
biggest item. Light, educa-
tional, it doesn't make any
difference. We want to get
Jewish books into Jewish
homes."
Johnson of JPS confirmed
the popularity of children's
books. "Our primary chil-
dren's books are selling
better and better all the
time. With double-income
families, they are able to
spend more money on their
children," she observed.
Jewish cuisine was
highlighted in a number of
exhibits. El
Jewish Telegraphic Agency