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Updates
Staying Up For Harry
From the pages of the Jewish News for
this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.
Beatrice Sacks was elected presi-
dent of Temple Emanu-E1 in Oak
Park.
Menachem Levin was named gen-
eral administrator of Machon
norah/The Jewish Learning
Network of Michigan in Oak Park.
ESTHER ALLWEISS TSCHIRHART
Copy Editor
B
ook Beat in Oak Park, an independent bookstore
that's never too spacious even in ordinary times,
was filled to the gills. A largely Jewish crowd of
wired kids and their weary parents had turned out
in force late Friday, July 7, for the store's Harry Potter book
release party.
With a sales embargo in place till midnight for Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire (Scholastic Inc., $24.95), latest in British
author J.K. Rowling's series about a boy wizard, bookstores
worldwide held special kickoffs like this one to launch what
Newsweek (July 10) called "the biggest
publishing phenomenon since — ever."
The three earlier Harry Potter books
have taken up residence on the New
York Times best-seller list with 35 mil-
lion copies sold, and the initial print run
for Goblet by its British and U.S. pub-
lishers totaled 5.3 million. The books
have been printed in 35 languages.
Starting at 11 p.m. Friday, Book Beat owner Cary Loren,
in purple-and-black wizard's attire, was the genial host distrib-
uting Hogwarts School stickers and Harry Potter quizzes to
people in line. Lemonade emitting "ghostly" dry-ice steam
and assorted sweets helped quell appetites while waiting for
book sales to begin.
One lucky child won the store's drawing for a copy of the
new Harry Potter book — 11-year-old Channa Farber, a visi-
tor from Varberg, Sweden. "And it is our last night here," said
her father Larry Farber, a Livonia native.
A trio of friends held the first numbers to buy the books.
"We came at 9:45," said Ari Zirulnik of Royal Oak, whose
achievement was shared with Huntington Woods residents
Sam Tencer and Seth Levine. The boys, all 11, were delighted
with their 734-page books and the "four-eyes" glasses (a lot
like Harry's) and dated souvenir bookmark that Book Beat
included with each purchase that night.
Loren and his partner-wife, Colleen Kammer, had ordered
340 copies for the big evening and 200 were out the door by
the time of the last purchase at 1:30 a.m. "Some people bought
multiple copies," Kammer said. With the extra 100 books
brought in Saturday, 240 were available for later customers.
"Over the weekend, almost everyone coming in was asking
for it," Kammer said, adding that the Harry frenzy led to cus-
tomers buying other books as well.
"We have a large Jewish clientele and they have always been
very supportive," she said, noting that some Conservative
Jewish customers, not wanting to make a purchase on
Shabbat, had redeemed their numbers for pre-paid books.
The newest installment appears to be living up to expecta-
tions. Book Beat patron Adam Barth, 12, of Oak Park read
150 pages of the new Harry Potter over the weekend, said his
mother, Ellen.
"He likes it as well or better than the other books," she said. E
Remember
When • II
Families join a publishing world
happening at locally owned bookstore.
10804
Edie Mittenthal was appointed field
representative of Michigan Chapter,
American Friends of Hebrew
University.
Jeffrey Bonin is the newly elected
president of the Jewish Historical
Society of Michigan.
sit-.:1,v6
Locally; Habonim Youth
Organization named Dan Drachler as
rosh ken (chairman).
Ethel Silberg was named chair-
man of the local Daniel-Yosef
Branch 11, Poale Zion.
A strike of 11,000 nurses in
Israel has shut down all but emer-
gency medical services.
'tcit
A new building to house the
Mexican-Israel Cultural Institute was
officially opened in Mexico City.
The United Jewish Folk School
in Detroit changed its name to the
Hayim Greenberg Hebrew-Yiddish
School.
Jack Stein was elected president
of the Jewish Parents. Institute of
the Jewish Community Center in
Detroit.
.
tratkrW)aN-`--,ONfat,IT'keX
Ts,
Top: Harry Potter fans Ari Zirulnik, Seth Levine and Sam
Tencer were first in line for the new book.
Above: Book Beat owner Cary Loren dressed up for the party.
The first elections in 20 years for
officers of local Jewish councils
were held in Istanbul.
The municipal council of
Munich recommended that school
children be made to visit the site of
the Dachau concentration camp.
Mrs. Stanley E Fleischaker was
named Red Feather Volunteer of
the Week by the Central Volunteer
Bureau of the Council of Social
Agencies in Detroit.
—
Compiled by Sy Manello,
editorial assistant
tV
7/14
2000
35