Metro

Calling All Jewish Readers

Check out Bookstock fund-raising sale for literary bargains.

Roz Blanck, West
Bloomfield
Occupation: Full-time
mom, non-practicing
attorney
Types of Books I
Enjoy: Jewish history books, well-
written non-fiction that reads like
fiction
At Bookstock Look for: " Wild
Swans: Three Daughters of China by
Jung Chang is wonderful. I got it
for $1 last year, and it provided
weeks of enjoyment; Holocaust
memoirs and anything by Doris
Kearns Goodwin. I'm looking for
her Lyndon Johnson book."

Jodi Goodman, West
Bloomfield
Occupation: Full-time
morn, non-practicing
attorney
Types of Books I
Enjoy: Novels that
delve into a character's personality
and attempt to explain what cir-
cumstances have led the character
to become the person he/she is.
At Bookstock Look for: "Old cook-
books because you may rediscover
an old recipe that brings back spe-
cial memories and because it is both
interesting and amusing to see how
our diets have changed. Also, look
for The Curious Incident of the Dog
in the Night-Time, a personal
favorite of mine as it is an uplifting
book that demonstrates that deter-
mination leads to personal success."

IN

5/12
2005

22

Francine Menken,
West Bloomfield
Occupation: Head
librarian, Henry and
Delia Meyers Library,
Jewish Community
Center in West
Bloomfield; librarian, Weinberg
Family Library, Temple Israel
Types of Books I Enjoy: Children's
books and illustrations, poetry, real-
istic fiction, non-fiction, humor
At Bookstock Look for: " The
Ladies Auxiliary and The Outside
World by Tova Mirvis, novels that
explore relationships between
mothers, daughters and families liv-

DON COHEN

They quickly realized it could only
be done right by making it a broader
community effort. With the support
oz Blanck warns of the mess
of the Jewish Community Council of
in her West Bloomfield home, Metropolitan Detroit and many vol-
but it really isn't that cluttered unteers, the revived sale will enjoy its
— though Bookstock posters, mugs,
third year at Laurel Park Place.
bookmarks, signs and bumper stickers
"Everyone in the Jewish community
take up part of the living room floor
has heard of the Brandeis book sale,
in anticipation of the big event to be
but they haven't yet all heard of
held May 15-22 at Laurel Park Place
Bookstock," Blanck says. "Most don't
mall in Livonia.
realize that Bookstock is organized
During a brief lull between driving
from our community. We really want
their kids' Hillel Day School carpools
the Jewish community to come take
and a full day of meetings and other
part."
tasks, Blanck and her Bookstock co-
Jewish support for Bookstock comes
chair and friend Jodi Goodman, also
more from donations of books —
of West Bloomfield, take time to talk
about 90 percent come from the
about the upcoming used book sale.
Jewish community — and volunteers
Blanck's phone rings every few min,
than from those who come to buy.
utes. She sits by a table with a stack of This year, Bookstock was a sponsor of
folders topped by lists of people and
the JCC Lenore Marwil Jewish Film
tasks, neatly written in pencil with
Festival as part of its effort to attract
some crossed out and others waiting
more Jews.
for action. Nothing seems to be out
"Laurel Park is not in the path of
the ordinary. Just another busy day
the Jewish community like Tel-12
leading up to Bookstock, successor to
was," says Goodman, referring to the
the local Brandeis used book sale,
retail center at Telegraph and 12 Mile
which was started by Boston-area uni-
in Southfield that was home to the
versity's National Women's Committee Brandeis sale for years. "Laurel Park is
in 1958.
not far, and it's much nicer."
Five years ago, the local chapter rec-
Schostak Brothers & Company,
ognized that its book sale days were
managers of Laurel Park, co-sponsor
numbered and appealed to Jewish
the event and provide space, tables
organizations to pick up the ball and
and other support at no charge.
keep the institution going. For one
Robert, David and Mark Schostak run
year — no tables, no books, no biblio- the company.
philes — then Blanck and Goodman
"Those who come will be impressed
got the book sale bug through their
with what we have to offer," says
involvement with Hillel Day School.
Goodman. "We're not unloading old

Special to the Jewish News

R

ing an Orthodox life in the realm of
the present with feeling and humor."

Les Goldstein, West Bloomfield
Occupation: Midwest Executive
Director, Bar-Ilan University
Types of Books I Enjoy: Fiction, his-
tory and biography
At Bookstock Look for: "1984 by
George Orwell brought me into
political maturity; Rise and Fall of the
Third Reich by William Shirer is a
great history on a terrible period;
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, the funni-
est and saddest book I've ever read."

Rabbi Aaron Bergman, Southfield
Occupation: Rabbi, director of
Jewish Studies at the Jewish Academy
of Metropolitan Detroit
Types of Books I Enjoy: Jewish
thought, art, music and science fiction
At Bookstock Look for: "Great books
on Judaism and Jewish history, lots of
really good mystery novels, too."

Harlene Appelman, Ann Arbor
Occupation: Teacher, Federation's
Chief Education Officer
Types of BOoks I Enjoy: Mysteries;
pop marketing, organizational devel-
opment; books pertaining Judaism:

books. We're not offering garbage. We
even have multiple boxes of brand-
new books."
Donations have more than doubled
from last year, and they estimate they
have in excess of 100,000 books. Items
include all kinds of books, magazines,
CDs, DVDs, videos, records and
audio books. The collection effort was
so successful they had to halt dona-
tions months ago. Because they can't
put everything out on the sale floor,
they try to give those looking for par-
ticular items access to the storage
room and will assist when they can.
"People should ask if they can't find
something," says Blanck. "We might
not have it, but we might."
There's plenty of Judaica and mate-
rials of Jewish content — fiction, his-
tory, politics, children's books, self-
help, Judaism, cookbooks, prayer
books, autobiographies, Zionism, text-
books. You name it; it's likely they've
got it.
"We have a lot of copies of Exodus
[by Leon Uris]," Blanck says. "When
it came out, every Jew bought it; and
now it seems it's time for every Jew to
give it away."

Win-Win For All

The sale is a massive undertaking, a
year-round effort involving coordina-
tion of 500-700 volunteers, publicity,
donation pick-ups (fondly referred to
as "shlepping"), sorting and organiz-
ing, sign making, layout, insurance,

BOOKSTOCK on page 24

practice, history and ethics
At Bookstock Look for: "Mysteries
anything by Ann Perry. She's
interesting and a cut above the blood
and gore. Her books are all set in the
U.K. Organization development-mar-
keting — anything by Malcolm
Gladwell or Seth Godin. Don't take
them too seriously, but they always
provide out-of-the-box thinking.
Judaica — Haggadahs of any shape
or form."

READERS on page 24