10 May 30 • 2019
jn
jn

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

W

alk into almost any Jewish home and 
you’
ll see books. Maybe there will be 
just a single shelf, maybe the shelves 
will line an entire room.
Jews have always thought of themselves 
as “people of the book.” After all, since the 
destruction of the Temple, Jewish religious life 
has centered around study of texts: the Torah, 
Talmud, the Kabbalistic Zohar and more.
The term “people of the book” originated in 
Islam. Although non-Muslims were considered 
infidels, Jews and Christians were called “peo-
ple of the book” in the Quran because they fol-
lowed texts that embraced monotheism.
Adam Kirsch, author of The People and the 
Books (W.W. Norton & Co., 2016) says texts 
often became turning points in Jewish history, 
and they weren’
t always religious writings. The 
rise of the Yiddish language press, for example, 
was transformative for Jewish women, who 
could read the language they spoke. Theodore 
Herzl’
s books ignited the Zionist movement.
Stuart Matlins, founder of Jewish Lights 
Publications (now part of Turner Publishing), 
said many in the book business feel Jews buy a 
disproportionate number of books considering 
they make up only 2 percent of the U.S. popu-

jews d
in 
the
on the cover

People
Book
of the

Despite modern conveniences, 
Jews still cherish their books. 

JEFF AISEN

TOP: Customers at this year’
s Bookstock sale at Laurel Park Mall browse through 

some of the 300,000 books and DVDs available.

If you could only have 
one book … 

”

“My copy of Moby Dick. 
It is 100 years old and 
is illustrated by 
Rockwell Kent.”

— DAVID SCHEY, 
HUNTINGTON WOODS

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