Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

54 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 

A Book Fair to Be Proud Of
O

n Nov. 6-14, the 70th Jewish 
Book Fair will be held. The 
oldest and largest Jewish 
Book Fair in the nation is usually held 
at the Jewish Community Center in 
West Bloomfield. Due to the lingering 
COVID pandemic, this year’s version 
will begin this month as an online 
program the best books from Jewish 
authors or about Jewish 
history and culture.
The Book Fair has 
a long and illustrious 
history. I found more than 
2,000 references to the 
Book Fair in the William 
Davidson Digital Archive 
of Jewish Detroit History, 
including several excellent articles.
The first Book Fair was a result of 
a partnership of idea and effort. In 
1951, Irwin Shaw became the executive 
director of the Jewish Community 
Center with a mandate to increase 
Jewish education programming. JCC 
Board Member Louis LaMed had 
an idea: Why not have Jewish book 
publishers send their authors to speak 
at the JCC? Acting upon LaMed’s idea, 
Shaw went to New York and visited 
firms that published Jewish books. 
Initially, the publishers provided little 
support, but they did send books to sell.
The first Book Fair was held at the 
Dexter-Davidson JCC in Detroit in 
November 1952. It was a modest day-
and-a-half event with three authors. 
But LaMed and Shaw had planted 
a seed that would grow swift and 
strong. Pauline Jackson and Matilda 
Rubin mobilized volunteers and 25 
organizations, largely synagogues, 
were partners. Henry Meyers chaired 
the honorary committee. Two years 
later, the Book Fair had 260 volunteers 
and involved 34 local groups. It soon 
became the largest in America.
In 1960, the Book Fair moved to 

the Curtis and Myers JCC Building in 
Detroit. The D. Dan and Betty Kahn 
building in West Bloomfield became its 
home in 1976. Over the years, events 
were also held at the Jimmy Prentis 
Morris building in Oak Park. 
Two excellent articles relate the 
history of the Book Fair. I found one 
about the Fair’s silver anniversary in 
the Oct. 1, 1976, JN. This report also 
includes a photo of three generations 
of volunteers — Sarah Friedman, 
daughter Betty Sarkowitz and 
granddaughter Julie Shiffman — and 
photos of early pioneers of the Book 
Fair: Gertrude Oberstein, Pauline 
Jackson and Phyllis Schwartz.
A virtual event this year, the 
Book Fair has always used the latest 
technology. In 1957, for example, 
Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver was scheduled 
to speak, but he could not attend 
in-person. Michigan Bell Telephone 
Co. and Book Fair organizers made 
arrangements to have him speak by 
phone and broadcast the conversation 
live to the audience via loudspeaker.
The Book Fair’s 50th anniversary 
was celebrated in the Nov. 2, 2001, 
issue of the JN. The story celebrated the 
role of Shaw and included a timeline 
of famous authors who presented 
over the years such as Elie Wiesel, 
Simon Wiesenthal, Moshe Arens, 
Mitch Albom, and our JN editor and 
publisher, Philip Slomovitz. There is 
also a nice photo of Pauline Jackson 
speaking at the first Book Fair.
So, let’s celebrate the 70th annual 
Jewish Book Fair. It’s a wonderful 
Jewish Detroit event.
P.S. I will be interviewing Michael 
Shnayerson about his new book: Bugsy 
Siegel: The Dark side of the American Dream 
at the Book Fair on Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 
archives for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

