Bergenfield—The Schapiro family has an abiding love of books and learning. Moshe, a librarian at Yeshiva University, and Shifra, a Tanach teacher at Ma’ayanot, along with their four children, started a Jewish book gemach for the fourth to eighth grade levels at their home in Bergenfield about two and-a-half years ago.

“It was established simply because my family loves books, and it’s always a good idea to do chesed with something you love,” said Shifra Schapiro.

The books are stored on six shelves in the family’s living room. “We had to shift around a lot of books within our house to put all the gemach books together. We want people to be able to browse when they come,” Schapiro said.

Schapiro said they usually get two to three donations per year, mostly of used books, but they have also received donations of new books in memory of a loved one. The Schapiros have also purchased new books, especially to complete a series, like Kids Speak or Baker’s Dozen. “It’s a library gemach so people don’t pick up—they borrow. We have had both regular and one-time visitors,” she said.

The whole family is involved with the gemach. The kids “enjoy writing out library cards, arranging the books in alphabetical order, and stamping the books. They also help recommend books when people come,” Schapiro said.

Schapiro said the gemach was initially envisioned for people to come borrow books before a long Shabbos or yom tov. “If parents want to encourage their children to read Jewish books, especially on those days, we want to be a resource for that.”

To learn more, or to donate to and borrow books from the Jewish Books Gemach, email [email protected].

By Elizabeth Kratz