Shomrei Torah of Fair Lawn will be hosting its first SeferFest on Sunday, December 3. Although the main draw will be the opportunity to choose from thousands of used seforim, collectibles and Jewish books, many at highly discounted prices, the event will also include tefillin and mezuzah checks, divrei Torah and book signings by authors.
The idea was first proposed by Rabbi Andrew Markowitz, who felt that although his shul’s library had an impressive array of seforim, he nevertheless needed to make room for new offerings. He considered it a win-win to hold a seforim sale. The idea soon caught the attention of others and began to grow into its current iteration. Others with large collections will also be selling from their surplus as well as giving away seforim that had been earmarked for shaimos.
Some plan to include rare offerings, such as the seller who shared: “The main books of interest at my table will include ‘The Jewish Encyclopedia,’ published in New York and London in 1906. I have 12 thick volumes in pretty good shape. The encyclopedia was prepared by more than 400 scholars and specialists and includes more details than most subsequent encyclopedias on many topics, containing over 2,000 illustrations as well. Be aware, it is not limited to the most traditional of sources.”
The wide selection of seforim and Jewish books will be from all genres, including halacha, chasidus, Gemara, Tanach, history, art and academia, and will include a fair number of unique books and collectibles for the discerning book hunter. Along with private sellers, Kodesh Press will be in attendance to sell “not-quite-perfects” (NQPs) at discount. Capital Seforim from Lakewood will man a number of tables as well.
In addition to the seforim sale, there will be a series of rabbinic speakers who will deliver presentations downstairs in the shul’s beit midrash and also be available for book signings. Rabbi Haim Jachter of the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck and TABC, a weekly Jewish Link contributor and prolific author, will speak about “Halacha of Putting Israeli Soldiers at Risk to Spare Arab Civilians.” Rabbi Moshe Kurtz, author and assistant rabbi of Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, will cover the topic of “Does Silence Equal Complicity—From Classic Halachas to Current Events.” Rabbanit Kayla Haber Goldstein of Congregation Beth Tefillah of Paramus, author and Instagram influencer, will cover “Hishtadlus and Faith During Wartime.” Rabbi Shnayor Burton, author, podcaster and rabbi, will address “The Second Temple: A Partial Redemption.” Rabbi Burton is scheduled to speak at 12:05 p.m., followed by Rabbi Kurtz at 1:05 p.m., Rabbi Jachter at 2:05 p.m., and Rabbanit Haber Goldstein at 3:05 p.m.
Rounding out the events of the day will be sofer SeTaM Rabbi Yitzchok Weinberger, who will be available from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and from noon to 3:30 p.m. for mezuzah and tefillin checks.
Shomrei Torah members Shlomo Greenwald and Cory Kleinman, who have been coordinating the seforim festival, are anticipating a very successful event. Greenwald noted: “I’m very excited for our inaugural SeferFest. It’s sure to be filled with seforim galore and Jewish book lovers from the area. So many people—even from beyond New Jersey—have told me they plan to attend.”
The sefer sale and speaker portion of the festival will take place between the hours of noon and 3:30 p.m. this Sunday. Shomrei Torah will be donating 25% of the proceeds it raises to Israel’s ongoing needs.
Robert Isler is a marketing research analyst and freelance writer. He can be reached at [email protected]
