Judaica and Jewish Books

Welcome to the stores where j. readers walk in and don’t leave until they’ve bought bar- and bat mitzvah gifts for everyone they know: Afikomen in the East Bay, the Osher Marin JCC Gift Shop in Marin/Sonoma, Dayenu in San Francisco, and bob and bob in the South Bay/Peninsula.

If you’re wandering around the streets of San Francisco in search of satisfaction for some Jewish needs, look no further than Dayenu. Co-owner Eva-Lynne Leibman admits that Dayenu cannot compete with sites like Amazon.com on prices. Instead, Dayenu provides a space for perusal and discussion in the “feel-good” building that is the JCC of San Francisco.

Run by the Sisterhood of Congregation Rodef Sholom, the Osher Marin JCC Gift Shop in San Rafael is, as manager Sharon Gordon says, “all about community and partnership.” The store is run by 18 women volunteers, who are dedicated to the store’s customers for mezuzahs, b’nai mitzvah gifts and special books.

Alexis Milea, co-owner of Afikomen in Berkeley, got a call this week from a woman in Oregon looking for an affordable ketubah. Milea is going to help her, one example of what she identifies as the high level of personal service at the store. And what a lovely store it is — a visitor once remarked, “You have the most beautiful Judaica store I’ve been in.”

Bob and bob, which recently moved to Los Altos, is a place where people know what they’re talking about when it comes to Judaica. Co-owner Ellen Bob wants readers to know that they’ve just got in a new children’s toy from Israel that looks like a Rubix cube and folds in on itself like a fortune-teller. Staff can’t stop playing with it, but they’ll probably sell it to you if you really want.

Second-place winners are Beth Jacob Congregation’s Oasis in the East Bay, Aaron’s Jewish Book Service in San Francisco and Alef Bet Judaica in the South Bay/Peninsula.

FIRST PLACE

San Francisco

Dayenu

(415) 563-6563

www.dayenu.com

East Bay

Afikomen

Berkeley

(877) 284-2345

www.afikomen.com

South Bay/Peninsula

bob and bob

Los Altos

(650) 947-7010

www.bobandbobjudaica.com

Marin/Sonoma

Rodef Sholom

Sisterhood Gift Shop at

Osher Marin JCC

San Rafael

(415) 444-8098

www.marinjcc.org

SECOND PLACE

San Francisco

Aaron’s Jewish

Book Service

(415) 752-1952

East Bay

The Oasis

Beth Jacob Congregation

Oakland

(510) 482-1147

www.bethjacoboakland.org/main_oasis.html

South Bay/Peninsula

Alef Bet Judaica

Los Gatos

(408) 370-1818

www.alefbetjudaica.com

Bookstore

These stores, like their books, have character, and j. readers know it. In San Francisco,

the winner was Green Apple Books & Music; in the East Bay, Berkeley’s Black Oak Books; in the South Bay/Peninsula, Kepler’s; and in Marin/Sonoma, Book Passage.

El Camino Real would be incomplete

without Kepler’s. Not only does the store sell books it chooses specifically for its community, it sponsors events with renowned authors. Plus, Kepler’s is the place to go in the South Bay/Peninsula area for staff that knows extremely well the books that they sell.

Bad books hide good books. That’s one

of the mantras of San Franisco’s Green Apple staff, co-owner Pete Mulvihill explains. “We’re really selective,” he said, “like a

good wine shop.” Located in a funky, dusty, pre-1906 building, Green Apple is home to

28 staff members, many of whom have been working there for 10 years or more.

Don Pretari, co-owner of Black Oak

Books in the East Bay, is proud of the store’s Judaica table and the selection of quality books on Israel-related topics. But, Pretari says, Black Oak is “not a best-seller bookstore.” The store emphasizes the scholarly, and customers appreciate its unique sensibility.

The favorite in Marin, Book Passage, is known for its many events and conferences. Recently, the store hosted a mystery

conference, and coming up are conferences for children’s writers and travel writers.

Book Passage’s Elaine Petrocelli acknowledges that in this world of chain stores

and online bargains, “competition is not

only fierce, it’s unfair. We’re fortunate our customers recognize us and keep us in business.”

Readers liked these bookstores almost

as much: Cody’s in the East Bay and Books Inc. in San Francisco, which both came in second.

FIRST PLACE

San Francisco

Green Apple Books

& Music

(415) 387-2272

www.greenapplebooks.com

East Bay

Black Oak Books

Berkeley

(800) 378-BOOK

www.blackoakbooks.com

South Bay/Peninsula

Kepler’s

Menlo Park

(650) 324-4321

www.keplers.com

Marin/Sonoma

Book Passage

Corte Madera

(415) 927-0960

www.bookpassage.com

SECOND PLACE

San Francisco

Books Inc.

(415) 221-3666

www.booksinc.net

East Bay

Cody’s Books

Berkeley

(510) 559-9500

www.codysbooks.com

Children’s Gift Store

Even though a cardboard box can be a whole lot of fun, sometimes you want to give kids something extra. The winners in this category — Ambassador Toys in San Francisco, KookyKitsch.com in the East Bay, Linden Tree in the South Bay/Peninsula and A Child’s Delight in Marin/Sonoma, can provide that something extra.

While Ambassador Toys provides plenty of whimsical gifts, the store is also trying to promote cultural understanding. Owner Linda Kapnick says the West Portal location is really “a neighborhood store where children come in and play at the train tables while their moms drink coffee.”

In the South Bay, children can enjoy the magical land of Linden Tree Recordings and Books. Although visitors probably won’t find fairies dancing under linden branches, as some legends describe, they will find a wide variety of gifts. Linden Tree also sponsors children’s concerts, book drives for literacy and homelessness programs.

You can browse KookyKitsch.com online, or go the old-fashioned route and visit its Alameda showroom. Jessica Lindsey is proud to offer “professionally produced art in bad taste,” much of it perfect for kids. Her 4-year-old daughter helps her wrap, too.

In Marin, A Child’s Delight is just that, offering truly “imaginative toys for an enchanted childhood.” Co-owner Jonathan Meyer says that he and his wife, Deborah, carry all sorts of toys — but try to steer clear of war toys.

Second-place winners are the Ark in San Francisco, Montclair Toyhouse in the East Bay, Learning Express in the South Bay/Peninsula and Hopscotch in Marin/Sonoma.

FIRST PLACE

San Francisco

Ambassador Toys

West Portal: (415) 759-8697

Embarcadero: (415) 345-8697

www.ambassadortoys.net

East Bay

KookyKitsch.com

Alameda

www.kookykitsch.com

South Bay/Peninsula

Linden Tree Children’s

Recordings and Books

Los Altos

(800) 949-3313

www.lindentree.booksense.com

Marin/Sonoma

A Child’s Delight

San Rafael: (415) 499-0736

Corte Madera: (415) 945-9221

www.achildsdelight.com

SECOND PLACE

San Francisco

The Ark

(415) 821-1257

www.thearktoys.com

East Bay

Montclair Toyhouse

Oakland

(510) 339-9023

South Bay/Peninsula

Learning Express

San Jose

(408) 871-0499

www.learningexpress.com

Marin/Sonoma

Hopscotch Kids

Mill Valley

(415) 381-9858

Pet Store

For j. readers who cherish their pets as dearly as they do their families (and sometimes more so), choosing a pet supply store is as serious as choosing a (people) doctor. In first place in this category are B&B Pet Supplies in San Francisco, Pet Food Express in the East Bay, PetSmart in the South Bay/Peninsula and PETCO in Marin/Sonoma.

PetSmart’s Web site reveals its seriousness when it boasts information about the needs of dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, small pets and birds — even wild birds.

In San Francisco, B&B Pet Supplies provides a wide selection of treats and other supplies at reasonable prices. Pets are also welcome to come with their owners and play in the store. Owner Pat Lattari, who has a dog and two cats himself, loves that he and his employees get to meet puppies and give them treats.

Pet Food Express just opened its 32nd store and eventually hopes to expand to 80, says community outreach coordinator Mike Murray. They haven’t lost touch with their local roots, though. Pets of employees are welcome at work — not just in the stores, but in the corporate office, too. Pet Food Express also prides itself on providing holistic and natural pet foods.

Why go to the PETCO in San Rafael? That’s easy. In hiring new employees, one of the firm’s major considerations is the person’s “pet empathy factor,” says spokesperson Don Cowan. Plus, your donkey, iguana or puppy might become famous through the “PETCO Stars” program.

Second-place winners are PetSmart in Daly City (for the San Francisco region), Animal Farm Discount Pet Foods & Supplies in Berkeley, and Pet Club in the South Bay/Peninsula and Marin/Sonoma.

FIRST PLACE

San Francisco

B&B Pet Supplies

(415) 221-7711

East Bay

Pet Food Express

Various locations

(510) 346-7777

www.petfoodexpress.com

South Bay/Peninsula

PetSmart

Various locations

(408) 773-0215

www.petsmart.com

Marin/Sonoma

PETCO

San Rafael

(415) 457-5262

www.petco.com

SECOND PLACE

San Francisco

PetSmart

Daly City

(650) 997-0395

www.petsmart.com

East Bay

Animal Farm Discount

Pet Foods & Supplies

Berkeley

(510) 526-2993

www.shopinberkeley.com/a/animalfarm

South Bay/Peninsula

Pet Club

Various Locations

(650) 988-1316

www.petclubstores.com

Marin/Sonoma

Pet Club

Corte Madera

(415) 927-2862

www.petclubstores.com