Alef Bet Judaica in Los Gatos will close at the end of the month. It is always raw and sad when a beloved business similar to mine closes due to reduced sales revenue.
A Judaica store in any part of Northern California serves a diverse population. Alef Bet Judaica supported the Jewish connections of and enhanced the lives of countless Jews for more than two decades — as has Afikomen Judaica, the store I own with my wife Nell in Berkeley. This kind of dedication and commitment to Jewish life is praiseworthy. Working six days a week, at times for little income, in service to Jewish life is something that could be better appreciated in our community. When connections are sought for lifecycle events and further Jewish learning, Judaica stores are the places many people turn. Often Judaica stores are sources of referrals for people seeking synagogues, youth activities, adult education, and arts and entertainment in their community.
For example: A Jewish woman comes in wanting a necklace and an introductory book about Judaism for her teenage son. She explains to me that she sent him to a Catholic high school and she is not sure where his interest is coming from. I look her in the eye and tell her “He’s Jewish,” affirming his matrilineal ancestry through her. She wants to respect her child’s desire to learn more about his faith; he is even thinking of bar mitzvah! I assist her with the jewelry and suggest the book “Judaism for Dummies.” Then I give her the card of an independent local rabbi and encourage her to make contact, knowing it will be a meaningful connection for the son and his mother. She leaves the store with a happy smile and a look of gratification for having her and her son’s Jewishness affirmed.
We are also there when someone comes in, looking distraught and somewhat stiff from holding their emotions in. They ask for “that candle that you light when someone has passed away.” When our eyes meet I ask, gently, “Did someone close just pass?” The tears come; I have a box of tissues ready. One day just before Passover this year, two people cried as they bought yahrtzeit candles to mark the first anniversary of their parent’s passing. Our counter is often a sacred chapel.
As these stories illustrate, there is a lot of Jewish life taking place inside Judaica stores.
So why are so many Judaica stores closing around the country? The main reason is loss of sales revenue as more people shift their purchasing to online sources like Amazon. Money spent buying from online retailers leaves our community, whereas nearly three-quarters of every dollar spent in a local store recirculates back into the community. This loss of sales and the lack of reinvestment into the local economy puts local businesses at risk.
Afikomen has championed the ethos of the buy local movement. We partner with organizations like Buy Local Berkeley to promote the advantages that thriving local businesses bring to communities. My wife Nell presented an ELI Talk (the Jewish answer to TED Talks) called “Buy local: It’s a Jewish thing,” highlighting Torah sources for shopping local and how Maimonides included supporting local business in his hierarchy of righteous giving.
Many Jewish organizations do not do their purchasing through local stores and, by extension, do not encourage others to support local businesses. Judaica stores should be seen as an essential resource for Jewish life by the community’s many organizations.
At Afikomen Judaica, it is a primary goal to deepen and strengthen our relationships with community organizations and to be seen and appreciated for the partnership role we play. With the closing of Alef Bet Judaica at the end of this month, there will be an experience of loss and sadness by many.
When I read of Alef Bet’s closing in this paper on June 3, I was sad but not surprised. But then, in the same issue, I counted 16 tribute ads accompanying a lengthy article and editorial on the life and career of Rabbi Doug Kahn, who is stepping down after a long tenure at the JCRC. Meanwhile, only a few paragraphs were given to the end of another community institution — the closing of Alef Bet Judaica and the retirement of its owner, Nurit Sabadosh.
Let’s take seriously the contribution Judaica stores make in our communities and broaden appreciation of them.
Rabbi Chaim Mahgel and his wife, Nell Friedman, have been the owners of Afikomen Judaica since 2008. Afikomen is in its 25th year.