A Labor of Love: The Story Behind the Seforim Sale

After months of careful preparation and meticulous planning, the annual Seforim Sale at Yeshiva University has returned for its 60th year and is open from Feb. 2 through Feb. 23. Originally established in 1964, the Seforim Sale, North America’s largest annual Judaica sale, serves as an exciting opportunity for students and members of the Jewish community alike to browse through diverse sections and discover a wide array of their favorite writers. 

Located in the Weissberg Commons in Belfer Hall on the Wilf Campus, the room is constantly buzzing with lively conversation between staff and customers, complemented by the upbeat tempo of Jewish music pouring from the surrounding speakers. Each year, the sale attracts approximately 15,000 customers from the larger Jewish community, with all profit allocated to YU student life initiatives. Topics in books carried by the sale range from halachic matters to historical novels to cookbooks on creating the perfect boneless chicken.

In addition to the wide selection of seforim available at the sale, from Sundays to Thursdays there are options to engage in a series of shiurim delivered by various well-known and influential Jewish figures. This enables customers to gain spiritually and intellectually beyond the books themselves. One customer, Kayla Kreinik (SCW ‘24), shared, “I love the wide variety and great prices at the Seforim Sale, and I also really love the shiurim that are given.”

The efforts to organize the sale and shiurim require months of preparation from the staff members. But what motivates the team to join the Seforim Sale? 

Balancing schoolwork with the responsibilities of working the sale may be difficult, but like any other year, the Seforim Sale staff have greatly accomplished this task with exuberance. 

From communications to the execution itself, the Seforim Sale requires diligent planning and leadership, a task managed scrupulously by the CEO. When interviewed by The Commentator, CEO Brandon Melamed (YC ‘25) reflected on a previous conversation he had with last year’s CEO, Yosef Silver (SSSB ‘24), that explained the work required by a Seforim Sale CEO: “In one sentence,” said Melamed, quoting Silver, “as CEO, you do nothing and everything at the same time.”

As CEO, Melamed is responsible for supervising all the operations through overseeing orders, book placement, marketing, advertising, hiring staff and managing advertising deals with other companies and organizations. 

There are eleven leading staff positions, which have been divided between twenty students this year. One of these positions, the Chief Managing Officer (CMO), has been assigned to Ariella Konigsberg (SSSB ‘26).

Despite the lengthy hours dedicated to organizing and executing the sale, Konigsberg assuredly stated that she would gladly do it all again if given the chance. “When you work for something you enjoy,” said Konigsberg, “the long hours don't feel that long. I’m a people person, so getting to see it all pull together with all of our amazing customers and staff and getting to spend time with everyone is really my favorite part.”

For some, working at the Seforim Sale isn’t a one-time experience, but a continuing commitment. Jonathan Krombach (YC ‘25) originally began his involvement with the Seforim Sale in his third year at Yeshiva University as a backend position. Now, as a senior and a floor manager, he is more involved than ever, always eager to help customers and other staff members and greatly contributing to the energetic atmosphere of the sale. Krombach reminisced about his initial motivations to join the Seforim Sale team: “I started because I wanted to challenge myself to be more social and meet new people … I continued because I found what I was looking for and wanted to help give that to others.” 

For others, working at the sale this year is an entirely new experience. Shany Steinberg (SCW '27), a section manager, expressed her excitement about experiencing the Seforim Sale for the first time during her first semester on campus. “I really hope to make it count,” she said with enthusiasm. “As someone who is very passionate about spreading Torah to other Jews, we can bring so many people together from so many communities … I'm so excited to be involved with something so much bigger than myself.”

Upon interviewing multiple Seforim Sale staff members, it becomes clear that this is a collective sentiment. Students are particularly interested in getting involved with the sale to be a part of a process dedicated to strengthening connections while simultaneously participating in the spread of Torah. 

“It's a labor of love,” Melamed said. “I got involved because I wanted to help Jewish people connect with Torah … and now as CEO, my ultimate goal is the same. I wouldn’t trade this job for anything.” 

Photo Caption: A contemporary Seforim Sale

Photo Credit: Yeshiva University