From the Archives: Seforim Sale Draws to a Close
Editor's Note: As the 2025 Seforim Sale comes to a start, we pulled an article from 1991 detailing that year’s Seforim Sale’s success. It lends insight into the ways the Sale functioned in the past, and offers interesting details about the now defunct Pesach Products Committee.
Two annual events display students' devotion to providing to YU and its community with the resources for an enriched Torah environment. The recent S.O.Y. Seforim Sale sold well over $230,000 worth of seforim and assorted Judaica. The upcoming second event is the Passover Products Committee, which has committed itself this year solely to the sale of Belzer hand shmurah matzah.
The well-attended Seforim Sale was headed by Mutty Gurrel and Mordechai Book. Working long hours, they created an educational event not only for YU students but for the entire Metropolitan area Jewish community. “The extra learning created by the availability of seforim punctuates the Yeshiva in YU, and that’s what Torah U’Madda is all about,” says Book.
The main purpose of the sale was to give students an opportunity to purchase reasonably priced seforim. Books ranged from the basic kosher cookbooks to the sophisticated perushim on the Torah, and from children’s books to Shas. Students, rebbeim and parents flocked to the sale each day. In general, what they needed was available at the best prices anywhere. This was due to the fact that S.O.Y. dealt directly with the publishers and distributors.
The sale featured over 2,000 book titles, and also included religious articles, mezuzot and Jewish CD’s and tapes. The profits of the sale went to S.O.Y. and to an as yet unspecified tzedakah, while the unsold seforim were returned to the various distributors.
Many students spent tedious hours working on the sale, arranging, organizing, selling and accounting. These students received discounts on the purchase of seforim. But the students complain that the administration was less than cooperative. S.O.Y. had to pay for the use of the room in the basement of Furst Hall. Student workers also complained that the room was a mess when it was turned over, and they were forced to divert several hours cleaning it up. “Although the physical appearance of the room looked like it was hit by the Scud missile, the Seforim Sale Committee strives to provide the best service to the students ,” proclaims Sale Manager Elliot Forgash.
The second event yet to be completed is the PPC (Pesach Products Committee). Unlike the previous years when Kosher for Passover wine was also sold, the sole item available this year is Belzer hand shmurah matzah for $9.10. The deadline for orders is March 12. According to Judah Kaplan, this year’s head of PPC, the response so far has been slow due to the lack of time and publicity. He is confident that it will pick up. All the profits from the sale will be given to the poor or to be used to buy matzah for the poor.
Photo Caption: A Contemporary Seforim Sale.
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University
