Feldheim Publishers in Israel is in very deep hock. Bankrupt, basically. Type "פלדהיים" in the "חיפוש דיון בפורום" box and see how many stories come up! It seems like they owe Millions of dollars to suppliers, as well as royalties to authors. What a shame. What's left now? Only big, bad Artscroll, at least among the big ones. Israel Book Shop too. They say that Artscroll was saved by the Shas and the Chumash and Siddur. That they did it only to save the company, and that the Judaica book business is dead. And here we thought that they were in L'sheim Mitzvah. I guess Feldheim proved that it is dead... The picture is from when Feldheim was small, yet productive. Within reason, you might say, many years ago. A simpler time...
ahhhh
What are you talking about ?
ReplyDeletePublishing Judaica books is a major and growing concern.
Artscroll , Judaica Press, Kehos and dozens of independent publsihers are publsihing a reocrd numbe rof books in Hebrew Yiddish, and English.
Have you been in Eichlers in the alst 10 years ?
I am old enouhg to remember your "good old days" there were a few books from Feldheim and Kehos and soem stuff fro Shiloh and Hebrew Pblsihing. How can you compare it to todays book list especially in terms of Traditional materials
notice, Reb Schneur, that I didn't say that they weren't publishing books. I said the business is dead. There's no money to be made!
ReplyDeleteLook at Feldheim!
Hirshel
ReplyDeleteShneur is correct, the Judaica is not dead,I believe that Feldhiem went too big too fast, too much stuff too much retail outlets....
Feldheim lost money on its STORES.
ReplyDeleteIt opened many large stores and got into massive competition.
The publishing business is an ok business
Pic is from the late R'Gavriel Bir,who owned a Little store, father on the Hatzola guy in Israel
ReplyDeleteOh well Feldheim & Kodak closes shop in same year! BTW now with the iPads all goyim stop buying books and only yiden will have to buy books because of shabos! what a שלימזל , some one said why is a talmid chucem בבחינת שבת? because during the week you can look up any סוגיא on the computer But on shabos you must learn to know something!
ReplyDeleteDon't forget OU Press, one of my favourites. At least they try to tell the truth.
ReplyDeleteThere is money to be made, and like the music industry they need to wake up and realise that it is electronically. Sure, it means you can't read your favourite book on your iPad, but that's okay. A bit of Chumash/Rashi, Halocho etc ought to fill up the breaks between the farbrengen, cholent, and whatever else one does. Perhaps people will talk to their kids more (I'm guilty, I've usually got my face in a Sefer, or am Chropping after the Choolent.
In the Jewish music scene, it is happening, albeit slowly, but you will see more and more released on iTunes. Companies like mostlymusic sell online too, but I expect that eventually iTunes will take away most of their business too.
דער חשובער רעדאקטער זאל מיר אנטשולדיגן, אבער איך ווייס נישט וואס מיינט "אמאליגע טאגען"! אפשר האט דער רעדאקטער געוואלט שרייבן "אמאליגע טעג"?
ReplyDeleteאויף דויטשמעריש זאגט מען אזוי
DeleteBook shops/stores goes bankrupt because more and more people buy books via Internet. Why pay $40 in a shop/store when you can have the same book for $35.
ReplyDeleteChag Pesach Kasher v´Sameach!
I had a very old של"ה סידור ביי די הגדה it had a written song started something like this:
ReplyDeleteני בוי ני בוי דיין טעמפּעל טאגע, אלזא שוין אין אלזא באלד אין אונזער טאגע שירה, יא שירה יא שירה ני בוי דיין טעמפּעל טאגע!
So i think טאגע means today! and it means a prayer/song to build the ביהמ"ק today!
Zundel Berman has stores all over , Israel Book Shop in Boston and Lakewood,Tell Zundel and Tuvyas that they ought to open up another Pomegranate and go out of the book business. Eichlers has at least 2 huge mega stores, CH a small Orthodox neighborhood has at least3 or 4 Judaica shoppes. Have you been to Imre Shefer in Williamsburg.As they claim it is the dept store of Seforim, Go into Biegeleisen and see that the business is dead. tell the Biegeleisen family they ought to sell shoes instead of seforim !
ReplyDeleteYou have to be kidding. Artscroll continues to publsih quality books that sell.
There is money being made at all ends of the Jewish publsihing world retail wholesale publsihing etc.
I do not know the story of Feldheim but clearly they are far from the norm.
Just because Rubashkin did not know how to manage a meat comapny properly does not mean that the Kosher meat business "teig in dred"
דעת מצוות
ReplyDeleteWhat type of old shlu siddur do you have?
ReplyDeleteIf I am not mistaking its in the shlu siddurim put out by Friedman from New Square too.
My father sings this song at the pesach seudas.
the song is 'bau' and the word is 'tagen' and means days. 'unser tagen' = 'our days'
ReplyDelete