By Melissa Dresner
The Seforim Sale is back! Many may think that the Seforim Sale is simply a place where seforim [Jewish books] are available for purchase; that was my initial perception of it as well. However, I have come to realize that it is so much more than that. Many students on both the Beren and Wilf campuses, as well as people who are not students of YU, volunteer many hours of their time in order for each sefer [singular of seforim] to be put in the correct spot so that everyone is able to come and find what they’re looking for. As one of the students working at the Seforim Sale, I know that my fellow volunteers spend hours working for the sale.
When I first applied to be a part of The Seforim Sale staff I was honestly unaware of what I was getting myself into. After only hours of being a part of The Seforim Sale staff I couldn’t be happier that I applied. Being around people who are devoted to what they’re doing and going above and beyond for customers is inspiring.
There was one customer who asked me where a particular sefer was. After searching through all the seforim, we still couldn’t find it. Without being asked, all of the other staff members pitched in to help, and we found the Sefer she was looking for. It was apparent that there is no limit to how far the Seforim Sale staff will go for our customers.
As staff, we are not only guiding people in their seforim endeavors, but we are also able to learn and gain from our customers as well. Whether it be someone telling us what kind of Sefer they think would be beneficial for them to learn, or them showing us a new vantage point from which to look at a sefer, the customers bring the seforim and the sale to life.
A fellow staff member told me that a customer wanted to learn more about tefillah [prayer] but was struggling to connect to his davening [praying]. After showing the customer books on tefillah, the staff member felt moved by his ability to be so transparent to someone he just met. Being a part of the Seforim Sale staff or coming to the sale to buy Seforim is something you won’t regret. The connections you can make and the new appreciation for learning Torah you may gain can not be replaced.
Volunteering together with fellow students to accomplish a meaningful yet strenuous task is something I am proud to be a part of. I strongly encourage everyone to get involved in the seforim sale next year, because of the overwhelming feeling of achdus [unity] you will feel and the tremendous act of chesed [kindness] you will be contributing to.
Editor’s Note: The Seforim Sale will be held from Sunday, February 6 to Thursday, February 24, 2022. Hours are as follows:
Sundays: 10am – 10pm
Mondays – Thursdays: 6:30pm – 10:30pm
Fridays: Closed
Saturday Night: 8pm – 11pm
Photo Credit: Seforim Sale Website