As a committed supporter of the endangered species known as the friendly neighborhood independent bookstore, you know if I’m stumping for a big chain it must be for an excellent reason:
This season Borders stores around the country have dedicated Chanukah retail real estate (so what if it’s one table among all the Christmas acreage) featuring Yenta holiday favorites The Hanukkah Lounge and Celebrate Hanukkah, both produced by the machers at Craig N Co.
This is tremendous, people. It means that Jewish holiday music that you wouldn’t be embarrassed to play at a party attended by non-Jews is finally permeating the nookies and crannies (and crookies and nannies) of America, where it will dissolve the repetitive nightmares of “I Have a Little Dreidel” and schlocky satire with its clean, snappy beats. Alas, as there is no Borders in Savannah, I cannot run there and stand next to the pretty Chanukah table (which, in my mind, can be seen from anywhere in the store due to the 20-foot towering menorah) and proclaim in a loud voice (the one El Yenta Man calls my “Jewish mother siren”) how fabulous it is that Borders has finally caught on to the smokin’ hot trends in holiday music and that there should be three tables next year, or better yet, all year round. But there’s nothing stopping you, is there?
And, we Members of the Tribe can also kvell at a table or display in our friendly Barnes & Noble stores because their corporate office has decided to include Apples to Apples Junior, Jewish Edition among its Jewish offerings. If your hometown Barnes & Noble doesn’t have this one, be sure to ask them for it! It doesn’t hurt to use that “Jewish mother siren” outside the home when it’s for a worthy cause! I’m the creator of the Jewish Apples to Apples games, so I’m happy when it gets to our Jewish families and friends across the country. Thanks!
Well, that’s just fabulous, Alice! Readers, Alice also has created something called a “Jewish Booster pack” to a game called Flux – read more at Bangitout: http://www.bangitout.com/articles/viewarticle.php?a=2057
Borders with Chanukah display? We have a better one than that! Cracker Barrel Country Store and Restaurant, a place that caters to people sometimes called “crackers” has a corner devoted to Chanukah candles, books and games. It’s surrounded by the most goyish Christmas paraphenalia around, but we’re there!
Thanks, Head Yenta –
I didn’t create the Jewish Booster pack though – I’m just promoting it right now for Looney Labs games. The promotion is only available at the promotion link, so be sure to click it to get it: http://www.looneylabs.com/OurGames/JewishFluxxSpecial.html
XXOO
Alice
Hey friends,
Watch the all new celebrity Hanukkah show called Chanukah With The starsÂ…
Visit: ChanukahWithTheStars.com
Sorry to throw mud this Holiday season,
but my local Borders Bookstore has a Chanukah display; the table measures about 2ftx1.5ft and has a shelf for extra stuff. There isn’t much there, but then again, this is the Bible Belt and I guess in this part of the world Judaism just isn’t considered to be much of a part of the Bible. No wonder I wind up going to synagogue gift shops. Sorry for the negative vibes.
Schvach — So which Southern metropolis are you in or near?
Dan:
Unless I want to schlep into town to my friendly sorta-local Chabad bookstore (a mere 20 miles away) or area synagogue gift shop, the only available chotchka store is owned and run by a messianic Christian couple who sell inventory imported exclusively from Israel. One can browse and shop for Judaica amid Mezuzah cases, shofars and tallises while surrounded by tunes that declare ‘Yashua’ the Lord. The Christian proprietor insists ‘it’s a blessing’. Not to be Scrooge-like to my Christian neighbors, especially at this time of year, but I find the proposition humorous. Still, they stock some really good stuff.
Schvach — So your going to remain the Southern Man of Mystery & not us tell you where you are? :~
… I’d be careful what you by in that messi -shop; the brachas on those prayer shawls have no doubt been altered to fit their outlook.
FYI: Waldenbooks in the Savannah Mall is now Borders. It’s a relatively small bookstore though, and I don’t remember being overly impressed by a Hanukkah Display–no more so than B&N, anyway.
Dan:
Not to worry! When it comes to kashrus and halacha, I fly Jewish exclusively. That shop has some nice chotchkas for the walls and tabletops (one wall spread has the Birkat Cohanim in Hebrew/English – no errors or fabrications – but it’s titled ‘The Aaronic Blessing’). I’d never rely on that store for a tallis, and certainly not for a mezuzah parchment; the proprietor who’s named Dan, by the way, ‘swears’ they’re kosher, complete with a heksher, but I wouldn’t trust it.
I checked out the Borders in my neighborhood and they had the same little table. At least it was something. They had little bags of gelt for $3.00 or something. The local Chabad store has them for 59 cents so if I want more, I’ll go back there.
I’d never shop at a messianic bookstore, not out of fear that the product wouldn’t be Kosher, but out of fear they would use my money to missionize Jews. I’m not judging, I just wouldn’t do it.
I then went to the mall across the street to look at their music selection and they had no music stores. When did that happen? Don’t kids listen to music anymore? There were plenty of stores that sold music t-shirts, so if I need to go back to Jr. High, I can buy a “The Cure” shirt in order to fit in, which, ironically, was the same thing I would have done to fit in when I was in Jr. High.
Anyway, tonight I’m going to look at Barnes and Noble and perhaps Best Buy to see if they have anything else. I saw a CD online called “American Chanukah” by Robin Spielberg and kind of liked the solo piano thing. I’m going to look for that. Maybe Target too, although I despise Target. So I’ll only go there as a last resort.
By the way, I really liked the Hanukkah Lounge flash site.
Johnny, dude, buy ’em online!