BUSINESS SPOLTIGHT

Spotlight on: Eli Hofstatter

Business Name and Position: By the Book Judaica, Owner

Years in Business: Open since August 2020

Number of Employees: 4

Location: 1034 Broadway, Woodmere, NY

What prompted you to open a Judaica store? 

I have been working with sefarim for nine years, and I know a lot about the industry. You can say my journey began in the Agudah of Avenue L, which is where my family davens and where my other business, The Seforim Organizers, began. When I was 19, during Pesach bein hazmanim, I was asked by the shul to help organize their Seforim. It was my first paid job, and it quickly led to other, bigger jobs like organizing other libraries, collecting and burying shaimos, bookbinding, and index cataloging. I found that I am very thorough and meticulous in these types of tasks and I developed a passion for this line of work. I worked in a

Flatbush Judaica/book store for a year and a half and ultimately, I knew the next step would be opening a store of my own, and that’s how By The Book Judaica came to be.

How is running your own store different from working at a Judaica store?

I am much more passionate about it. There is also a lot more responsibility that goes into running your own business. I am obviously responsible for all marketing,

advertising, and sales and every other aspect of a business. This is especially challenging, when you are getting married in a week (at the time of the interview)!

So, how do you do it?

I wake up (very) early and I go to sleep (very) late.

What made you open a store in the Five Towns?

Well, Brooklyn is already saturated; there are currently 44 seforim stores in the area. Plus, I see many families moving out to other neighborhoods, and after doing research, I saw that the Five Towns only has three such establishments. Business is thriving Baruch Hashem, so I hope to expand to other regions as well.

What’s the most interesting item in your store?

To be honest, every Judaica store pretty much has the same inventory; therefore, we have everything you’d find in any other Judaica store. But what makes By the Book Judaica stand out though is that anything we happen not to carry in stock, we can get for our customers generally within a 1-2 day time span. 

Of the most interesting items, one selection that stands out in my mind is our beautiful Judaica wall art, like Eishes Chayil, Birchas Habayis, Pitom Haketores etc which I obtained from a sofer I know in France. What makes his items unique is that they are written on klaf, in safrus, and in colored ink. They are stunning pieces, and would make a great anniversary gift or present.

Speaking of gifts, what do you recommend for a wedding present?

As a chassan myself, I think I can speak for others when I say the best gift from any local Judaica store is a gift card. Anything else is personal and subjective to the buyer’s taste. You can pick out what you see as a stunning challah cutting board or mezuzah, but the new couple might not like it.

What’s new in Judaica?

We sell these amazing pocket-size shtenders from Keter and Ner Mitzvah. They are flying off the shelves. Another interesting item is our Shabbos bottle opener from Kosher Innovations. It is a nifty gadget that removes the entire cap and the cap ring as well to avoid breaking the seal on Shabbos.

I must also mention our Shabbos USB lighter. Some women aren’t comfortable using matches to light the candles, but this has an extendable, rechargeable USB that uses electrical currents to light the candles.

Wow! Those all sounds so cool! How do you stay on top of trends in your industry?

I have suppliers who keep me in the loop of new items coming out. But you know what? Most of the time, it is the customers who come in and ask for items they have seen somewhere else and ask us to get it for them.

Do you think there will always be demand for print books and CDs?

For books, yes. We are Jews;  we are known as “People of the Book”, so we will always be into books, especially for Shabbos reading. Keep in mind, not everyone enjoys reading off a Kindle or electronic platforms. In addition, not all Seforim are available online. As for CDs, I do see the demand declining now with MP3s and other technological advancements. Most cars don’t even come with CD players anymore! Yet, we still stock about 200 CDs and about 100 DVDs, with all the others available for order.

How has technology infiltrated the sefarim market?

There are always new innovations popping up in Judaica. One example that comes to mind is Naki Radio. This radio offers Jewish programs from stations all across the world, including music, stories, and shiurim, 24/6. It’s called Naki (clean) because even though it’s broadcasted

over WIFI, users cannot access the Internet.

What advice can you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Know your business, know your market, know your risk, and of course, you must know yourself.