Jerusalem's International Book Fair 2003

By Judy Lash Balint

The recent opening of the Jerusalem International Book Fair was eclipsed in the book world by the release of the latest in the Harry Potter series. The local Israeli book chain Steimatzky sold out its discounted copies of the J. K. Rowling blockbuster during the first hours of the fair.

Nevertheless, a respectable 600 exhibitors set up shop in the Binyanei Hauma conference hall to peddle their wares to distributors, foreign publishers, and the Israeli public for four days in late June.

This year's fair came directly on the heels of Hebrew Book Week, a popular annual event, where hundreds of Israeli publishers offer deep discounts on everything from maps to art books to volumes of Talmud.  The book-buying public always turns out in large numbers to snap up the bargains.  Perhaps that's the reason the International Book Fair was noticeably quiet this year. 

"I'm dead bored," complained a student hired to staff a stand of computer books. 

Over at the Institute for Cultural Relations Israel-Ibero America, things were even slower.  The Spanish language book displays went untouched.  The most popular booth was an Israeli distributor of English language magazines, where popular magazines were being sold for 10NIS ($2.35) each.  Representatives from the Society for Distributing Hebrew Scriptures had a double booth to try to fulfill their mission of giving out free copies of the Bible including the New Testament to as many Jews as they could find. 

Across the hall, Chabad emissaries were pushing a broad selection of works in Hebrew and English by and about the Lubavitcher rebbe. The American Jewish Book Publishers Association had a double booth representing nine small publishers, and Toby Press tried to entice customers by presenting Israeli authors Naomi Ragen, Michael Oren, and Haim Sabato for book-signing sessions. Displays by publishers of books in Arabic also drew significant interest.

The highlight of the Book Fair, which is held in Israel's capital every two years, was to be the awarding of the Jerusalem Prize.  But this year's recipient, American Jewish playwright Arthur Miller, 87, was a no-show citing scheduling conflicts and old age to explain his absence. Miller did send along a video of his speech, however, which proved to be a fairly close rehash of the views of the previous Jerusalem Prize recipient, American intellectual Susan Sontag.

Miller used the opportunity to talk politics, though he veiled his criticism of Israel slightly. "Without justice at its center, no state can endure as a representative of the Jewish nation," declared Miller, a self-avowed Jewish "non-believer." Like Sontag two years ago, Miller had words for Israeli communities across the Green Line, terming them "a self-defeating policy."  Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski told the few dozen people assembled to bear in mind that Miller "is thousands of miles away."