One week a year, every year, Hebrew books get their chance to shine.
A tradition that began with modest book stalls on Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv in 1926, Hebrew Book Week has since grown to enormous dimensions and every municipality and book store in Israel finds a way to celebrate the event.
Usually, this celebration includes the discounted sale of lots and lots of new Hebrew language books. Books are a great form of entertainment because they don’t require electricity, but on the other hand, they require lots of energy and resources to produce. In light of that fact, we would like to propose some alternative ways to celebrate this great national tradition.
Buy second hand Hebrew books. There are a lot of great used bookstores out there, as well as used book websites. We’re even willing to bet that you’ll have a more pleasant experience using one of these options as opposed to going to a crowded book fair or bookstore.
Look through your personal library and re-cycle the Hebrew books you’ve finish
ed reading. To keep the cycle of reuse going, put the books you’re done with back into the second hand cycle. You could do this by selling your books to a second hand bookstore or listing your books online.
Read environmentally friendly Hebrew books. One of our favorite Hebrew language books that deals with the environment is a children’s book by Tamar Adar called “Eco and Logi”. Printed on 100% recycled paper and published by Agam Publications, the book teaches children about how their actions effect the planet and what they can do to be kinder to the earth.
See also:: Reuse It Or Lose It: Read It Again, Sam and S. Yizhar: Man of the Land
Author: Karen Chernick
Much to the disappointment of her Moroccan grandmother, Karen became a vegetarian at the age of seven because of a heartfelt respect for other forms of life. She also began her journey to understand her surroundings and her impact on the environment. She even starting an elementary school Ecology Club and an environmental newsletter in the 3rd grade. (The proceeds of the newsletter went to non-profit environmental organizations, of course.) She now studies in New York. Karen can be reached at karen (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
Used books can be old but it sometimes give you the idea of comparison for your reference.