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10 NOVEMBER 23, 2017
Dreidels remain a popular gift.

Photo via traditionsjewishgifts.com
the artists creating ceremonial things have stopped or moved
into other things.

“We’re known for having a great selection of books, with a
number of pieces handmade. Plus, people like to support us
over Amazon or Bloomingdale’s because we’re nonprofit. So
for a $200 menorah where you’d normally pay sales tax, here
there’s no sales tax, museum members save 10 percent and
every penny generated goes back into the museum.”
Wendy Silver-Gordon of traditionsjewishgifts.com can
somewhat relate.

“There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of online
sites selling Judaica,” Silver-Gordon said. “A majority of them
are probably people working out of old offices or spare bed-
rooms. Only a handful of us operate out of a warehouse and
have a real store. Eventually, the consumer finds out. You get
calls from people who need a tallis that weekend. They or-
dered it from some store but never got it. Tradition saves the
day.” In time, going online might even save the day for syna-
gogue gift shops, which are going the way of the dinosaur
between plummeting synagogue memberships and the pro-
liferation of online options.

That’s why the gift shop at Beth Sholom Congregation in
Elkins Park has its own website, no doubt figuring that if you
can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

“I think of it as a marketing necessity,” said Ronne Hell-
man, who’s worked in the shop nearly eight years. “We don’t
have many transactions because not many know about us, but
at least this way people can do some preliminary shopping. I
don’t know of another synagogue gift shop that has a website,
but it’s a better use of our money than putting it into tradi-
tional advertising.”
Like NMAJH.org, bscgiftshop.com has an ulterior motive
for existing.

“Our hope is it’s more meaningful to people to be making
purchases from the synagogue than from Amazon,” she said.

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