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Israel Celebrates The Annual Book Festival
And I won’t be there this year.
The people of Israel are known by many names. One of those names is People of The Book. I found that it is quite uncommon across other countries to call us by that nickname. I found one reference to it in a book when searching on google.
But between the people of Israel, that nickname is quite common. In Hebrew, it’s “Am HaSefer” indicating the Torah that Moses received on Mount Sinai.
We embraced the moniker into our culture, and today Israel celebrates an annual week dedicated to books called The Book Week. During the festival, many bookstores offer sales exclusive to that week. People are encouraged to find their next weekend read, and a lot of cities throughout the country allocate public space for stands to sell books at an even lower price than the stores themselves.
Truly, a celebration.
Two years ago, I promised myself that the following Book Week would be the one I introduce people to my book. That didn’t come to fruition. Last year, I spent my Book Week aiding my friends, exposing people to their new books. This year, I decided I wouldn’t attend at all.
Not because I don’t like Book Week — I love it! It’s one of the only celebrations in Israel which book worms like me are not frowned…
