Comments on: Remembering East End Jewish Bookshops

By: Jeremy Frankel

Jeremy Frankel — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 05:53:07 +0000

Sasha Abramsky is a good friend of mine. we both live in Sacramento, California, USA, but we were both born in London. I was also drawn to this because my father used to own a small printing and stationery shop in Commercial Road, Stepney, London—G.I. Frankel. His father had begun the business in 1920, and my father inherited and ran the business until 1984. However, the building had been in our family since 1902. Thanks for a wonderful, evocative article.

By: Paul Shaviv

Paul Shaviv — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 06:44:55 +0000

Thanks for all of your kind comments, and thanks to the Gentle Author for reprinting this column.

Bernard McGinley – yes, 1886, not 1866! Thanks for spotting this typo!

By: Audrey Kneller

Audrey Kneller — Sun, 28 Feb 2021 13:17:12 +0000

What a jewel of an article. I can’t recall whether it was Golub’s or Shapiro, Vallentine now known as Vallentine, Mitchell, publishers, where I bought my very first siddur (prayer book) in 1956 that I needed to use at the Jewish school I attended in North London from 1956-1960. Both bookshops I remember well. We moved away from Spitalfields in 1959, but the whole experience of living there bears a very special place in my heart. Thank you Gentle Author for this wonderful memoir by Paul Shaviv.

By: Helen Webberley

Helen Webberley — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 11:02:48 +0000

My beloved and I spent two years in North East London and Herts in the early 1970s. And although there wasn’t enough money to keep a small puppy alive, we used our two salaries on travel around Europe (sleeping in the car) and books. And once a week we bought a kosher meal, in Golders Green, Whitechapel etc. etc!
Thanks for the memories 🙂

By: Bernard McGinley

Bernard McGinley — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 00:52:52 +0000

What a fine article. I knew the area in 1976-81, but for the bookshops that was too late. Eating at Bloom’s restaurant at Aldgate East was memorable though not a substitute.

(Rabbi Yechezel Abramsky was born in 1886 I’m told.)

Big thanks to Paul Shaviv and Gentle Author.

By: Jens Mogensen

Jens Mogensen — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 15:15:52 +0000

Hello.
Thank you so much for the absolutely wonderfull mail you send on Spittalfields Life.
It is always so well written and interresting.
We had only visited this part of London on a few occasions prior to 2016. We took one of the many Jack the Ripper tours, and found this part of London rather special. But in 2016 my daughter and her boyfriend who was living in west London bought a flat in New Goulston Street, and we helped them rebuilding and decorating the flat. We were actually a bit scared of the surroundings at the beginning, but soon began to find it a fascinating part of London. We live in Denmark, as did our daughter and her boyfriend. But in 2014 she moved to London and found a job at an international School. ( She had a teachers degree in Denmark ). Her boyfriend moved to London 10 years earlier to be a musician and has been quite successful in that business. We have always loved London and have visited it many times in the past. But never much this part of London. In April og 2017 our grandson Billy was born at the Royal London Hospital. And we more or less moved to London to help the care for the child. And what a truly amazing experience that was. Somehow, somewhere I found your website and subscribed to your newsletter. And have enjoyed it tremendously. Our daughter and son in law, have since this moved back to Denmark, to be closer to us. That is so good, bu we do really miss London and Spittalfields. And can not wait to visit again. As soon as the dreaded Corona loosens it’s grip of the world. So again….. thank you thank you thank you for this link to our wonderful memories of London. Kind regards

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 13:09:28 +0000

How wonderful! This photo is a gem, and “sets the table” for the essay. I kept reading along, and would periodically re-visit the photograph and scoop up more (perceived) details.
Thank you so much for this richly descriptive insight. “A blessing” indeed.

I’m happy to say that I still recall the old section of New York that had many book stalls, and outdoor kiosks full of bargains, ephemera, and paper oddities. At that time, I was just beginning a lifetime of collecting paper and collage fodder, and even on my non-existent budget, I always came away clutching my loot and grinning like a fool. The thrill of paper
never gets old.

Stay safe, all.

By: paul loften

paul loften — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 12:58:18 +0000

Thank you for this interesting history . I did not know of these bookshops as they were a bit before my time. I recall i used to travel down to Collets in charring cross road on a Saturday in the 60’s to browse amongst the international newspapers and books on display. I learned that it was founded by Eva Collet Reckitt one of the heirs to Reckitt & Colman . My father left the YCL on the Molotov- Ribbentrop pact in 1939. So it was a puzzle to me how people could have remained loyal followers until 1956 and Hungary.

By: Adele Lester

Adele Lester — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 12:28:01 +0000

Still have the Bible required for school RE lessons, purchased at Shapiro, Valentine. At 11 didn’t appreciate such a fascinating book store but how I would love to be able to browse there now!

By: Joan

Joan — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 11:15:08 +0000

I too enjoyed watching ‘The Booksellers’ – it’s available to stream in the UK. Prompted by this article I have now ordered Sasha Abramsky’s book. I see from the programme that I still have from the event, that Chimen Abramsky spoke at Raphael Samuel’s memorial celebration. That is an occasion that I remember best for the piano recital by Samuel’s mum Minna Keal who I see was a Nirenstein and so part of the Shapiro, Vallentine family – in fact Chimen Abramsky’s wife was Minna Keal’s sister and clearly, from the obituaries, he was a big influence on the young Samuels. I look forward to learning more about this when ‘The House of Twenty Thousand Books’ arrives.

What a lost world this now seems. A big thank you to Paul Shaviv for this memoir.