Profiles

1 Fun Thing: Apples & Honey Press released its 100th book last month with two chapter books: Golem Goes to Camp, by Todd Gutnick, and The Unexpected Adventures of C.A.T. by Johanna Hurwitz. Released the same day, they tie for the honor of being #100.

The big picture: Created in 2015, Apples

We are pleased to announce that Alef Davis is our new Assistant Editor at Behrman House and Apples & Honey Press.

"Alef has great editorial instincts and an ear for language," says Dena Neusner, executive editor. "She brings enthusiasm to her work and we're looking forward to watching her grow even more."

Alef joined us as a summer intern in 2019, and we liked her so much that we asked her to stay. Since then, she has been building her editorial knowledge and skills as an editorial assistant. 

Her promotion to assistant editor recognizes the significant growth she's achieved across a range of responsbilities. 

Congratulations, Alef! 

Terry Kaye, will be saying l’hitra’ot to Behrman House after a stellar 30-year career. 

"I have loved working so closely with so many educators and will miss being in regular contact," she said. "I've had a wonderful career at Behrman House."

Terry joined the company in 1991 part-time to answer phones and help field educators’ questions about our books and other classroom materials. 

Over the years, she left her mark on virtually every aspect of Behrman House - whether leading the creation of Hebrew curriculum such as Hineni and Hebrew in Harmony or running conference workshops and webinars or developing deep relationships with Jewish educators around North America. 

To her colleagues all over the Jewish community she has been a model of professionalism and passion for education. 

"Terry Kaye

“In the 1980’s we introduced our 800 number (800-221-2755) but for a while it was still less expensive to encourage people to call MU 4-2742 and reverse the charges. Customers usually did this to place their yearly school orders. One day a congregation called from California, asking to reverse the charges. Our office manager, Sheila Tannenbaum, interrupted a meeting Jacob Behrman and I were having to ask if that was ok. He answered yes and we continued with our meeting. A few moments later, Sheila interrupted again. ‘You won’t believe it. The rabbi’s secretary wanted to know what the weather is in New York because the rabbi is coming here this week." He told her, 'Behrman House knows everything. Ask them.'”   --Seymour Rossel, author and former Executive Editor of Behrman House.

Do you have a fond or funny memory of Behrman House? Did you drive the forklift at a visit to our old warehouse? Did you have an unusual encounter with a student ove

What does a one-hundred-year-old Jewish publishing firm do to celebrate a big birthday? It publishes a book!

Behrman House: A Century of Jewish Publishing (Behrman House, 2021), described as both classy and quirky, tells the story of three generations of Behrman family ownership that began in New York City in 1921 and continued uninterrupted through ten decades, creating books that “set an esthetic standard other publishers had to meet.” [1]

In that time, the firm that began as a modest Judaica bookshop on Manhattan’s lower Fifth Avenue selling prayerbooks and ritual objects grew into a trade publisher and the leading creator of Jewish educational materials, one that has counted among its customers most of the Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist synag

Thirty years ago, a mom with young daughters and educational training and experience joined our staff part-time to help field educators’ questions about our books and other classroom materials.

She was originally from South Africa, and so most of the time callers would ask if she was British. No, she’d reply, South African. Oh, are you from Johannesburg? No, Cape Town. Oh, do you know so-and-so? Usually not, but it was fun to hear just that one side of that conversation.

Since that time Terry Kaye has become part of the fabric of Behrman House.  She’s left her mark on our Hebrew materials from classics such as Hineni to the more recent Hebrew in Harmony curriculum, with work on haggadot such as Seder in Motion and Essential Seder, and on a host of Judaica titles as well.  She has been the face of Behrman House at conferences, training sessions, and webinars. Today she manages our print program, ensur

My first reaction to a new computer skill is dread and fear. The Behrman House digital turn-page versions helped me switch to teaching remotely. If I can do this, so can you.  

Getting Good at Getting Older, by Richard Siegel and Rabbi Laura Geller, was named a 2019 National Jewish Book Award Finalist. It is a tour for all of us

The strong Hebrew skills learned at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School opened the door to this opportunity