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Cover letter for a bookseller (5 samples)

cover letter for a bookstore

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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter.  The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.

This blog post will show samples of “bookseller cover letters.”

Samples of bookseller cover letters

To get a position as a bookseller, you need a well-written cover letter that showcases your passion for and dedication to the industry. When writing a bookseller cover letter, these are some of the essential things to include in your letter:

  • Address the employer with a formal salutation. For example, “Dear/Hello (name of the recipient or hiring manager).”
  • The next step is to state the position you are applying for and how you found the opening. 
  • Write a short sentence about why you’re interested in the position.
  • State your skills and work experience; ensure they are similar to the job position. When stating your skills, provide the accomplishment you have achieved. 
  • Conclude your letter with a forward-looking statement. For example, “I look forward to discussing the position further.”

“Dear Ms. Clark:

Please accept the enclosed resume as my application for a Bookseller position with Lamplight Books. As a motivated and enthusiastic retail professional with strong customer service and interpersonal abilities, I feel confident that I would be make an immediate and positive impact on your store.

My experience lies in organizing inventories and stock levels, assisting customers with selection and sales, and managing register operations in fast-paced, customer-focused environments. With strong inner motivation and sharp sales insight, I excel at assessing customer needs, implementing effective sales strategies, and providing outstanding customer service. Furthermore, as an avid reader and a recipient of a BA in English from Reed College, I possess a breadth of knowledge in diverse genres, authors, and titles that is sure to make me a valuable asset to your team.

Highlights of my experience include the following:

Excelling in a sales position with Powell Books, Portland’s highly reputable independent bookseller; earning a rapid promotion from assistant to associate, training new employees, and gaining a reputation for a nearly encyclopaedic knowledge of authors, titles, upcoming releases, and award winners.

Exhibiting a hands-on approach to retail sales, arranging high-impact merchandising displays and leveraging other strategies to drive product sales and propel revenue growth.

Maintaining an up-to-date memory of current store promotions, internal procedures, payment and exchange policies, and security practices.

Demonstrating solid time management, interpersonal, and communication skills.

My expertise in book sales, team collaboration, and customer service are proven, and I am confident my additional strengths will readily translate to your environment. The chance to offer more insight into my qualifications would be most welcome.

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Valerie D. Baker”

“I am excited to be applying for the Bookseller position at The Bookworm. I have a passion for books and for connecting with people, and I believe that this position would be the perfect opportunity for me to use my skills and grow as a professional.

I have been a bookseller for the past four years and have experience working in a variety of settings, including independent bookstores, chain bookstores, and online bookstores. I have a deep knowledge of books and am passionate about recommending the perfect title to each customer. I am also experienced in managing inventory and providing customer service.

In my previous role at The Bookworm, I was responsible for managing the front of the store, including cash register operations and customer service. I also ordered and received new stock, managed the inventory, and assisted customers with finding the perfect book. I was highly praised by my manager for my ability to provide excellent customer service and for my deep knowledge of books.

I am excited about the opportunity to join The Bookworm and to continue using my skills and experience to provide excellent customer service and connect people with the perfect book. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

I am writing to apply for the open Bookseller position at your company. I am confident that I have the skills and qualifications that you are looking for, and I am eager to put my experience to work for your company.

I have been working in the book industry for the past three years, and during that time I have gained extensive experience in all aspects of bookselling. I am knowledgeable about all types of books, and I have a strong understanding of the latest trends in the industry. I am also an expert at recommending books to customers based on their individual interests and needs.

I am a highly motivated and results-oriented individual, and I am confident that I can exceed your expectations in this role. I am passionate about books and I am committed to providing excellent customer service. I am confident that I can make a valuable contribution to your team and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this position further with you.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

89 Yale Ave, Alexandria, VA 67222

(006) 444-5555

jake @ email . com

January 4, 2021

Mr. Harry Grey

Barnes & Noble

88 Evergreen Lane

Alexandria, VA 67222

‘There is no friend as loyal as a book’.

  – Ernest Hemmingway

Dear Mr. Grey:

Your job advertisement for a bookseller position made my day because it demands exactly what I offer in terms of qualifications and experience. Could you use a bookaholic who enjoys helping other book lovers in finding what they are looking for? If yes, then your search ends here.

Skilled in providing ongoing support to author event programs I also offer established competence in collaborating, interacting and negotiating deals with various publishers. Being an analytical-minded and resourceful individual I have a track record in refining complex financial issues and distilling the same into workable sales initiatives.

Under my leadership, not only the rapidly declining sales turned into profits but the book store was also titled the best in Alexandria by Times Magazine. My innovative bookselling initiatives and highly attractive discount package deals have always borne fruit and proved to be productive for my employers.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future to schedule an interview at your convenience, during which I hope to learn more about the upcoming goals and targets of Barnes & Noble and establish how I might contribute to the success of your service team if hired in the capacity of a bookseller.

Enc. Resume”

I am writing to express my interest in the bookseller position that you have available. I believe that my experience as a bookseller, coupled with my education and training, makes me an excellent candidate for this position.

I have been working in the bookselling industry for the past five years. My first job was at a small independent bookstore in New York City. I started out as a sales associate and worked my way up to manager. During my time there, I learned how to manage inventory, schedule staff and organize events. I also gained valuable experience interacting with customers and helping them find the perfect book.

After leaving New York, I moved to Chicago and began working at a Barnes & Noble store. I was promoted to assistant manager after only six months on the job. In this role, I learned how to train new employees and manage inventory levels. I also became skilled at organizing events and managing customer relations.

I am currently working as a bookseller at a local independent bookstore. In this position, I have gained valuable experience in organizing events and managing inventory levels. I have also become skilled at dealing with customers and helping them find the perfect book.

I am confident that my experience as a bookseller will make me an excellent addition to your team. I am also confident that my education and training will allow me to quickly learn any new skills that you require of me.”

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who is a bookseller.

Booksellers are responsible for recommending and selling books to customers.

What qualities should a bookseller have?

Some of the qualities a bookseller should have are:

  • a passion for books, with an awareness of current literary topics.
  • excellent communication skills.
  • the ability and confidence to deal with a range of people.
  • organisational skills.
  • the ability to work under pressure.
  • good general knowledge.

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https://www.jobhero.com/cover-letter/examples/sales/bookseller#:~:text=Dear%20Ms.,positive%20impact%20on%20your%20store.

Bookseller Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips

https://www.cvowl.com/cover-letter-sample/bookseller

Bookseller Cover Letter Sample

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Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips

Use these Bookstore Clerk cover letter examples and writing tips to help you write a powerful cover letter that will separate you from the competition.

cover letter for a bookstore

Table Of Contents

  • Bookstore Clerk Example 1
  • Bookstore Clerk Example 2
  • Bookstore Clerk Example 3
  • Cover Letter Writing Tips

Bookstore clerks are responsible for handling customer transactions, stocking shelves, and organizing inventory. They must be able to work independently and be familiar with a variety of books and genres.

To get a job as a bookstore clerk, you need to write a cover letter that highlights your skills and experience. Check out the examples and tips below to learn how to write a cover letter that stands out.

Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Example 1

I am excited to be applying for the Bookstore Clerk position at your store. I have a passion for books and reading, and I believe that this position would be a perfect fit for me. I am motivated to join an organization where I can contribute my unique skills and grow as a book lover.

I have more than five years of experience working in customer service and retail, and I have a deep understanding of the importance of providing excellent customer service. I am knowledgeable about books and enjoy helping customers find the perfect book for them. I am also comfortable handling cash and credit transactions.

I am excited to be a part of a team that is dedicated to providing excellent customer service and helping people find the perfect book. I am committed to continuing to grow as a book lover and to providing excellent customer service. I hope to hear from you soon with more information about the Bookstore Clerk position and about your store. I look forward to speaking with you.

Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Example 2

I am writing to apply for the open position of Bookstore Clerk at your company. I am confident that I have the skills and qualifications that you are looking for, and I am eager to put my experience to work for your organization.

I have been working in the book industry for the past three years, and during that time I have gained extensive experience in all aspects of the business. I am knowledgeable about the latest trends in the industry, and I have a strong understanding of the products that your bookstore offers. I am also familiar with the various software programs used in bookstores, and I am comfortable using them to place orders, track inventory, and manage customer data.

I am a hard-working and motivated individual who is always looking for new challenges. I am confident that I can be a valuable asset to your team, and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this position with you in further detail. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Example 3

I am writing to express my interest in the bookstore clerk position that you have available. I believe that my experience as a bookseller and my enthusiasm for books make me an ideal candidate for this position.

I have been working in bookstores since I was 16 years old, first at Barnes & Noble and then at Books-A-Million. I love the atmosphere of a bookstore, and I enjoy interacting with customers who come in looking for a specific title or just browsing for something new to read. I also enjoy recommending books to people based on their interests and what they’ve enjoyed reading in the past.

I have always loved reading, and I feel like it has helped me become a better person. I know that books can help people learn about different cultures and places around the world, as well as how to deal with difficult situations in their own lives. I would love to be able to share that passion with others by helping them find the perfect book for them.

I am confident that my experience as a bookseller will allow me to be a valuable addition to your team. I am also confident that my enthusiasm for books will help me connect with customers who are looking for something new to read. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Writing Tips

1. show your passion for books.

Bookstore clerks need to be passionate about books. They need to be able to talk about them with customers, recommend books to people, and keep the shelves stocked. If you can show your enthusiasm for books in your cover letter, you’ll have a better chance of getting the job.

Some ways to do this include:

  • Mentioning your favorite book and why you loved it
  • Discussing a time when you recommended a book to someone and what their reaction was
  • Explaining how you got interested in books and what your favorite genre is

2. Highlight your customer service skills

Since bookstore clerks are the first point of contact for customers, they need to have excellent customer service skills. Some ways to showcase your skills include:

  • Discussing a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer and how you managed to resolve the situation
  • Telling a story about how you went above and beyond to help a customer
  • Outlining the customer service training you’ve received and how it will benefit the bookstore

3. Show that you’re knowledgeable about books

In order to recommend books to customers, bookstore clerks need to be knowledgeable about different genres and authors. Some ways to show your knowledge include:

  • Mentioning a few of your favorite authors and why you like their work
  • Discussing a time when you read a book outside of your usual genre and what you thought of it
  • Explaining how you keep up with new releases and what type of books you’re most interested in

4. Proofread your cover letter

Just like with any other position, it’s important to proofread your cover letter before submitting it. This will help you catch any errors that could potentially disqualify you from the job.

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Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Examples & Writing Guide

Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Examples & Writing Guide

  • Updated August 28, 2023
  • Published January 24, 2023

Are you looking for a Barnes and Noble Bookseller cover letter example? Read our ultimate Barnes and Noble Bookseller cover letter writing guide and learn from tips, examples, and proven strategies to land a job interview.

A Barnes and Noble Bookseller is responsible for providing excellent customer service to patrons of the store. They help customers find the books they are looking for, answer questions about book titles and authors, and provide helpful recommendations.

They process sales transactions, stocking shelves, promotional activities, and other tasks related to the sale and upkeep of books.

Additionally, they may help customers with special orders, gift cards, and membership programs. They must be knowledgeable about the store’s products, services, and policies in order to provide accurate and helpful information to customers.

They must also follow established procedures when handling cash, credit cards, and other forms of payment. As an added responsibility, they may also assist in organizing and maintaining the store’s inventory and displays.

Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter

A cover letter is a crucial part of any job application, and it is especially important when applying for a position as a bookseller at Barnes and Noble.

A cover letter allows you to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position and highlight the skills and experience that make you the ideal candidate.

In this article, we will provide tips and examples to help you craft a strong cover letter that will make a positive impression on the hiring manager and increase your chances of being selected for an interview.

Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Example 1

Dear [Hiring Manager],

I am writing to express my strong interest in the Bookseller position at Barnes and Noble. As an avid reader and lover of all things books, I believe I would be a valuable addition to your team.

I have a passion for literature and am always seeking out new and interesting books to read. As a result, I have a strong knowledge of a wide range of genres and am well-equipped to help customers find the perfect book for their interests. Also, I have experience working in customer service, which has taught me the importance of providing excellent service and going above and beyond for every customer.

In addition to my love for books and customer service skills, I am highly organized and efficient. I have experience working in fast-paced environments and can multitask effectively. Furthermore, I am confident that my skills and experience make me a strong candidate for this position.

I am excited at the opportunity to join the Barnes and Noble team and contribute my passion for books and customer service to the store. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further in an interview.

Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Example 2

I am writing to express my strong interest in the Barnes and Noble Bookseller position. As an avid reader and passionate lover of literature, I am confident that my skills and experience make me the ideal candidate for this role.

I have a strong foundation in customer service, with experience working in various retail and hospitality settings. I am able to provide excellent service to all customers, no matter their needs or preferences. Also, I am highly organized and able to multitask effectively in fast-paced environments.

In my previous role as a bookseller at an independent bookstore, I gained valuable experience in inventory management, sales, and customer service. Furthermore, I am able to use my knowledge of literature and the book industry to make personalized recommendations and assist customers in finding their next great read.

I am excited about the opportunity to join the Barnes and Noble team and contribute my skills and passion to the store. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing my qualifications further with you.

Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Example 3

I am writing to express my strong interest in the Barnes and Noble Bookseller position. With my passion for literature, customer service experience, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment, I believe I would be an excellent addition to your team.

As an avid reader and book lover, I have always had a fascination with literature and a desire to share that love with others. Working as a bookseller at Barnes and Noble would allow me to connect with customers, recommend books, and help create a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for all. My customer service experience, including working as a sales associate and barista, has taught me how to effectively communicate with and assist customers, making me well-suited for this role.

In addition to my customer service skills, I am highly organized and able to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment. I am confident in my ability to handle multiple tasks at once, whether it be assisting customers, restocking shelves, or processing transactions. Furthermore, I am comfortable using technology and am confident in my ability to learn and use any necessary software or systems.

I am excited about the opportunity to join the Barnes and Noble team and contribute my skills and passion for literature. Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing the position further and how I can be a valuable asset to your team.

Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Example 4

I am writing to express my interest in the Barnes and Noble Bookseller position currently available at your store. As a lifelong reader and lover of literature, I am excited about the opportunity to work for a company that shares my passion for books and literature.

I believe that my experience and skills make me an excellent fit for this role. I have a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and have spent the last three years working as a bookseller at a local independent bookstore. In this role, I gained valuable experience in customer service, bookselling, and merchandising. I am well-versed in a wide range of genres and enjoy helping customers find the perfect book to suit their interests.

I am also highly organized and detail-oriented and am skilled at managing multiple tasks at once. Furthermore, I believe that customer service is of the utmost importance, and I am always eager to go above and beyond to ensure that our customers have a positive shopping experience.

I am confident that my passion for books and literature, along with my experience and skills, make me an ideal candidate for this position. I look forward to the opportunity to bring my skills and enthusiasm to Barnes and Noble and contribute to your store’s success.

Thank you for considering my application. I would love the opportunity to discuss further my qualifications and how I can contribute to your team.

Related :  10 Barnes and Noble Bookseller Skills and How to Develop Them

Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Example 5

I am excited to apply for the Barnes and Noble Bookseller position at your store. As a lifelong reader and passionate book lover, I believe I have the skills and enthusiasm necessary to excel in this role.

I have experience working in customer service and retail environments, and I pride myself on my ability to connect with people and assist them in finding the perfect book or gift. Furthermore, I am highly organized and detail-oriented and am comfortable using technology to assist with tasks such as inventory management and sales transactions.

I am confident that my strong communication skills, combined with my knowledge of literature and ability to make personalized recommendations, would make me an asset to your team. I am eager to learn and grow with Barnes and Noble, and I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of such a well-respected and beloved company.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further in an interview.

Related :  Bookstore Clerk Interview Questions & Answers

Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Writing Tips

Below you will find some general and specific tips that you can use to your advantage when writing your cover letter.

General Tips:

  • Use a professional tone and language throughout the letter.
  • Address the letter to a specific person, such as the hiring manager or store manager.
  • Use bullet points to highlight your relevant skills and experience.
  • Keep the letter concise and to the point, with a maximum length of one page.
  • Proofread for spelling and grammar errors.

Specific Tips:

  • Mention your passion for books and literature and any relevant experience you have in the bookselling industry.
  • Highlight any customer service skills you possess, such as the ability to listen to customer needs and make recommendations.
  • Emphasize your knowledge of the Barnes and Noble brand and its values.
  • If you have any knowledge or experience with the NOOK, a Barnes and Noble e-reader, be sure to mention this in your letter.
  • If you have any relevant education or certifications, such as a degree in English or library science, mention these as well.
  • Express enthusiasm for the opportunity to join the Barnes and Noble team and contribute to the company’s success.

Related posts:

  • 10 Barnes and Noble Bookseller Skills and How to Develop Them
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Bookstore Cover Letter

If you intend to apply for a position at a bookstore, this Bookstore Cover Letter sample template will assist you in showing your intentions.

[Applicant’s Name]

[City, State and Zip Code]

[Mobile Number]

[Email Adress]

[Application Date]

[Recipient’s Name]

[Role at the Bookstore]

[Bookstore’s Name]

Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name]

I am writing to express my interest in the Bookstore position advertised by [Company’s Name]. I am a detail-oriented, organized and hard-working individual, and I would be a great fit for this position. Having rich experience in sales and retail, I can work well under minimal supervision. I am also experienced in the record management and point of sales systems. My diverse expertise will be a great addition to your bookstore.

Having previously held this position at [Bookstore’s Name], I was tasked with maintaining a good customer relation, assisting customers in locating books, recording sales and collecting payments, categorizing books and other materials correctly and safeguarding collectible books. My skills saw an improvement in bookstore profits by [percentage] in the last five years.

I enjoy reading classical books, and my overall love for books will contribute to the best results at [Bookstore’s Name]. Please find my resume enclosed, and you can contact me for any further information.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely yours,

Cover Letter For Entry Level Position Call Center Cover Letter Store Manager Cover Letter Teaching Job Cover Letter Firefighter Cover Letter Auditor Cover Letter Operations Coordinator Cover Letter Registered Nurse Cover Letter Construction Bid Cover Letter Sample Letter Requesting Insurance Coverage

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  • Cover Letter for Bookstore

Welcome to our guide on writing a cover letter for a bookstore position. In this article, we will provide you with tips and examples to help you create a compelling cover letter that highlights your qualifications and experiences in the bookstore industry. A well-crafted cover letter can make a strong impression on employers and increase your chances of landing an interview.

Whether you are applying for a position as a bookstore cashier, sales associate, or manager, a cover letter allows you to showcase your passion for books, knowledge of the industry, and customer service skills. It is an opportunity to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position and explain why you are the perfect candidate for the job.

Letter Example 1: For a Bookstore Cashier Position

Letter example 2: for a bookstore sales associate position, suggestions for writing a cover letter for bookstore, faq 1: what should i include in my cover letter for a bookstore position, faq 2: how long should my cover letter be, faq 3: should i address my cover letter to a specific person, faq 4: what else can i do to stand out in my cover letter, examples of cover letters for bookstore.

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the bookstore cashier position at your esteemed bookstore. With my strong customer service skills and passion for books, I believe I would be a valuable addition to your team.

In my previous role as a cashier at a local bookstore, I gained extensive experience in handling cash transactions, assisting customers in finding books, and maintaining a clean and organized store environment. I have a deep knowledge of various genres and authors, which allows me to effectively recommend books to customers based on their preferences. Additionally, my excellent communication skills enable me to provide exceptional service to customers, ensuring their satisfaction and loyalty.

I am confident that my enthusiasm for books, combined with my strong work ethic and dedication to delivering excellent customer service, make me an ideal candidate for this position. I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to your bookstore's success and help create an enjoyable experience for every customer. Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

I am excited to apply for the bookstore sales associate position at your renowned bookstore. With my passion for literature and my strong sales skills, I am confident in my ability to contribute to your team and provide exceptional service to customers.

During my previous role as a sales associate at a bookstore chain, I consistently exceeded sales targets by utilizing my extensive knowledge of books to recommend titles to customers. I am adept at engaging with customers, understanding their needs, and providing personalized recommendations. My strong communication skills enable me to build rapport with customers, ensuring a positive shopping experience.

I am impressed by your bookstore's reputation for offering a wide range of books and fostering a love for reading within the community. I would be honored to work alongside your team and contribute to the success of your bookstore. Thank you for considering my application.

Best regards, [Your Name]

  • Research the bookstore: Before writing your cover letter, take the time to research the bookstore and familiarize yourself with its mission, values, and the types of books it offers. This will demonstrate your genuine interest in the position and your understanding of the store's target audience.
  • Highlight relevant experience: Tailor your cover letter to showcase your relevant experience in the bookstore industry. Emphasize any previous positions where you have worked with books, provided customer service, or demonstrated your knowledge and passion for literature.
  • Showcase your passion for books: Use your cover letter to express your genuine enthusiasm for books and reading. Explain why you are drawn to the bookstore industry and how you have personally benefited from books in your life.
  • Personalize your letter: Address your cover letter to the hiring manager by name if possible. This shows that you have taken the time to research and personalize your application, making it stand out from generic cover letters.

A well-written cover letter can significantly enhance your chances of securing a bookstore position. By showcasing your passion for books, relevant experience, and strong customer service skills, you can demonstrate to employers that you are the ideal candidate for the job. Remember to personalize your letter, highlight your qualifications, and express your enthusiasm for the opportunity to work in a bookstore.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

In your cover letter for a bookstore position, you should include your relevant experience in the industry, your passion for books and reading, and your customer service skills. Be sure to highlight any previous roles where you have worked with books or provided customer service.

A cover letter for a bookstore position should be concise and focused. Aim for a length of around one page, with three to four paragraphs that highlight your qualifications and enthusiasm for the position.

If possible, address your cover letter to a specific person, such as the hiring manager or the bookstore manager. This shows that you have taken the time to personalize your application and can make a positive impression.

In addition to highlighting your relevant experience and passion for books, you can stand out in your cover letter by researching the specific bookstore and tailoring your application to its mission and values. This shows your genuine interest in the position and demonstrates that you have taken the time to understand the store's target audience.

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Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Example

Writing a cover letter for a job as a bookstore manager can be a daunting task. You want to make sure you stand out from the competition and present yourself as the best candidate for the job. That’s why it’s important to have a guide to help you write the perfect cover letter for a bookstore manager. This guide will provide you with a template to follow and an example of a great cover letter that you can use to make your own. With these tips in hand, you’ll be ready to put your best foot forward and make a great impression on your potential employer.

If you didn’t find what you were looking for, be sure to check out our complete library of cover letter examples .

Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Example

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cover letter for a bookstore

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Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Sample

Dear [Hiring Manager],

My name is [Name], and I am applying for the Bookstore Manager position at [Company]. I have a proven track record of successfully managing retail bookstores, and I am confident that I can bring the same success to your organization.

I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree from [University], and I have worked as a manager of a bookstore for the past five years. During this time, I have excelled in delivering positive results for my employers, including increasing sales and improving customer service. I have a strong understanding of the retail industry, which has enabled me to develop innovative strategies for increasing store performance.

I am also an experienced leader, able to motivate and mentor employees to reach their full potential. My experience in managing bookstores has developed my ability to work with a wide variety of customers, creating an enjoyable and successful shopping experience for each one.

I am confident in my ability to provide the highest level of service at your bookstore. I believe that my experience, enthusiasm and dedication to delivering exceptional customer service makes me an ideal candidate for this position.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you.

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What should a Bookstore Manager cover letter include?

A Bookstore Manager cover letter should demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the specific duties associated with the position, their relevant experience, and the value they would bring to the role.

The cover letter should open with a brief introduction that explains the applicant’s interest in the job, followed by a paragraph explaining their qualifications and experience. This is the ideal place to mention any industry certifications or prior training that is applicable to the position.

The second paragraph should discuss the applicant’s key skills and abilities that make them an ideal candidate for the Bookstore Manager position. This should include their ability to supervise staff, manage inventory, and handle customer service inquiries.

The third paragraph should focus on the applicant’s communication and interpersonal skills. This is a perfect place to highlight the applicant’s leadership capabilities, organization skills, and ability to multitask.

The next paragraph should focus on the applicant’s financial acumen. This is the ideal place to mention the applicant’s prior experience in budgeting, managing financial reports, and maintaining financial records.

The final paragraph should close the cover letter by summarizing the applicant’s qualifications and expressing their enthusiasm for the position. The applicant should also provide contact information and request a meeting or call to discuss the position further.

Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Writing Tips

A cover letter is an important part of any job application, and that is certainly true when applying for a position as a bookstore manager. A bookstore manager is responsible for leading the day- to- day operations of a store and ensuring that it operates efficiently and effectively. In your cover letter, you need to demonstrate your understanding of the job, your relevant qualifications, and your enthusiasm for the role. Here are some tips for writing a strong cover letter for a bookstore manager:

  • Highlight your experience: Show the employer that you have the necessary experience for the job. Include any relevant experience you have had in managing a store or managing a team.
  • Focus on your qualifications: Make sure to discuss the qualifications you possess that make you an ideal candidate for the job. This could include your knowledge of store operations, your understanding of customer service, or your ability to work with a variety of people.
  • Show your enthusiasm: Your cover letter should make it clear that you are excited about the opportunity to work as a bookstore manager. Show your enthusiasm for the position by discussing the challenges and rewards it offers.
  • Proofread: Before you submit your cover letter, make sure to read it over carefully to ensure it is free of errors. Check for any spelling or grammar mistakes and get a second opinion if necessary.

By following these tips, you can create a cover letter that will stand out to employers and get you closer to your dream job of becoming a bookstore manager.

Common mistakes to avoid when writing Bookstore Manager Cover letter

Cover letters are essential when applying for any job. When applying for a job as a Bookstore Manager, it’s important to make sure your cover letter is professional and tailored to the job you are applying for. Here are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a Bookstore Manager cover letter:

  • Not personalizing the letter: Personalizing the cover letter for the job you are applying for is key. Make sure to mention the job title, company name, and the name of the hiring manager if you know it. This will demonstrate your commitment to the company and the job.
  • Writing a generic letter: Generic cover letters are easy to spot, and this can be a major turn- off for the hiring manager. Make sure to customize the letter to the job you are applying for, and include specific examples of your qualifications and experience that are relevant to the job.
  • Spelling and grammar errors: Before sending your cover letter, proofread it thoroughly and ask a friend to look it over. Any spelling or grammar errors can be a major red flag for the hiring manager, and can put you at a disadvantage.
  • Not including your contact information: Make sure to include your contact information such as your name, phone number, and email address at the end of your cover letter. This will make it easy for the hiring manager to reach out to you if they are interested in your application.
  • Being too long or too short: Your cover letter should be short and to the point. Make sure to mention the most relevant information and keep it under one page. On the other hand, don’t be too brief and forget to include important details.

Following these tips will help you create a professional and tailored cover letter that will help you stand out from the competition. Good luck!

Key takeaways

Your cover letter is an opportunity to stand out from the competition and make a positive impression on potential employers. As a Bookstore Manager, you will need to show a solid understanding of organizational and customer service skills, as well as a commitment to sales.

When writing your cover letter, keep the following key takeaways in mind:

  • Highlight your relevant experience. Show potential employers that you have the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully manage a bookstore. Focus on the specific qualifications they are looking for and explain how your experience has prepared you to meet those needs.
  • Demonstrate your customer service skills. As a Bookstore Manager, you will need to be able to effectively interact with customers and provide them with the necessary information and assistance. Talk about the customer service skills you have developed and how you have used them to create positive customer experiences.
  • Describe your organizational skills. As a Bookstore Manager, you will need to be able to manage multiple tasks and prioritize accordingly. Explain how your organizational skills have helped you to keep the bookstore running smoothly and efficiently.
  • Show your commitment to sales. A successful Bookstore Manager needs to be able to effectively promote products and services to customers. Discuss how you have used your sales skills to increase sales in the past and how you plan on doing the same in the future.

By following these key takeaways and including relevant examples, you can craft a compelling and persuasive cover letter that will help you stand out from the competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. how do i write a cover letter for an bookstore manager job with no experience.

Writing a cover letter for a Bookstore Manager job with no experience can seem daunting. However, by focusing on your transferrable skills and highlighting what makes you unique, you can create an effective cover letter that will help you stand out to potential employers.

Start your cover letter by introducing yourself and explaining why you’re excited to apply for this position. Talk about the skills you have that make you a great candidate, such as great customer service and organizational skills. Even if you don’t have experience specifically in a bookstore, you can highlight the experience you do have in customer service, or in managing business operations. Demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of the job requirements and how you can fill them.

End your cover letter by emphasizing how excited you are to join the team and that you can easily pick up the skills necessary for a successful Bookstore Manager.

2. How do I write a cover letter for an Bookstore Manager job with experience?

Writing a cover letter for a Bookstore Manager job with experience is somewhat easier, as you can draw from your past successes when crafting your pitch to employers. Start your cover letter by explaining why you’re the perfect candidate for this position. Highlight your past successes in managing bookstores and the valuable lessons you’ve learned over the years. Share some of your most notable achievements, such as increasing store revenue or improving customer satisfaction.

Include details on your experience in inventory management and customer relations, as these are skills that are essential to this role. Make sure to showcase your understanding of the job requirements and how you’ve already achieved success in similar roles.

End your cover letter by expressing your enthusiasm for the position and your appreciation for the opportunity.

3. How can I highlight my accomplishments in Bookstore Manager cover letter?

Highlighting your accomplishments in a Bookstore Manager cover letter is essential if you want to stand out to employers. Start your cover letter by explaining how your experience and expertise make you the perfect candidate for this role. Talk about the accomplishments you’ve achieved in previous roles, such as increasing store revenue, reducing operational costs, or improving customer satisfaction.

Share examples of how you’ve created innovative strategies and how you’ve successfully implemented them. Showcase your success in managing bookstores and provide evidence for how you’ve helped businesses grow.

End your cover letter by expressing your enthusiasm and passion for the role and how you’re confident that you can be a great asset to the team.

In addition to this, be sure to check out our cover letter templates , cover letter formats ,  cover letter examples ,  job description , and  career advice  pages for more helpful tips and advice.

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cover letter for a bookstore

Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Example

A Bookstore Clerk is responsible for providing excellent customer service, stocking shelves, organizing merchandise, and performing cashier duties. They must be knowledgeable about books, magazines, and other products sold in the store, have a pleasant and friendly demeanor and be able to multitask in a fast-paced environment.

Write your perfect cover letter with our free Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter and expert writing tips. Need something really quick? Utilize our easy-to-use builder to do the work for you.

Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter example

  • Cover Letters

The bookstore Clerk is responsible for maintaining the daily operations of a bookstore. This includes stocking shelves, helping customers find items, organizing displays, and processing sales transactions. The Clerk is also responsible for restocking shelves and replenishing inventory. Other duties may include arranging special orders, packing orders for shipping, and handling returns and exchanges. The Clerk must be knowledgeable about bookstore items and be able to answer customer questions about books, authors, and pricing. Excellent customer service skills and the ability to work in a team environment are essential.

What to Include in a Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter?

Roles and responsibilities.

  • Greet customers and answer their questions about products, prices, and availability.
  • Stock shelves and organize merchandise in a neat and attractive manner.
  • Receive and process customer payments.
  • Maintain accurate records of merchandise sold.
  • Monitor inventory and order new stock when necessary.
  • Ensure the store is clean and organized.
  • Resolve customer complaints or refer them to a manager.
  • Promote and sell store products and services.
  • Assist with other store duties as needed.

Education & Skills

Bookstore clerk skills:.

  • Excellent customer service skills.
  • Knowledge of bookstore products and services.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
  • Knowledge of basic bookkeeping and inventory management.
  • Ability to use a cash register and other payment processing systems.
  • Good organizational and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to multi-task.

Bookstore Clerk Education Requirements:

  • High School Diploma or GED.
  • Experience in the retail industry.
  • License or certificate depending on the type of the store.

Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Example (Text Version)

Dear Mr./Ms.

As a Bookstore Clerk with over five years of experience in the retail book industry, I am excited to apply for the position of Bookstore Clerk at your bookstore. I am confident in my ability to provide excellent customer service while maintaining a well-stocked, orderly store. My experience includes working with a variety of books, keeping accurate records, and helping customers find the perfect book for their needs. I am also knowledgeable about current trends in the book industry and can suggest titles to customers that they may not have otherwise discovered.

My experience in customer service and retail has prepared me for a successful career as a Bookstore Clerk. In my previous role, I was able to:

  • Consistently exceed sales goals by upselling items, offering promotions, and providing excellent customer service.
  • Create attractive displays that generated customer interest and drove sales.
  • Process transactions accurately and efficiently, using point-of-sale systems.
  • Monitor inventory and restock shelves as needed.
  • Handle customer inquiries in a polite and professional manner.

I am confident that my skills and qualifications will make me an asset to your team. I am eager to learn more about the position and I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your organization. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

  • Make sure to include your relevant work experience in your cover letter. Focus on how your experience makes you the best candidate for the job.
  • Highlight your customer service and communication skills, as bookstore clerks need to be able to communicate with customers and provide excellent service.
  • Demonstrate your knowledge of the book industry. Discuss your familiarity with popular authors and genres, and talk about any other relevant experience you have in the book industry.
  • Point out your organizational and multitasking skills, as bookstore clerks must be able to handle multiple tasks and customers at once.
  • Showcase your computer skills, as many bookstore clerks need to use computers to process orders and other tasks.
  • Show your enthusiasm for the role and the bookstore. Talk about why you are excited about the job and what you can bring to the position.
  • Proofread your cover letter for any typos or errors. Check for clarity and make sure you are using the right tone and language for the job.

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Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Examples

A great bookstore manager cover letter can help you stand out from the competition when applying for a job. Be sure to tailor your letter to the specific requirements listed in the job description, and highlight your most relevant or exceptional qualifications. The following bookstore manager cover letter example can give you some ideas on how to write your own letter.

Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Example

Cover Letter Example (Text)

Arnita Nush

(747) 653-6545

[email protected]

Dear Ms. Helstrom,

I am writing to express my strong interest in the Bookstore Manager position at Barnes & Noble, as advertised on your company website. With over five years of dedicated experience in the book retail industry and a proven track record of success at Waterstones, I am excited about the opportunity to bring my expertise and passion for books to your esteemed company.

During my tenure at Waterstones, I honed my skills in various aspects of bookstore management, including staff supervision, inventory control, merchandising, and customer service excellence. I have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the retail book market and have successfully implemented strategies that increased store revenue, enhanced customer engagement, and improved operational efficiency.

One of my key achievements at Waterstones was the development and execution of community outreach programs that significantly boosted store traffic and customer loyalty. My initiatives included author events, book signings, and reading clubs that not only enriched the cultural fabric of the community but also positioned the store as a hub for literary enthusiasts.

I am particularly adept at building and leading high-performing teams, fostering a collaborative work environment, and providing my staff with the guidance and training necessary to excel in their roles. I believe that a motivated and knowledgeable team is essential to delivering an exceptional customer experience, and I take pride in my ability to mentor and develop talent.

I am confident that my background and skills align well with the requirements and culture at Barnes & Noble. I am eager to bring my love for literature, my business acumen, and my leadership abilities to your team, and I look forward to the possibility of contributing to your company's continued success.

Thank you for considering my application. I am looking forward to the opportunity to discuss how my experience and vision can be in sync with the goals of Barnes & Noble.

Warm regards,

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What’s It Like to Work at a Book Store?

  • Written by Editorial Team
  • Updated October 20, 2022

Working at a bookstore can be one of the most rewarding jobs you can have. You get to work with books, which is an activity that many people love, and you get to meet new people every day who are just as excited about reading as you are.

Many people do not realize how many different jobs there are in a bookstore. There are many different departments within the store, and each one has its own responsibilities.

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Is working at a book store hard?

It can be, especially when you are first starting out. Many people do not realize how much work goes into running a bookstore. It is important to be willing to learn because it will take some time before you feel comfortable with all of your responsibilities.

A bookstore is a busy place, and you will have many responsibilities . You will need to learn how to work with customers, organize books on the shelves, and keep track of purchases made by customers. You will also have to make sure that all of your paperwork is in order so that you can provide accurate information to your manager at the end of each day.

What are the benefits of working at a book store?

Working at a bookstore can be a very rewarding experience. You will have the opportunity to meet new people and make friends with coworkers. The job can also be an educational experience, as you learn more about books and literature.

The job culture at a bookstore can be very relaxed, which is ideal for someone who wants to work hard but also take their job home with them. Most bookstores have an open layout and are relatively quiet, so you will not need to worry about being distracted by other loud noises or employees.

Customer service is a key part of any bookstore job. Because you will be in direct contact with customers on a daily basis, it is important that you are friendly and outgoing. If you enjoy interacting with people and helping them find what they need, then this could be a good fit for you.

You will be able to read books for free , which is always a bonus. Finally, working at a bookstore can be very enjoyable since you will get to spend your days surrounded by books.

The disadvantages of working at a bookstore include not making much money and the fact that you will deal with angry customers on occasion. Also, if you are someone who likes to have a lot of freedom when it comes to your schedule, then this may not be the right job for you.

What do employees at a book store do?

Bookstore employees do a lot of different things depending on their position. If you are working in the front of the store, then your job will mainly involve greeting customers and helping them find what they are looking for. This can include answering questions about books; recommending certain titles to customers based on their preferences, or even just helping people find where certain books are located within the store.

If you are working in the back of the store, then your job will be to assist customers with placing orders and processing payments. This can include taking payment information from customers over the phone or online, as well as shipping out books and other items after they have been purchased.

Depending on the type of bookstore , your job may also involve answering questions about certain book titles and authors. This can include helping customers find books that are similar to ones they have enjoyed in the past or helping them discover new authors that may be similar in style or content.

Many bookstores offer special promotions during the holiday season. These may include contests and giveaways, as well as special events and appearances by authors. This is a great way to get involved in your local community and promote literacy among children.

How to get a job at a book store?

The best way to get a job at a bookstore is to apply directly to the store. Most bookstores will have an application on their website that you can fill out and submit, which may include some questions about your previous experience as well as your interest in reading.

If you do not see an application link, you can also submit your resume directly to the bookstore manager. It is best to call or email the store first and ask if they have any openings available before applying online.

The hiring process at a bookstore can be lengthy. Most bookstores will hire their employees based on experience and references, so it is best to have a resume ready before applying for work. If you have been in school for a few years, many bookstores may be willing to hire you as well—especially if they see that you are interested in literature or writing.

Once you have applied for a job at the bookstore, wait for them to contact you. You may be asked to come into the store or meet with their manager over coffee. This is where they will interview you and see if they think you would be a good fit for their team.

The interview process can be difficult, but it is important to remember that bookstores are a business. They need people who will work hard, be friendly with customers, and serve as ambassadors for the store.

If you feel like you are a perfect fit for the job, be prepared to answer questions about your past experience and why you want to work at this particular store. You may also be asked what types of books interest you most and how much reading time you have each day.

Make sure your resume and cover letter are updated and ready to go before you apply. Make sure that they are free of typos and grammatical mistakes. If you need help, we have a team of experts who can proofread your resume and cover letter. They will also make sure that it’s formatted correctly and ready for employers to see.

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Your cover letter is an important component of the application process. It serves as a way for you to summarize your qualifications, state your interest in a position, and stand out from other applicants.

Cover letters typically accompany each resume you submit, unless otherwise specified. It is customized to each opportunity you are pursuing.

Tips for Writing Your Cover Letter

How to ensure your content is concise, relevant, and appealing to potential employers.

  • While every cover letter is different, effective cover letters demonstrate you are a good fit for the position.
  • Convey your enthusiasm for the position and knowledge of the company.
  • Provide support and examples that showcase the skills and competencies that are being sought.
  • Focus on your accomplishments and measurable results.
  • Address your cover letter to a specific person whenever possible. It may take some resourcefulness on your part to identify the appropriate person, but the letter will be better received.  
  • Write clearly and concisely.
  • Use proper grammar and check for misspelled words.
  • Limit your letter to one page.
  • Be sure to include the date, an appropriate salutation, and close with your signature.
  • Mass produced cover letters are a common mistake, and easy to detect. Be sure to relate your specific skills and experiences to each individual position.   
  • Incorporate information that reflects your knowledge of the company, the industry, or the position. 
  • Consider that employers are seeking to fill specific roles and are looking for applicants that have the skills and qualities to succeed in that role. 

Structuring Your Cover Letter

Paragraph 1: capture attention .

  • In your first paragraph, capture the reader's attention.
  • Indicate the position you are applying for and how you learned of the vacancy, i.e. Did someone tell you about it?  Did you see an ad or website? 
  • Outline the specific reasons why you are ideal for the position.  
  • Sell yourself in paragraph 1. Do not wait until the second paragraph to articulate why you are well qualified for the position.

Paragraph 2 & 3: Create Desire 

  • Describe yourself as a serious candidate and one worth inviting for an interview. State the hard details including your specific skills, history of responsibility, success, etc. 
  • Think about ways to reinforce an image of yourself that includes as many of the desired qualities as possible. 
  • Show, don’t tell. Remember, your goal is to set yourself apart from other applicants. Do not just tell the employer you have a skill, provide evidence. For example, do not just state you are “detail oriented”. Give the reader an example of something in your work history that proves that you are detail oriented. 
  • Refer to your resume, but do not simply list the contents of it. 
  • Emphasize how your variety of experiences are connected to the position and will benefit the company. 

Paragraph 4: Call for Action 

  • Use a few lines to express your strong interest in the position and your desire to discuss your application further in an interview. 
  • Give a brief summary of the key points in the letter, but avoid repetition.

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How to Write a Stand-Out Cover Letter

  • How to Write a Stand-Out…

How to write a cover letter guide – BPA Blog

SO, WHAT IS A COVER LETTER?

Literary agents and many literary competitions require a cover letter along with your sample chapters and synopsis. This is a formal introduction to you and your novel. Note: It is not a CV, a bio or a blurb for the book. It’s a letter, written from one professional to another, that should make the agent or judge want to read more. The biggest mistake entrants to the BPA First Novel Award made this year was getting the balance off, either writing too much about the novel or too much about themselves – some poor novels didn’t get a mention. There’s a rough template most agents and competition judges will look for, and it’s pretty doable! Let’s give it a go.

TELL US ABOUT THE NOVEL

First, tell us about the novel. That’s what you’re trying to sell! You want the agent to finish the cover letter with such curiosity about the book that they’re hungry for the sample chapters. 

The first paragraph will usually reveal the title , the genre , the word count of the completed manuscript (If you don’t include this, they might worry you haven’t finished it!) and something that offers a taste of the novel, like a mention of the themes you’re going to explore.

Be specific when stating the genre – if it’s general fiction, think about whether the market is commercial, book club, upmarket or literary. If it’s YA, don’t just say it’s YA – is it a YA romance? YA dystopia? Who’s out there writing YA crime? The literary agent will be familiar with all the terms, so the more specific you are, the easier it will be to picture an audience for the book.

Once you’ve provided these core facts, write an elevator pitch . This is a single sentence that conveys your novel’s hook or USP. For inspiration, check out the Sunday Times Bestsellers List:

  • Richard Osman’s  The Thursday Murder Club : Four friends in a retirement village team up to solve a mystery on their doorstep.
  • Paula Hawkins’  The Girl on the Train : A commuter’s fascination with a married couple she passes every day turns deadly.

It’s a good idea to follow this up with a one-paragraph description of the novel. Unlike the synopsis, it doesn’t need to tell the entire story, but it should be just more than the premise. Tell us who the protagonist is, what happens to upset the balance of their life, and what their goal is (presumably to restore said life balance!). If you can do that in a couple of sentences, you might also mention one of the novel’s core turning points.

Cover letters should describe the novel first, then the writer, then remind us of the novel at the end. In a short final paragraph, say what inspired you to write the book and offer some comparable titles . (Check out agent Nelle Andrew’s advice on comparable titles .)

The letter should be targeted towards the literary agent or competition judge you’re writing to. Some writers choose to open with this and others incorporate it into the later paragraphs. The best way to make a connection and show you’ve done your research is to mention an author on the agent’s list who has a relevant readership. You could also explain why you think your novel aligns with what they describe in their wish list.

TELL US ABOUT YOU

It’s the writing, not the writer, that’s important … but the agent or judge does want to know about you too. They especially want to know why you were the one person who could write this book . And it’s true – no one else could write the book you’ve written. So tell us why. Did your job as a psychiatrist inspire the analysis of your antagonist’s motivation? Do you live in the idyllic town where the book is set? Have you studied the era of your historical novel? Share relevant details about yourself. 

The agent or judge also wants evidence that you are a writer. You’re not just someone who thinks they have a novel in them; you take your craft seriously. If you can, share what magazines your short fiction has been published in, the competitions you’ve been listed in or the creative writing courses you’ve completed. If you don’t have that kind of experience, share anything that tells us you’re serious. Join a writer’s workshop group and tell us about that. Attend an online masterclass (like the ones BPA runs ) and mention that. Experiment with writing in different forms and tell us about it. S hare which contemporary authors have inspired you, so it’s clear that you’re well read. Just don’t put, ‘This is my first attempt at writing fiction,’ and leave it at that. It doesn’t inspire confidence.

A cover letter should be professional, like the cover letter you would send with a job application, but you also want it to have some personality. And given you’re basically applying for the role of ‘novelist’, it needs to be well written.

So, keep it formal, make sure it’s eloquent, and try to get some flow into it. When you read it aloud, it should sound natural. If it doesn’t, it might be that you haven’t varied sentence length, that you’ve used rigid language, or simply that you’re trying too hard. As formal as a cover letter should be, you want your enthusiasm for this novel you’ve spent so long writing to imbue the lines. 

COMMON ISSUES IN ‘BPA FIRST NOVEL AWARD’ SUBMITTED COVER LETTERS

  • Formatting it like a CV or splitting it into sections titled ‘Bio’ and ‘Novel Summary’.
  • Sharing irrelevant detail about your personal life. 
  • Making it too short – 200-350 words is a good guideline.
  • Or too long – unfortunately, nobody’s going to read a cover letter past the first page!
  • Writing a vague description of the story e.g. ‘When a mysterious event happens, a woman will have to look to the past to uncover the truth.’
  • Including long-winded explanations of why there’s a huge market for your book.
  • Coming across as arrogant … or lacking in confidence.
  • Sharing more about the novel’s message than its story.

WRITE THE COVER LETTER YOUR NOVEL DESERVES

Once you’ve finished a manuscript, the instinct is to get it on submission as soon as possible, but it’s worth taking the time to give an accurate and exciting representation of the work . Literary agents receive many submissions a day and have to fit reading time in with a huge workload. You need to grab them in the cover letter so that they’re already thinking of you as a potential client when they read the sample.

Out of everything you could have written on the blank pages of a document titled Novel , you’ve carefully chosen each word of this story that has to be told. You know people will love it and you hopefully have a sense of who and why . Get that across to the agent or competition reader, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll request the full manuscript.

For personalised feedback on your cover letter, you might want to consider a BPA Submission Package Report – enquire here .

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Tips for Grads: How to write a good cover letter

By Foram Gathia, PhD student

Writing a compelling cover letter is essential for making a positive impression on potential employers. Here’s a guide to crafting a strong cover letter:

  • Start with a Strong Introduction: Address the hiring manager by name if possible and mention the specific position you are applying for. Engage the reader with a captivating opening sentence that highlights your enthusiasm and sets the tone for the letter.
  • Highlight Your Relevant Skills and Experience: Tailor your cover letter to the job description by emphasizing the skills and experiences that make you a strong candidate. Provide specific examples of past achievements that demonstrate your qualifications for the role.
  • Showcase Your Personality and Passion: Use the cover letter as an opportunity to showcase your personality and passion for the industry or company. Share insights into what motivates you and why you are excited about the opportunity.
  • Demonstrate Your Knowledge of the Company: Research the company and mention specific aspects that appeal to you or align with your values. This demonstrates your genuine interest and initiative.
  • Close with a Strong Call to Action: End the cover letter with a confident closing statement expressing your eagerness to further discuss your qualifications in an interview. Thank the employer for considering your application and include your contact information.

Remember to keep the cover letter concise, focusing on quality over quantity, and proofread carefully for grammar and spelling errors. A well-crafted cover letter can significantly enhance your job application and increase your chances of landing an interview.

These tips are based on the Beyond Graduate School cover letter webinar as well as the Harvard Business Review article “ How to Write a Cover Letter ”.

Tips for Grads is a professional and academic advice column written by graduate students for graduate students at UW­–Madison. It is published in the student newsletter, GradConnections Weekly.

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photo-illustration with 18 photos of Jewish celebrities including Bob Dylan, Henry Winkler, Barbra Streisand, + more plus lines of text in red and blue

The Golden Age of American Jews Is Ending

Anti-Semitism on the right and the left threatens to bring to a close an unprecedented period of safety and prosperity for Jewish Americans—and demolish the liberal order they helped establish.

photo-illustration with 18 photos of Jewish celebrities including Bob Dylan, Henry Winkler, Barbra Streisand, + more plus lines of text in red and blue

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Stacey Zolt Hara was in her office in downtown San Francisco when a text from her 16-year-old daughter arrived: “I’m scared,” she wrote. Her classmates at Berkeley High School were preparing to leave their desks and file into the halls, part of a planned “walkout” to protest Israel. Like many Jewish students, she didn’t want to participate. It was October 18, 11 days after the Hamas invasion of southern Israel.

Zolt Hara told her daughter to wait in her classroom. She was trying to project calm. A public-relations executive, Zolt Hara had moved her family from Chicago to Berkeley six years earlier, hoping to find a community that shared her progressive values. Her family had developed a deep sense of belonging there.

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But a moral fervor was sweeping over Berkeley High that morning. Around 10:30, the walkout began. Jewish parents traded panicked reports from their children. Zolt Hara heard that kids were chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a slogan that suggests the elimination of Israel. Rumors spread about other, less coy phrases shouted in the hallways, carrying intimations of violence. Jewish students were said to be in tears. Parents were texting one another ideas about where in the school their children could hide. Zolt Hara placed a call to the dean of students. By her own admission, she was hysterical. She says the dean hung up on her.

By the early afternoon the walkout was over, but Zolt Hara and other Jewish parents worried that it was a prelude to something worse. They joined Google Groups and WhatsApp chains so they could share information. Zolt Hara organized a petition, pleading with the school district to take anti-Semitism more seriously. It quickly received more than 1,300 signatures.

Most worrying was what parents kept hearing about teachers, both in Berkeley and in the surrounding school districts. They seemed to be using their classrooms to mold students into advocates for a maximalist vision of Palestine. A group of activists within the Oakland Education Association, that city’s teachers’ union, sponsored a “teach-in.” A video trumpeting the event urged: “Apply your labor power to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.” An estimated 70 teachers set aside their normal curriculum to fix students’ attention on Gaza.

Even classes with no discernible connection to international affairs joined the teach-in. Its centerpiece was a webinar titled “ From Gaza to Oakland: How Does the Issue Connect to Us? ,” in which local activists implored the kids to join them on the streets. They told the students—in a predominantly Black and Latino school district—that the Israeli military works hand in glove with American police forces, sharing tips and tactics. “Repression there ends up cycling back to repression here,” an activist named Anton explained. Elementary-school teachers, whose students were too young for the webinar, were given a list of books to use in their classes. One of them, Handala’s Return , described how a “group of bullies called Zionists wanted our land so they stole it by force and hurt many people.”

The same zeal was gripping schools in Berkeley. Zolt Hara learned from another parent about an ethnic-studies class in which the teacher had described the slaughter of some Israelis on October 7 as the result of friendly fire. She saw a disturbing image that another teacher had presented in an art class, of a fist breaking through a Star of David. (Officials at Berkeley High School did not respond to requests for comment.) In her son’s middle school, there were signs on classroom walls that read Teach Palestine .

Zolt Hara didn’t need to imagine how kids might respond to these lessons. After October 7, her son, who is 13, began coming home with stories about anti-Semitic jibes hurled in his direction. On his way to math class, a kid walked up to him playing what he called a “Nazi salute song” on his phone. Another said something in German and told him, “I don’t like your people.” A Manichaean view of the conflict even filtered down to the lowest grades in Berkeley. According to one parent complaint to the principal of Washington Elementary School, a second grader suggested that students divide into Israeli and Palestinian “teams,” and another announced that Palestinians couldn’t be friends with Jews.

On November 17, the middle school that Zolt Hara’s son attends staged its own walkout. Zolt Hara was relieved that her son was traveling for a family event that day. But she heard about video of the protest, recorded on a parent’s phone. I tracked down the footage and watched it myself. “Are you Jewish?” one mop-haired tween asks another, seemingly unaware of any adult presence. “No way,” the second kid replies. “I fucking hate them.” Another blurts, “Kill Israel.” A student laughingly attempts to start a chant of “KKK.”

photo of graffiti reading "Annihilate ISRAEL! stolen land"

On a damp morning this winter, I joined about 40 kids assembled in a classroom at a public high school in the East Bay for a meeting of the Jewish Student Union. I promised that I wouldn’t identify their school in the hopes that they might speak freely, without fear of retribution from teachers or peers. The first boy to raise his hand proudly announced that he supported a cease-fire. But as the conversation progressed, students began to recall how painful their school’s walkout had felt. Their classmates had left them alone with teachers, who they suspected would think less of them for having stayed put. At every stop in their education in this progressive community, they had learned about a world divided between oppressors and the oppressed—and now they felt that they were being accused of being the bad guys, despite having nothing to do with events on the other side of the world, and despite the fact that Hamas had initiated the current war by invading Israeli communities and murdering an estimated 1,200 people .

At the end of the session a student in a kippah, puffer jacket, and T-shirt pulled me aside. He said he wanted to speak privately, because he didn’t want to risk crying in front of his peers. After October 7, he said, his school life, as a visibly identifiable Jew, had become unbearable. Walking down the halls, kids would shout “Free Palestine” at him. They would make the sound of explosions, as if he were personally responsible for the bombardment of Gaza. They would tell him to pick up pennies. As he was walking into the gym to use one of its courts, a kid told him, “There goes the Jew, taking everyone’s land.” I asked if he’d ever told any of this to an administrator. “Nothing would change,” he said. Based on how other local authorities had responded to anti-Semitism, I didn’t doubt him.

Like many American Jews , I once considered anti-Semitism a threat largely emanating from the right. It was Donald Trump who attracted the allegiance of white supremacists and freely borrowed their tropes. A closing ad of his 2016 presidential campaign flashed images of prominent Jews—Lloyd Blankfein, Janet Yellen, and George Soros—as it decried global special interests bleeding the people dry.

Trump’s victory inspired anti-Semitic hate groups, long consigned to the shadows, to strut with impunity. Less than two weeks after Trump’s election, the white nationalist Richard Spencer came to Washington, D.C. , and proclaimed, “Hail Trump! Hail our people!” as supporters responded with Nazi salutes. In August 2017, angry men carried tiki torches through Charlottesville, Virginia, chanting , “Jews will not replace us.” In 2018, the consequences of violent anti-Semitic rhetoric became tangible: At the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 11 people were fatally shot . The following year, on the last day of Passover, at a synagogue in a San Diego suburb, a gunman killed one and wounded three others, including a rabbi .

After each incident, my anxiety about the safety of my own family and synagogue would spike, but I consoled myself with the thought that once Trump disappeared from the scene, the explosion of Jew hatred would recede. America would revert to its essential self: the most comfortable homeland in the Jewish diaspora.

From the May 2023 issue: Is Holocaust education making anti-Semitism worse?

That reassuring thought required downplaying the anti-Semitism that had begun to appear on the left well before October 7—on college campuses, among progressive activists, even on the fringes of the Democratic Party. It required minimizing Representative Ilhan Omar’s insinuation about Jewish control of politics —“It’s all about the Benjamins baby”—as an ignorant gaffe. And it meant dismissing intense outbreaks of anti-Zionist harassment by pro-Palestinian demonstrators, which coincided with tensions in the Middle East, as a passing storm.

Part of the reason I failed to appreciate the extent of the anti-Semitism on the left is that I assumed its criticisms of the Israeli government were, at bottom, a harsher version of my own. I opposed the proliferation of settlements in the West Bank, the callousness that military occupation required, and the religious zealotry that had begun to infuse the country’s right wing, including its current ruling coalition.

photo of people hugging in street with uniformed police behind

Such criticisms were not those of a dissident— the majority of American Jews share them . The Palestinian leadership has a long record of abject obstructionism, historical denialism, and violent irredentism, but American Jews heap blame on recalcitrant right-wing Israeli governments, too. Polling by the Pew Research Center in 2020 found that only one in three American Jews said they felt that the Israeli government was “sincere” in its pursuit of peace. But whatever criticism American Jews leveled against Israel, the anger was born of love. Eight in 10 described Israel as either “essential” or “important” to their Jewish identity. And they still held out hope for peace. In that same poll, 63 percent of American Jews said they considered a two-state solution plausible. Jews were, in fact, more likely than the overall U.S. population to believe in the possibility of peaceful coexistence with an independent Palestine.

Among the brutal epiphanies of October 7 was this: A disconcertingly large number of Israel’s critics on the left did not share that vision of peaceful coexistence, or believe Jews had a right to a nation of their own. After Hamas’s rampage of rape, kidnapping, and murder, a history professor at Cornell named Russell Rickford said Palestinians were understandably “exhilarated by this challenge to the monopoly of violence.” He added, “I was exhilarated.” A student at the same university was arrested and charged with posting online threats about slitting the throats of Jewish males and strafing the kosher dining hall with gunfire. In Philadelphia, a mob descended on a falafel restaurant, chanting about the Israeli American co-owner’s complicity in genocide. Over the three-month period following the Hamas attacks, the Anti-Defamation League recorded 56 episodes of physical violence targeting Jews and 1,347 incidents of harassment. That 13-week span contained more anti-Semitic incidents than the entirety of 2021—at the time the worst year since the ADL had begun keeping count, in 1979.

I don’t want to dismiss the anger that the left feels about the terrible human cost of the Israeli counterinvasion of Gaza, or denounce criticism of Israel as inherently anti-Semitic—especially because I share some of those criticisms. Nor do I believe that anti-Zionist is a term that should be considered axiomatically interchangeable with anti-Semite . The elimination of Israel, in my opinion, would be a profound catastrophe for the Jewish people. But I have read idealistic critics of Israel, such as the late historian Tony Judt , who imagined that it could be replaced by a binational state, where Jews and Palestinians live side by side under one democratic government. That strikes me as naive in the extreme—especially after the Hamas pogrom of October 7—and very likely the end of Jewish existence in the Levant. But not everything that is terrible for the Jews is anti-Semitic.

Anti-Semitism is a mental habit, deeply embedded in Christian and Muslim thinking, stretching back at least as far as the accusation that the Jews murdered the son of God. It’s a tendency to fixate on Jews, to place them at the center of the narrative, overstating their role in society and describing them as the root cause of any unwanted phenomena—a centrality that seems strange, given that Jews constitute about 0.2 percent of the global population. Though it shape-shifts over time, anti-Semitism returns to the same essential complaint: that Jews are cunning, bloodthirsty, and mad for power. Anti-Zionism often takes a similar form: the dehumanization, the unilateral casting of blame, and the fetishizing of Jewish villainy.

Liberal Jews once celebrated Israel as the lone democracy in a distinctly undemocratic region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition of theocrats and messianists seems bent on shredding the basis for that claim . But many governments in the world share these undesirable traits. Still, no one calls for the eradication of Hungary or El Salvador or India. No one defaces Chinese restaurants in San Francisco because Beijing imprisons Uyghurs in concentration camps and occupies Tibet.

The anti-Zionism that has flourished on the left in recent years doesn’t stop with calls for an end to the occupation of the West Bank. It espouses a blithe desire to eliminate the world’s only Jewish-majority nation, valorizes the homicidal campaign against its existence, and seeks to hold members of the Jewish diaspora to account for the sins of a country they don’t live in and for a government they didn’t elect. In so doing, this faction of the left places itself in the terrible lineage of attempts to erase Jewry—and, in turn, stirs ancient and not-so-ancient existential fears.

Nowhere is this more fully on display than in the Bay Area. After October 7, protesters flooded city-council meetings, demanding cease-fire resolutions and rejecting any attempt to include clauses condemning Hamas for the rape and murder of Jews. One viral video compiled enraged citizen comments at an Oakland city-council meeting. These citizens weren’t just showing solidarity for the people of Gaza, but angrily amplifying wild conspiracy theories. One woman declared, in the style of a 9/11 truther, that “Israel murdered their own people on October 7.” Another, in the manner of a Holocaust denier, described the events of that day as a “fabricated narrative.”

For months, the Berkeley city council resisted the pressure to pass a cease-fire resolution; the mayor regarded foreign policy as far beyond its jurisdiction . But the pressure grew so intense that the council could hardly conduct any other business. Protesters disrupted official meetings, forcing the mayor to keep adjourning deliberations to another room where the public was not allowed. Police offered to escort council members to their cars after meetings. The mayor’s unwillingness to condemn Israel was anomalous, even in his own city. On December 4, the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board voted to endorse a cease-fire .

Impassioned support for the Palestinian cause metastasized into the hatred of Jews. Anti-Semitism has become part of the landscape. In 2021, a community space in San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood, owned by a progressive gay Jewish activist, was defaced with messages including Zionist pigz. After October 7, the windows of Smitten Ice Cream, owned by a Jewish woman, were smashed and spray-painted with the words Out the Mission .

photo of two people looking at debris from Oakland menorah on grass and sidewalk

During Hanukkah, a menorah sponsored by Chabad Oakland and perched on the shore of Lake Merritt, in the center of the city, was torn apart by its branches and hurled into the water , replaced by graffiti reading your org is dying, we’re gonna find you, you’re on fucking alert . Oakland Public Works quickly painted over the message and other anti-Semitic graffiti. But when I walked the trail around the lake several weeks after Hanukkah, I found a weathered metal box, built to display a work of public art. On its side was a laminated message titled “The World We Wish to See.” What followed was a lyrical vision of liberation that imagined a future in which “all beings are treated with dignity.” But whatever display had once existed in the box had been removed. What was left were the etched words Zionist KILLER .

In the hatred that I witnessed in the Bay Area, and that has been evident on college campuses and in progressive activist circles nationwide, I’ve come to see left-wing anti-Semitism as characterized by many of the same violent delusions as the right-wing strain. This is not an accident of history. Though right- and left-wing anti-Semitism may have emerged in different ways, for different reasons, both are essentially attacks on an ideal that once dominated American politics, an ideal that American Jews championed and, in an important sense, co-authored. Over the course of the 20th century, Jews invested their faith in a distinct strain of liberalism that combined robust civil liberties, the protection of minority rights, and an ethos of cultural pluralism. They embraced this brand of liberalism because it was good for America—and good for the Jews. It was their fervent hope that liberalism would inoculate America against the world’s oldest hatred.

For several generations, it worked. Liberalism helped unleash a Golden Age of American Jewry, an unprecedented period of safety, prosperity, and political influence. Jews, who had once been excluded from the American establishment, became full-fledged members of it. And remarkably, they achieved power by and large without having to abandon their identity. In faculty lounges and television writers’ rooms, in small magazines and big publishing houses, they infused the wider culture with that identity. Their anxieties became American anxieties. Their dreams became American dreams.

But that era is drawing to a close. America’s ascendant political movements—MAGA on one side, the illiberal left on the other—would demolish the last pillars of the consensus that Jews helped establish. They regard concepts such as tolerance, fairness, meritocracy, and cosmopolitanism as pernicious shams. The Golden Age of American Jewry has given way to a golden age of conspiracy, reckless hyperbole, and political violence, all tendencies inimical to the democratic temperament. Extremist thought and mob behavior have never been good for Jews. And what’s bad for Jews, it can be argued, is bad for America.

I grew up at the apex of the Golden Age. The nation’s sartorial aesthetic was the invention of Ralph Lifshitz, an alumnus of the Manhattan Talmudical Academy before he became the denim-clad Ralph Lauren. The national authority on sex was a diminutive bubbe, Dr. Ruth. Schoolkids in Indiana read Anne Frank’s diary. The Holocaust memoirist Elie Wiesel appeared on the nightly news as an arbiter of public morality. The most-watched television show was Seinfeld . Even Gentiles knew the words to Adam Sandler’s “The Chanukah Song,” which earned a place in the canon of festive music annually played on FM radio. Jews accounted for roughly 2 percent of the nation’s population at the time , but I’d estimate that my undergraduate class at Columbia University was one-third Jewish; soon, a third of the justices on the Supreme Court would be Jewish as well. In 2000, Joe Lieberman, a Shabbat-observant Jew with a wife named Hadassah, fell 537 votes short of becoming vice president. None of these occurrences sparked a backlash worthy of note.

photo of Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander walking and talking on set with cameras

By the mid-’90s, experts had declared the end of anti-Semitism. It persisted, of course, in the dark corners of American political culture—in the wacky cosmology of the Nation of Islam and in the malevolent rantings of David Duke, the ubiquitous ex-Klansman—but that proved the point. The only Jew haters to be found were hopelessly fringe; anti-Semitism disappeared from polite conversation. Leonard Dinnerstein, a historian who devoted his life’s work to studying anti-Semitism, concluded his magnum opus , published in 1994, with the admission that his scholarly obsession was becoming a relic: “It has declined in potency and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”

That last sentence was an expression of triumphalism, rendered in the spirit of the times. Like the end of history, the end of anti-Semitism was a post–Cold War reverie, a naive declaration of a golden age without end. American Jews now worried that they might become too accepted. The great anxiety of the fin de siècle was intermarriage.

The threat of assimilation had frightened the Orthodox Jews who came to the United States during the great wave of immigration in the last decades of the 19th century. Fathers who had fled the Pale of Settlement feared that their sons would trade ancestral traditions for the allure of American culture. (A quite popular, very American musical is energized by these anxieties.) One of those sons, however, made it his intellectual project to find a way for Jews to enjoy the bounties of American society without having to fully abandon their Jewishness.

Born in Silesia in 1882, the eldest of eight, Horace Kallen had a preordained calling: to become a rabbi like his father. But a Boston truant officer forced him, against his parents’ wishes, to attend a secular grammar school. This set him on the path to Harvard, where he paid his way by reading meters for the Dorchester Gaslight Company. Kallen never felt at ease with patrician classmates like Franklin D. Roosevelt, though the philosopher William James embraced him as a protégé.

Kallen’s breakthrough came in the course of an argument with another Jew. In 1908, the British-born playwright Israel Zangwill had a hit called The Melting-Pot , a melodrama about a pogrom survivor who sets out to marry a Christian woman in the hopes that he will no longer be haunted by his identity. This vision of assimilation was a warmed-over version of the devil’s bargain that Western Europeans had offered Jews ever since Napoleon: In exchange for the rights of citizenship, Jews would have to give up their distinctive identity.

Yair Rosenberg: How to be anti-Semitic and get away with it

Kallen didn’t want to surrender his identity. He wasn’t religious, but he had read Spinoza and devoured the works of the early Zionist thinkers. At Harvard, he co-founded the Menorah Society, a Jewish affinity group. His rebuttal to Zangwill took the form of unabashed patriotism. In essays that were intellectual bombshells at the time, Kallen extolled the mongrel nature of American society, the phenomenon known as hyphenation. Harvard’s Brahmin elite believed that newcomers must assimilate in full, commit to what they called “100 percent Americanism.” But to Kallen, the hyphen was the essence of democracy. He described America as a “symphony of civilization,” an intermingling of cultures that resulted in a society far more dynamic than most of the countries back in the Old World. The genius of America was that it didn’t coerce any minority group into abandoning its marks of difference.

photo of man in glasses and bow tie

That argument was idealistic, though also self-interested. Kallen’s polemics implicitly targeted the Protestant monopoly controlling academia, politics, and every other corner of the establishment, which reverted to desperate measures to block the ascent of Jews , imposing quotas at universities and restrictive housing covenants in well-to-do neighborhoods. His ideas were emblematic of an emerging strain of Jewish political philosophy, a set of arguments that would define American Jewry for generations.

The sons and daughters of immigrants may have dabbled in socialism, but in the 1930s and ’40s, liberalism became the house politics of the Jewish people. Walter Lippmann, a descendant of German Jews, first used the term liberal in the American context, to describe a new center-left vision of the state that was neither socialist nor laissez-faire. Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice on the Supreme Court, conceptualized a new, expansive vision of civil liberties. Lillian Wald and Henry Moskowitz co-founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, in the belief that all minorities deserved the same protections. Jews became enthusiastic supporters of the New Deal, which staved off radical movements on the left and the right that tended to hunt for Jewish scapegoats. As a Yiddish joke went, Jewish theology consisted of die velt (“this world”), yene velt (“the world to come”), and Roosevelt.

The historian Marc Dollinger titled his 2000 narrative of Jewish liberalism Quest for Inclusion . Jews set out to achieve that goal procedurally—opposing prayer in public school, knocking down discriminatory housing laws, establishing new fair-employment rules. But it was also a project of mythmaking and dream-casting. Widely read mid-century intellectuals such as Louis Hartz, Daniel Boorstin, and Max Lerner wrote books reimagining America as the home of a benevolent centrism—tolerant, cosmopolitan, unique in the history of nations.

Reality began to resemble the myth: In the years following World War II—and especially as the world began to comprehend the extent of the Nazi genocide—a liberal consensus took hold, and anti-Semitism receded. After Auschwitz, even three-martini Jewish jokes at the country club felt tinged by the horrors. In 1937, the American edition of Roget’s Thesaurus had listed cunning , rich , extortioner , and heretic as synonyms for Jew . At that time, nearly half of Americans said Jews were less honest in business than others. By 1964, only 28 percent agreed with that assessment . It became cliché to refer to America as a “Judeo-Christian nation.” Quotas at universities fell to the side.

As anti-Semitism faded, American Jewish civilization exploded in a rush of creativity. For a time, the great Jewish novel—books by Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, Norman Mailer, Joseph Heller, and Bernard Malamud, inflected with Yiddish and references to pickled herring—was the great American novel. Under the influence of Lenny Bruce, Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Elaine May, Gilda Radner, Woody Allen, and many others, American comedy appropriated the Jewish joke, and the ironic sensibility contained within, as its own.

During the Golden Age, Jews created new genres of Americana, and in turn remade America’s image of itself, through the idealized vision of the heartland found in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! ; the folk revival popularized by Bob Dylan, Art Garfunkel, and Paul Simon; the movies mythologizing the decency of the American Everyman produced by David O. Selznick, Louis B. Mayer, and Jack Warner. (To say that “the Jews” run Hollywood is conspiratorial; to say that Jews founded it is factual.) Only in America could Jews—Irving Berlin, George Wyle, Sammy Cahn—write the Christmas songbook.

It wasn’t just mass culture. The New York Intellectuals, a group with a name as euphemistic as it sounds, acquired a priestly authority in the realm of aesthetics and political ideas, and included the likes of Alfred Kazin, Clement Greenberg, Irving Howe, and Susan Sontag. Betty Friedan, Bella Abzug, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg ushered second-wave feminism into the world. Jews became the prophetic face of American science (J. Robert Oppenheimer) and the salvific one of American medicine (Jonas Salk). The intellectual rewards of Jewish liberation could be measured in medals: Approximately 15 percent of all Nobel Prize winners are American Jews.

In the Golden Age, Jews in America embraced Israel. Enjoying their political and cultural ascendance, they looked to the new Jewish state not as a necessary refuge—they were more than comfortable on the Upper West Side and in Squirrel Hill and Brentwood—but as a powerful rebuttal to the old stereotypes about Jewish weakness, especially after the Israeli military’s victory in the Six-Day War of 1967. As The New York Times ’ Thomas Friedman has put it , American Jews “said to themselves, ‘My God, look who we are! We have power! We do not fit the Shylock image, we are ace pilots; we are not the cowering timid Jews who get sand kicked in their faces, we are tank commanders.’ ”

A now-obscure cultural event captures, for me, this newfound sense of self and self-confidence. In 1978, ABC aired The Stars Salute Israel at 30 , a kitschy prime-time variety show filmed in front of a full house at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, in Los Angeles, the same venue that hosted the Oscars. Like the Oscars, it featured an A-list slate: Barry Manilow in a white suit, surrounded by backup singers in sequins; Henry Winkler, the Fonz himself, playing a rough-hewn Israeli in a sketch; and, of course, Sammy Davis Jr. Near the conclusion, Barbra Streisand emerged in a white gown to talk via remote hookup with Golda Meir as a camera filmed the former prime minister in a book-filled room in Israel—the two most celebrated Jewish women of the century kibitzing on American TV.

photo of Barbra Streisand in white gown on stage singing into microphone with orchestra in background

In the early decades of Hollywood, Jewish stars had hidden behind stage names—Emanuel Goldenberg performed as Edward G. Robinson; Issur Danielovitch transformed himself into Kirk Douglas. Streisand had also changed her name, dropping the a from Barbara, but that was an instance of a diva’s bravado, not a sop to the goyim. What made her stardom so emblematic of the Golden Age was that she never allowed herself to be bullied into suppressing her Jewish identity. Her crowning achievement was Yentl , an adaptation of an Isaac Bashevis Singer short story. For the grand finale of the ABC telecast , Streisand sang “Hatikvah,” the Israeli national anthem, for 18.7 million viewers. “The good feelings and the love will always remain,” she told them.

The Jewish vacation from history ended on September 11, 2001. It didn’t seem that way at the time. But the terror attacks opened an era of perpetual crisis, which became fertile soil where the hatred of Jews took root. Though Osama bin Laden claimed credit for the plot, that didn’t stop some people from trying to shift the blame. One theory explained in exquisitely absurd detail how Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, had toppled the Twin Towers.

But there was also a more sophisticated version of this conspiracy theory, one that had a patina of academic respectability. On the left, it became commonplace to fulminate against the neoconservatives, warmongering intellectuals said to be whispering in the ear of the American establishment, urging the invasion of Iraq and war against Iran.

This wasn’t fully untethered from reality: The neocons were a group of largely Jewish think-tank denizens and policy operatives, some of whom held top posts in President George W. Bush’s administration. But the angry talk about neocons also trafficked in dangerous old tropes. It inflated their role in world events and ascribed the worst motives to them. Men like Paul Wolfowitz, the second-highest-ranking official in Bush’s Pentagon, and William Kristol, the editor of The Weekly Standard , were portrayed by critics on the left as bamboozlers undermining the national interest in service of their stealth loyalty to Israel. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, for one, took exception to the idea that Jews were pulling the strings of the United States government. “I suppose the implication of that is that the president and the vice president and myself and Colin Powell just fell off a turnip truck to take these jobs,” he said.

In 2007, Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, professors at Harvard and the University of Chicago, respectively, spelled out what others implied in The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy , a book published by a venerable house, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, that soon arrived on the New York Times best-seller list. This was the opposite of the schmaltzy Streisand tribute—the Jewish state as not a friend but a villain surreptitiously manipulating American power to further its own ends.

One year later, Lehman Brothers, a bank founded in 1850 by the son of a Jewish cattle merchant from Bavaria, collapsed. That news was followed by the revelation that Bernie Madoff had masterminded the largest-known Ponzi scheme in history. Although politicians, on the whole, refrained from casting Jews as the primary culprits of the 2008 financial crisis—which was, in fact, systemic—a sizable portion of the public harbored this thought. Stanford University professors conducted a survey that found that nearly a quarter of the country blamed Jews for crashing the global economy. Another 38.4 percent ascribed at least some fault to “the Jews.”

In the era of perpetual crisis, a version of this narrative kept recurring: a small elite—sometimes bankers, sometimes lobbyists—maliciously exploiting the people. Such narratives helped propel Occupy Wall Street on the left and the Tea Party on the right. This brand of populist revolt had long been the stuff of Jewish nightmares. A fear of the mob suffused masterworks of the Golden Age—Theodor Adorno’s The Authoritarian Personality , Hannah Arendt’s The Origins of Totalitarianism , Richard Hofstadter’s Anti-intellectualism in American Life . Haunted by the Holocaust and inherited memories of pogroms, these writers warned how a society might fall prey to a demagogue who tapped into prejudice.

After 2008, a version of their prophecy came to pass. The right settled on a Jewish billionaire as their villain of choice: George Soros. An idea took hold, and not just on extremist blogs. The mainstream of the Republican Party seeded the image of Soros as the “shadow puppet master,” in the words of the former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. In elevating the figure of Soros and invoking him so frequently, Fox News and Republican politicians were also, intentionally or not, drawing on the deeply implanted imagery of the Jewish financier bankrolling the destruction of Christian civilization.

In 2018, Fox News began carrying images of migrant caravans headed from Central America toward Texas, a tide of humanity it described as an “invasion.” Though they had no evidence to bolster the charge, Republican politicians insinuated that the caravans were paid for by Soros. Representative Matt Gaetz tweeted a video of two men handing out cash to a line of Honduran migrants, accompanied by the question “Soros?” When President Trump was asked about Soros’s role in funding a caravan, a week after a pipe bomb was found in Soros’s mailbox, and days after the Tree of Life shooting, he told reporters, “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Soros was a central character in a new master narrative, much of it adapted from European sources. The spine of the story was borrowed from a French author named Renaud Camus, a socialist turned far-right reactionary who wrote a 2011 book called The Great Replacement , warning that elites intended to diminish the white Christian presence in Europe by flooding the continent with migrants. The Jews weren’t a central feature of Camus’ theory. But when elements of the American right embraced it, they inserted Soros and his fellow Jews as the masterminds of the elite plot. This became the basis for the chant “Jews will not replace us.”

Jews were the antagonists of the conspiracy theory because they occupied a special place in the bizarre racial hierarchy of American ethno-nationalism. Eric Ward, an activist who is among the most rigorous students of white supremacy, has put it this way: “At the bedrock of the movement is an explicit claim that Jews are a race of their own, and that their ostensible position as White folks in the U.S. represents the greatest trick the devil ever played.” That is, Jews were able to pass as white people, but they were really stealth agents working for the other side of the race war, using immigration to subvert white Christian hegemony.

This notion planted itself in the mind of Robert Bowers, a loner who lived in a suburb of Pittsburgh. He became obsessed with the work of HIAS , originally the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. It was formed in 1902 with the intention of easing the arrival of Jewish refugees fleeing pogroms. The group’s evolution was emblematic of the trajectory of Jewish liberalism. As American Jews settled into a comfortable existence in their new land, HIAS’s mission expanded. It has field offices in more than 20 countries, including a branch on a Greek island to tend to Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan migrants. On October 19, 2018, the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh was participating in a National Refugee Shabbat, which was the brainchild of HIAS.

The event stoked Bowers’s rage. “HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people,” he wrote on Gab, the Christian-nationalist social-media site. Just before he entered the synagogue’s sanctuary, armed with three semiautomatic pistols and an AR‑15 rifle, he posted, “Open you Eyes! It’s the filthy EVIL jews Bringing the Filthy EVIL Muslims into the Country!!”

archival photo of room full of people sitting at tables paying attention to man lecturing and pointing to American flag

A faith in immigration—the idea of America as a sanctuary for the refugee, the belief that subsequent groups of arrivals would experience the same up-from-the-shtetl trajectory—was a core tenet of Jewish liberalism. A Jewish poet had written the lines about huddled masses inscribed at the base of the Statue of Liberty. If America was a nation of immigrants, that made Jews quintessential Americans. But now this ideal was the basis for Jews’ vilification. At the Tree of Life synagogue, it was used to justify their slaughter.

In the old Jewish theory of American politics, the best defense against the anti-Semitism of the right was a united left: minorities and liberal activists locking arms. When I was young, rabbis and elders reverently told us about the earnest young Jews in chunky glasses who had jumped aboard the Freedom Rides; about Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his unmissable kippah, marching right next to Martin Luther King Jr.; and about the martyrdom of Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, two Jews who had been murdered alongside James Chaney, a Black Mississippian, for their work registering Black Americans to vote. A coalition of the tolerant pressed the country to live up to its ideals.

Later, I would learn that those memories were a bit gauzy. In the late 1960s, former comrades began to quietly, then brusquely, discard this spirit of common cause. Younger activists in the civil-rights movement took a hard turn toward Black Power and dismissed the old liberal theory of change as a melioristic ruse. Anti-war protesters embraced the decolonization struggles of the developing world. After Israel captured the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in 1967, many came to view the Jewish state as a vile oppressor. (This was well before right-wing Israeli governments saturated the occupied territories with Jewish settlers.) Even as Israel’s shocking victory in the Six-Day War, 22 years after the liberation of Auschwitz, filled American Jews with pride and confidence, a meaningful portion of America’s left turned on Israel.

The turmoil of the late ’60s presaged the rupture that has occurred over the past decade or so. A new ideology has taken hold on the left, with a reordered hierarchy of concerns and an even greater skepticism of the old liberal ideals.

This rupture was propelled by the menace of Donald Trump. His election jolted his opponents to take emergency measures. The left began describing itself as the Resistance, which implied a more confrontational style than that of Nancy Pelosi floor speeches or Center for American Progress white papers.

Even before Trump took office, the Resistance announced a mass protest set to defiantly descend on the capital, what organizers called the Women’s March on Washington. In an early planning meeting, at a New York restaurant, an activist named Vanessa Wruble explained that her Judaism was the motivating force in her political engagement. But Wruble’s autobiographical statement of intent earned her a rebuke. According to Wruble, two members of the inner circle planning the march told her that Jews needed to confront their own history of exploiting Black and brown people. Tablet magazine later reported that Wruble was told that Jews needed to repent for their leading role in the slave trade—a fallacious charge long circulated by the Nation of Islam. (The two organizers denied making the reported statements.) That moment of tension never really subsided, either for Wruble or for the left.

When the march’s organizers published their “unity principles,” they emphasized the importance of intersectionality, a theory first introduced by the law professor Kimberlé W. Crenshaw . It would be insufficient, she argued, for courts to focus their efforts on one narrow target of discrimination when it takes so many forms—racism, sexism, homophobia—that tend to reinforce one another. Her analysis, incisive in the context of the law, was never intended to guide social movements. Transposed by activists to the gritty work of coalition-building, it became the basis for a new orthodoxy—one that was largely indifferent to Jews, and at times outwardly hostile.

When the Women’s March listed the various injustices it hoped to conquer on its way to a better world, anti-Semitism was absent. It was a curious omission, given the central role that Jews played in the conspiracies promoted by the MAGA right, and a telling one. Soon after the march, organizers pushed Wruble out of leadership. She later said that anti-Semitism was the reason for her ouster. (The organizers denied this charge.)

The intersectional left self-consciously rebelled against the liberalism that had animated so much of institutional Judaism, which fought to install civil liberties and civil rights enforced by a disinterested state that would protect every minority equally. This new iteration of the left considered the idea of neutrality—whether objectivity in journalism or color blindness in the courts—as a guise for white supremacy. Tolerance, the old keyword of cultural pluralism, was a form of complicity. What the world actually needed was intolerance, a more active confrontation with hatred. In the historian Ibram X. Kendi’s formulation, an individual could choose to be anti-racist or racist , an activist or a collaborator. Or as Linda Sarsour, an activist of Palestinian descent and a co-chair of the Women’s March, put it, “We are not here to be bystanders.” To be a member of this new left in good moral standing, it was necessary to challenge oppression in all its incarnations. And Israel was now definitively an oppressor.

photo of MLK in suit and tie holding up picture of three slain civil rights activists

The American left hadn’t always imposed such a litmus test. During the years of the Oslo peace process, groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine had no problem attending events with liberal Zionists. Back then, the debate was over the borders of Israel, not over the fact of its existence. But that peace process collapsed during the last days of the Clinton administration, and whatever good faith had existed in that brief era of summits and handshakes dissipated. Hamas unleashed a wave of suicide bombings in the Second Intifada. And in the aftermath of those deadly attacks, successive right-wing Israeli governments presided over repressive policies in the West Bank and an inhumane blockade of Gaza.

Palestinian activists and their allies began the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, pushing universities to divest from Israel. The new goal was no longer coexistence between Arabs and Jews. It was to turn Israel into an international pariah, to stop working with all Israeli institutions—not just the military, but also symphonies, theater groups, and universities. In that spirit, it became fashionable for critics of Israel to identify as “anti-Zionist.”

Within the Jewish establishment, there’s a tendency to impute anti-Semitism to anyone who describes themselves that way. That has always struck me as intellectually imprecise and, occasionally, as a rhetorical gambit to close down debate. But there’s a reason so many Jews bristle at the thought of anti-Zionism finding a home on the American left: Zionist can start to sound like a synonym for Jew . Zionists stand accused of the same crimes that anti-Semites have attached to Jews since the birth of Christianity; Jews are portrayed as omnipotent, bloodthirsty baby-killers. Knowing the historical echoes, it’s hard not to worry that the anger might fixate on the Jewish target closest at hand—which, indeed, it has.

In 2014, dorms at NYU where religiously observant Jews lived received mock eviction notices—“We reserve the right to destroy all remaining belongings,” read the flyer slipped under doors—as if intimidating college kids with unknown politics somehow represented a justifiable reprisal for Israeli-government action in the West Bank. The same notices appeared at Emory University, in Atlanta, in 2019. At the University of Vermont and SUNY New Paltz, groups that helped sexual-assault survivors were accused of purging pro-Israel students from their ranks. “If you don’t support Palestinian liberation you don’t support survivors,” the Vermont group exclaimed. Years before October 7, students at Tufts University, outside Boston, and the University of Southern California moved to impeach elected Jews in student government over their support for Israel’s existence. This wasn’t normal politics. It was evidence of bigotry.

Among the primary targets of the activists were the Hillel centers present on most college campuses. These centers occasionally coordinate trips to Israel and, on some campuses, sponsor student groups supportive of Israel. Those facts led pro-Palestinian activists to describe Hillel as an arm of the “Israeli war machine.” At SUNY Stony Brook, activists sought to expel Hillel from campus, arguing, “If there were Nazis, white nationalists, and KKK members on campus, would their identity have to be accepted and respected?” At Rice University, in Texas, an LGBTQ group severed ties with Hillel because it allegedly made students feel unsafe. What made this incident darkly comic is that Hillel couldn’t be more progressive on issues of sexual freedom. What made it so worrying is that Hillel’s practical purpose is not to defend Israel, but to provide Shabbat dinners and a space for ritual and prayer. To condemn Hillel is to condemn Jewish religious life on campus.

Gal Beckerman: The left abandoned me

As exclusion of Jews became a more regular occurrence, the leadership of the left, and of universities for that matter, had little to say about the problem. To give the most generous explanation: Jews simply didn’t fit the analytic framework of the new left.

At its core, the intersectional left wanted to smash power structures. In the American context, it would be hard to place Jews among the ranks of the oppressed; in the Israeli context, they can be cast as the oppressor. Nazi Germany definitively excluded Jews from a category we now call “whiteness.” Today, Jews are treated in sectors of the left as the epitome of whiteness. But any analysis that focuses so relentlessly on the role of privilege, as the left’s does, will be dangerously blind to anti-Semitism, because anti-Semitism itself entails an accusation of privilege. It’s a theory that regards the Jew as an all-powerful figure in society, a position acquired by underhanded means. In the annals of Jewish history, accusations of privilege are the basis for hate, the kindling for pogroms. But universities too often ignored this lesson from the past. Instead, they acted, as the British comedian David Baddiel put it in the title of his prescient book about progressive anti-Semitism, as if “ Jews don’t count .”

In the death spiral of liberalism, extremism on the right begets extremism on the left, which begets further extremism on the right. To protest the censoriousness of the new progressives, right-wing edgelords and trolls attempted to seize the mantle of liberty.

The most powerful of the edgelords was Elon Musk, who purchased Twitter ostensibly to save discourse from the woke mob. To make good on his noble aims, he reversed bans that the platform’s previous regime had imposed on the most vile anti-Semites, including the white nationalist Patrick Howley, the comic Sam Hyde, and the Daily Stormer’s founder, Andrew Anglin. By restoring them to the site, Musk was, in essence, conceding that their words shouldn’t have been considered taboo in the first place. He legitimized their claims of victimhood, the sense that they had been excluded only because they’d offended the wrong people.

In fact, Musk hinted that he shared this conspiratorial view of censorship. In May 2023, he retweeted an aphorism that he attributed to Voltaire: “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” Those words were actually uttered by a neo-Nazi named Kevin Alfred Strom, not the French philosopher. It shouldn’t have been hard to imagine that the words had dubious origins, because they captured a view of the world in which shadowy forces furtively censor their enemies.

Nor was it hard to imagine that those shadowy forces might include the Anti-Defamation League, which relentlessly called attention to the proliferation of Jew hatred on Twitter under Musk’s ownership. Musk threatened to sue the group, accusing it of trying to “kill this platform by falsely accusing it & me of being anti-Semitic.” The Jews, he all but spelled out, were those who couldn’t be criticized—which, by the logic of the Strom quote, made them society’s secret masters.

Musk wasn’t alone in this argument. In 2022, Dave Chappelle used the opening monologue of Saturday Night Live to muse about the cancellation of the hip-hop artist Ye (formerly Kanye West), who had lost a deal with Adidas after he promised, among other things, to go “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” Chappelle exuded empathy for Ye. “I don’t want a sneaker deal, because the minute I say something that makes those people mad, they’re going to take my sneakers away … I hope they don’t take anything away from me,” he said, adding with a smile and a conspiratorial whisper: “Whoever they are.” There was no mystery about his use of pronouns: “I’ve been to Hollywood … It’s a lot of Jews. Like, a lot.” He went on, “You could maybe adopt the delusion that the Jews run show business.”

photo of Dave Chapelle with microphone opening SNL with band in background

Chappelle practices shock comedy as a form of shock therapy: The authoritarian impositions of the left justify offensive comments, which are a form of defiance. He has taken a genuine problem—anti-liberalism on the left—and used it as a pretext for smuggling anti-Semitism into acceptable discourse.

That Chappelle and Musk see fit to indulge anti-Semitism in order to protect freedom of speech contains a dark irony. In the 20th century, starting with Louis Brandeis’s dissents on the Supreme Court, Jews stood at the vanguard of the movement to protect “subversive advocacy,” even when it came at their own expense. This could be understood as a defense of the Talmudic tradition of disagreement, what Rabbi David Wolpe calls the “Jewish sacrament” of debate. The movement culminated in Skokie, Illinois, in 1977, when the ACLU deployed the lawyer David Goldberger to sue to allow neo-Nazis to march through the Chicago suburb, which was filled with Holocaust survivors. The Jewish community was hardly unanimous on the Skokie question—unanimity would have been inconsistent with the tradition—but the ACLU position reflected a commitment to free speech officially espoused by major Jewish communal institutions in the postwar years.

In the Jewish vision of free speech, open interpretation and endless debate mark the path to knowledge; the proliferation of discourse is the antidote to bad ideas. But in the reality of social media, free speech also consists of Jew hatred that masquerades as comic entertainment, a way to capture the attention of young men eager to rebel against the strictures of what they decry as wokeness.

When I asked Oren Segal, who runs the ADL’s Center on Extremism, to point me to a state-of-the-art anti-Semitic hate group, he cited the Goyim Defense League. The spitefully silly name reflects its methods, which include pranks and stunts broadcast on its website, Goyim TV. Its leader sometimes dresses as an ultra-Orthodox Jew, calling himself the “Honest Rabbi.” In one demented piece of guerrilla theater, he apologizes on behalf of the Jewish people for fabricating stories about the Holocaust. The group has attempted to popularize the slogan “Kanye is right about the Jews,” hanging a banner proclaiming it on a freeway overpass in Los Angeles and projecting it on the side of a football stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, as 75,000 fans filed out. GDL hecklers have stood in front of Florida synagogues and Holocaust museums, shouting, “Leave our country. Go back to Israel” and “Heil Hitler.”

In a short span, as the edgelords successfully pushed the limits, American culture became permissive regarding what could be said about Jews. Anti-Semitism crept back into the realm of the acceptable.

For a brief moment , it felt as if the October 7 attacks might reverse the tide, because it should have been impossible not to recoil at the footage of Hamas’s pogrom. Israel had yet to launch its counterattack, so there was no war to condemn. Still, even in this moment of moral clarity, the campus left couldn’t muster compassion. At Harvard, more than 30 student groups signed a letter on October 7, holding “the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.” Days later, the incoming head of NYU’s new Center for Indigenous Studies described the attacks as “affirming.” This sympathy for Hamas, when its crimes were freshest, was a glimpse of what was about to come.

On the afternoon of October 11, Rebecca Massel, a reporter at the Columbia Daily Spectator , received a tip. She was told that a woman, her face wrapped in a bandanna, had assaulted an Israeli student in front of Butler Library in a dispute over flyers depicting hostages held by Hamas. The woman’s alleged weapon was a broomstick. Her battle cry was said to be “Fuck all of you prick crackers.” After striking him with the broomstick, the man said, she attempted to punch him in the face. By the end of the fracas, she had bruised one of his hands and sprained a finger on the other.

Massel began to report out the story . She spoke with the victim, who told her, “Now, we have to handle the situation that campus is not a safe place for us anymore.” She spoke with the NYPD, which confirmed that it had arrested the woman, who was charged with hate crimes and has pleaded not guilty. Massel and her editors curbed their impulse to quickly score a scoop, double-checking every sentence. They didn’t publish the story until 3 a.m. on October 12.

Later that morning, Massel, a sophomore studying political science, was sitting in her Contemporary Civilization seminar when her phone lit up. It was her editor, calling her back. She had texted him to get his sense of the response her article had elicited, so she stepped out of class to hear what he had to say. She had already caught a glimpse of posts on social media, harping on her Jewishness and accusing her of having a “religious agenda.” She’d worried that these weren’t stray attacks. The editor told her the paper had been inundated. The messages it had received about the article were vitriolic, but he didn’t give her any specifics. Before returning to class, she checked her own email. A message read, “I hope you fucking get what you deserve … you racist freak.”

Read: The juvenile viciousness of campus anti-Semitism

For as long as she could remember, Massel had wanted to be a journalist. She’d founded the newspaper at her elementary school. During high school, she’d read She Said , Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s book about investigating Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assaults. The New York Times reporters insisted that they were journalists, not feminist journalists. Massel vowed to take the same approach. The accusations of bias, therefore, didn’t just feel anti-Semitic. They felt like an attack on the integrity that she hoped would define her work.

But anger was an emotion for another day. At that moment, she was overwhelmed by fear. She thought about what the Israeli student had told her the day before. A dean had apparently advised him to leave campus because the university couldn’t guarantee his safety. Now Massel felt unsure of her own physical well-being. She decided that she would stay with her parents until she could get a better sense of the fury directed at her.

In her unnerved state, Massel threw herself into her journalism. She decided to interview Jewish students, from all corners of the university, to gauge their mood. After the office of public safety assured her that she could return to campus, she parked herself in the second-floor lounge of Columbia’s Hillel center. When she overheard a student mention an incident, she would approach them and ask to talk.

Over the course of two weeks, Massel spoke with 54 students . What she amassed was a tally of fear. Thirteen told her that they had felt harassed or attacked, either virtually or in person. (One passerby had barked “Fuck the Jews” at a small group of students.) Thirty-four reported that they felt targeted or unsafe on campus. (At one precarious moment, the Hillel center went into lockdown, out of concern that protesters might descend on the building.) Twelve said that they had suppressed markers of their Jewish identity, wearing a baseball cap over a yarmulke or tucking a Star of David necklace into a sweatshirt. She learned that a group of students had created a group-chat system to arrange escorts, so that no Jew would have to walk across campus alone if they felt unsafe.

Perhaps even more ominously, Massel uncovered incidents in which teachers expressed hostility toward Jewish students. One Israeli student told Massel that a professor had once said to him, “It’s such a shame that your people survived just in order to perpetuate another genocide.” When I made my own calls to students and faculty, I heard similar stories, especially instances of teaching assistants seizing their bully pulpit to sermonize. One TA wrote to their students, “We are watching genocide unfold in real time, after a systematic 75+ years of oppression of the Palestinian people … It feels ridiculous to hold section today, but I’ll see you all on Zoom in a bit.” One student left class in the middle of a professor’s broadside against Israel in a required course in the Middle East–studies department. Afterward, he sent an email to the professor explaining his departure, to which the professor wrote back, saying they could discuss it in class later. When the student returned, the professor read his email aloud to the whole class, and invited everyone to discuss the exchange. It felt like an act of deliberate humiliation.

When I talked with Jewish students at Columbia, I was struck by how they, too, tended to speak in the language of the intersectional left. They described their “lived experience” and trauma: the pain they felt on October 7 as they learned of the attacks; the fear that consumed them when they heard protesters call for the annihilation of Israel. They sincerely expected their university to respond with unabashed empathy, because that’s how it had responded in the past to other terrible events. Instead, Columbia greeted their pain with the soon-to-be-infamous concept of “context,” including a panel discussion that explained the attacks as the product of a long struggle. This historicizing felt as if it not only discounted Jewish students’ suffering but also regarded it as a moral failing. (In early November, in response to criticism, Columbia announced that it would create a task force on anti-Semitism.)

photo from back of student in kippah and backpack facing protest and people in street

There are many reasons for the unusual intensity of events at Columbia, which is located in a city that is a traditional bastion of the American left; its campus is where the late Palestinian American literary critic Edward Said achieved legendary status. But Columbia is also a graphic example of the collapse of the liberalism that had insulated American Jews: It is a microcosm of a society that has lost its capacity to express disagreements without resorting to animus.

The events on campus that followed October 7 were a sad coda to the Golden Age. When I was a student at Columbia, in the ’90s, the Ivy League was a primary plot point in a triumphalist tale. During the first half of the 20th century, Columbia had deployed extraordinary institutional energy to limit the presence of Jews. The modern college-application process was invented by Columbia President Nicholas Murray Butler to more effectively weed out Jews. In the late ’20s, the university created an ersatz version of itself in Brooklyn, Seth Low Junior College, so that it could educate otherwise qualified Jewish applicants there, rather than having them mingle with the Gentiles in Morningside Heights. But once Columbia lifted its quotas after World War II, the Jewish presence swelled. By 1967, the student body was 40 percent Jewish. The institution that arguably had fought hardest to exclude them became a welcoming home.

But in the 21st century, the Jewish presence in the Ivy League has steadily receded . In the 2000s, Yale was 20 percent Jewish. The proportion is now about half that. The University of Pennsylvania went from being a third Jewish to about 16 percent. The reasons for that plummet aren’t nefarious. There has been a deliberate institutional drive to reengineer the elite, to provide opportunities to first-generation college students and students of color. Some Jews have chafed at this reengineering. But the concept of meritocracy that Jews celebrated was far from a pure reward for test scores and grades. Jewish alumni came to benefit from the same dynastic system of preference that their Protestant predecessors had taken advantage of. Their children applied from prestigious high schools, which maintained a cozy relationship with university admissions offices. It was a system that desperately required reforming in the name of fairness.

The problem exposed in the limp university response to campus anti-Semitism after October 7—distilled to then–Harvard President Claudine Gay’s phrase, “It depends on the context”—is that Jewish students aren’t just a diminished presence but a diminished priority. Whereas Jews thought of themselves as a vulnerable minority—perhaps not the most vulnerable, but certainly worthy of official concern—their academic communities apparently considered them too privileged to merit that status. This wasn’t just scary. It carried the sting of rejection.

There’s a number that haunts me. In 2022, the Tufts political scientist Eitan Hersh conducted a comprehensive study of Jewish life on American college campuses, which surveyed both Jews and Gentiles. Hersh found that on campuses with a relatively high proportion of Jewish students, nearly one in five non-Jewish students said they “wouldn’t want to be friends with someone who supports the existence of Israel as a Jewish state.” They were saying, in essence, that they couldn’t be friends with the majority of Jews.

Each spring , during the Passover seder, Jews recite this phrase from the Haggadah: “In every generation, our enemies rise up to destroy us.” To participate in the most universally observed of all Jewish rituals, a celebration of liberation and survival, is to be reminded of the grim cycle of Jewish history, in which golden ages are moments of dramatic irony, the naive complacency just before the onset of doom. Some of these moments are within living memory.

In 1933, the Central Union of German Citizens of the Jewish Faith published a 1,060-page book meticulously enumerating the achievements of the community. It was quite a list. Weimar Germany is remembered as a period of instability, a time of beer-hall-putschists, louche cabarets, and rampant assassinations. But Weimar was also the pinnacle of Jewish power, a golden age in its own right, especially if one considers the whole of German culture, which sprawled across borders on the map. During the first decades of the 20th century, Jewish contributors to German music included Gustav Mahler, Kurt Weill, and Arnold Schoenberg; to German literature, Franz Kafka, Stefan Zweig, and Walter Benjamin; to science, Albert Einstein. Jews presided over the Frankfurt School of social criticism and populated the Bauhaus school of art and architecture. The Central Union’s compendium could be read as the immodest self-congratulation of a people who represented 0.8 percent of the total population—or as a desperate, futile plea for Germany to return the love that Jews felt for the country.

Americans maintain a favorable opinion of Jews . The community remains prosperous and politically powerful. But the memory of how quickly the best of times can turn dark has infused the Jewish reactions to events of the past decade. “When lights start flashing red, the Jewish impulse is to flee,” Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League, told me.

Back in 2016, many liberals blustered about leaving the country if Donald Trump was elected president; after he won, many Jews actually hatched contingency plans. My mother tried, in vain, to get a passport from Poland, the country of her birth. An immigration lawyer I know in Cleveland told me that he had obtained a German passport, and suggested that I call the German embassy in Washington to learn how many other American Jews had done the same.

The German government, for understandable reasons, doesn’t count Jews. But the embassy sent me a tally of passport applications submitted under laws that apply to victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants. In 2017, after Trump’s election, the number of applications nearly doubled from the year before, to 1,685, and then kept growing. In 2022, it was 2,500. These aren’t large numbers in absolute terms; still, it’s extraordinary that so many American Jews, whose applications required documenting that their families once fled Germany, now consider the country a safer haven than the United States.

I also saw signs of flight in Oakland, where at least 30 Jewish families have been approved to transfer their children to neighboring school districts —and I heard similar stories in the surrounding area. Initial data collected by an organization representing Jewish day schools, which have long struggled for enrollment, show a spike in the number of admission inquiries from families contemplating pulling their kids from public school.

After 1967, the previous moment of profound political abandonment, the American Jewish community began to entertain thoughts of its own radical reinvention. A coterie of disillusioned intellectuals, clustered around a handful of small-circulation journals and think tanks, turned sharply rightward, creating the neoconservative movement. Among activists, the energy that had once been directed toward Freedom Rides was plowed into the cause of Soviet Jewry, which became a defining political obsession of many synagogues in the 1970s and ’80s. Meanwhile, Jewish hippies turned inward, creating new spiritual movements centered on prayer and ritual.

Although not all of these movements proved equally fruitful, this history, in a way, is cause for optimism, an example of how conflict might provide the path to religious renewal and a fresh sense of solidarity. It’s also a reminder that the Golden Age was not an uninterrupted rise.

The case for pessimism, however, is more convincing. The forces arrayed against Jews, on the right and the left, are far more powerful than they were 50 years ago. The surge of anti-Semitism is a symptom of the decay of democratic habits, a leading indicator of rising authoritarianism. When anti-Semitism takes hold, conspiracy theory hardens into conventional wisdom, embedding violence in thought and then in deadly action. A society that holds its Jews at arm’s length is likely to be more intent on hunting down scapegoats than addressing underlying defects. Although it is hardly an iron law of history, such societies are prone to decline. England entered a long dark age after expelling its Jews in 1290. Czarist Russia limped toward revolution after the pogroms of the 1880s. If America persists on its current course, it would be the end of the Golden Age not just for the Jews, but for the country that nurtured them.

*Lead image source: Top row from left to right : Michael Ochs Archives / Getty; Universal History Archive / Getty. Middle row from left to right : Robert Mitra / WWD / Penske Media / Getty; Ulf Andersen / Getty; Jean-Régis Roustan / Roger Viollet / Getty; CBS Photo Archive / Getty; Daily Herald / Mirrorpix / Getty; Bettmann / Getty; David Lefranc / Getty; Bettmann / Getty; Frederick M. Brown / Getty; CBS Photo Archive / Getty; Theo Wargo / Getty; Max B. Miller / Archive Photos / Getty. Bottom row from left to right : ABC Photo Archives / Getty; Bachrach / Getty; Getty; Bernard Gotfryd / Getty.

This article appears in the April 2024 print edition with the headline “The End of the Golden Age.” When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Thank you for supporting The Atlantic.

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  1. Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Examples

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  2. A Working Bookkeeper Cover Letter Example

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  3. Bookkeeper Cover Letter: Sample, Format, & Writing Guide

    cover letter for a bookstore

  4. Bookstore Manager Cover Letter

    cover letter for a bookstore

  5. Bookstore Manager Cover Letter

    cover letter for a bookstore

  6. Author Cover Letter Examples (How to Write & Format)

    cover letter for a bookstore

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  1. Your Cover Letter Needs This! #jobsearchtips

  2. Writing in a bookstore #writerscommunity #amwriting #writer

COMMENTS

  1. How To Write a Bookstore Cover Letter (Template and Example)

    Here are some steps to follow to write a good cover letter for your bookstore application: 1. Include a header and a greeting. A cover letter typically includes a heading, where you can include your personal information and the name of the person you're addressing the letter to. Start with your first and last name, and on each following line ...

  2. Cover Letter For Bookstore Position( 5 Samples)

    Sample 1: "Date. Name of the bookstore owner. Human Resources manager/owner. Address. City, Sate Zip Code. Dear Mr. (Name of the bookstore owner): As an organized, detail-oriented individual, I would like you to consider me for the bookstore position. With an experience of working in the retail bookstore (Mention the name of the bookstore you ...

  3. Bookseller Cover Letter Examples & Samples for 2024

    Free Bookseller cover letter example. Dear Ms. Clark: Please accept the enclosed resume as my application for a Bookseller position with Lamplight Books. As a motivated and enthusiastic retail professional with strong customer service and interpersonal abilities, I feel confident that I would be make an immediate and positive impact on your store.

  4. How to write a bookseller cover letter (with example)

    Related: How to start a cover letter (with 7 powerful examples) 3. Explain why you're the right candidate. The next section contains the main body of your cover letter, where you can make a case for yourself as the right candidate for the bookseller position. Write one or two paragraphs, which can be a little longer than your introductory one.

  5. Sample Cover Letter for Bookstore Clerk

    Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Example. 400 County Road 6677 Ada, OK 99111 (000) 444-9999 Caleb.1 @ email . com. October 21, 2021. Mr. Michael Sam Manager Human Resources Johnson County Community College 300 Garden Lane Ada, OK 55555. Dear Mr. Sam:

  6. Bookseller Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips

    Bookseller Cover Letter Writing Tips. 1. Show your passion for books. When writing a cover letter for a bookseller position, it's important to show hiring managers that you have a passion for books. You can do this by mentioning your favorite books, authors, or genres. You can also talk about any experience you have in the book industry ...

  7. Cover Letter For A Bookseller (5 Samples)

    Sample 5: "Dear ABC, I am writing to express my interest in the bookseller position that you have available. I believe that my experience as a bookseller, coupled with my education and training, makes me an excellent candidate for this position. I have been working in the bookselling industry for the past five years.

  8. Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Examples & Writing Tips

    Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Writing Tips. 1. Show your passion for books. Bookstore clerks need to be passionate about books. They need to be able to talk about them with customers, recommend books to people, and keep the shelves stocked. If you can show your enthusiasm for books in your cover letter, you'll have a better chance of getting ...

  9. Barnes and Noble Bookseller Cover Letter Examples & Guide

    A cover letter is a crucial part of any job application, and it is especially important when applying for a position as a bookseller at Barnes and Noble. A cover letter allows you to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position and highlight the skills and experience that make you the ideal candidate.

  10. How to Write a Cover Letter for a Bookseller Role in 7 Steps

    Here are a few steps you can follow to construct a cover letter for a bookseller role: 1. Introduce yourself in the header. To begin your cover letter, introduce yourself in the header. Here, you can include helpful contact information, such as your first and last name with your degree or certification title.

  11. How To Write a Bookstore Cover Letter (Template and Example)

    Here are three different formats for cover letters that you can use. A strong cover letter will increase your chances of being noticed. Take a look at our guide to create the . Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Example 1. I'm eager to submit my application for the bookstore clerk position at your establishment. I love reading and have a passion ...

  12. How To Write a Bookstore Resume (Plus Template and Example)

    Here is how to write a bookstore resume in five steps: 1. Decide on a format. Pick a format for your resume that can best highlight your most relevant or distinguishing experiences and skills. There are a variety of resume formats to choose from, but the most common are functional and chronological resumes.

  13. Bookstore Cover Letter // Get FREE Letter Templates (Print or Download)

    Bookstore Cover Letter. If you intend to apply for a position at a bookstore, this Bookstore Cover Letter sample template will assist you in showing your intentions. I am writing to express my interest in the Bookstore position advertised by [Company's Name]. I am a detail-oriented, organized and hard-working individual, and I would be a ...

  14. Cover Letter for Bookstore

    Welcome to our guide on writing a cover letter for a bookstore position. In this article, we will provide you with tips and examples to help you create a compelling cover letter that highlights your qualifications and experiences in the bookstore industry. A well-crafted cover letter can make a strong impression on employers and increase your ...

  15. #1 Bookstore Clerk Resume Example: Try Them Now

    Helena Jones. 123 Fake Street. City, State, Zip Code. Cell: 000-000-0000. [email protected]. Summary. Experienced Bookstore Clerk with passion for literature. Strong organizational and inventory management skills. Customer-service oriented with friendly, outgoing personality.

  16. Write a Good Cover Letter with This Step-By-Step Guide

    A cover letter's job is to get the reader to take one more step. You're giving him an answer to his problem, an opportunity to check out a possible employee, or an exciting potential project ...

  17. Best Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Example for 2023

    Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Sample. Dear [Hiring Manager], My name is [Name], and I am applying for the Bookstore Manager position at [Company]. I have a proven track record of successfully managing retail bookstores, and I am confident that I can bring the same success to your organization.

  18. Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Examples

    Bookstore Clerk Cover Letter Example. A Bookstore Clerk is responsible for providing excellent customer service, stocking shelves, organizing merchandise, and performing cashier duties. They must be knowledgeable about books, magazines, and other products sold in the store, have a pleasant and friendly demeanor and be able to multitask in a ...

  19. Bookstore Manager Cover Letter Examples and Templates

    Cover Letter Example (Text) Arnita Nush. (747) 653-6545. [email protected]. Dear Ms. Helstrom, I am writing to express my strong interest in the Bookstore Manager position at Barnes & Noble, as advertised on your company website. With over five years of dedicated experience in the book retail industry and a proven track record of success at ...

  20. What's It Like to Work at a Book Store?

    Working at a bookstore can be a very rewarding experience. You will have the opportunity to meet new people and make friends with coworkers. The job can also be an educational experience, as you learn more about books and literature. The job culture at a bookstore can be very relaxed, which is ideal for someone who wants to work hard but also ...

  21. How To Write a Covering Letter

    Here is the advice of literary agent Simon Trewin on writing an introductory letter: " Life is short and less is more. No letter should be more than one side of A4 and in a good-sized (12pt) clear typeface. Sell yourself. The covering letter is one of the most important pages you will ever write.

  22. How to Write a Cover Letter

    Address your cover letter to a specific person whenever possible. It may take some resourcefulness on your part to identify the appropriate person, but the letter will be better received. Write clearly and concisely. Use proper grammar and check for misspelled words. Limit your letter to one page.

  23. Store Manager Cover Letter Example and Template for 2024

    Here are some steps you can follow to write a store manager cover letter: 1. Express interest. When starting your cover letter, you can express your interest in the company and position by mentioning their specific names. You can introduce yourself and share the reasons you might be applying for the job.

  24. How to Write a Stand-Out Cover Letter

    Literary agents and many literary competitions require a cover letter along with your sample chapters and synopsis. This is a formal introduction to you and your novel. Note: It is not a CV, a bio or a blurb for the book. It's a letter, written from one professional to another, that should make the agent or judge want to read more.

  25. Tips for Grads: How to write a good cover letter

    These tips are based on the Beyond Graduate School cover letter webinar as well as the Harvard Business Review article "How to Write a Cover Letter". Tips for Grads is a professional and academic advice column written by graduate students for graduate students at UW­-Madison.

  26. The Golden Age of American Jews Is Ending

    For a time, the great Jewish novel—books by Saul Bellow, Philip Roth, Norman Mailer, Joseph Heller, and Bernard Malamud, inflected with Yiddish and references to pickled herring—was the great ...