Mendel's Many Books

    Readers of MM will know that I have often posted about libraries created by individuals. Here is a recent description of a book collection that was not appreciated by those who managed the building in which it was held.

   Mendel Uminer moved into a small studio apartment in Manhattan just over a year ago. He is a young Jewish scholar, so he brought with him around 10,000 books which came to occupy much of the 600 square feet. This description of his abode and lifestyle will appeal to any bibliophile:

  "Towering stacks of Judaica lined the walls, heaps of film criticism and opera history filled the prewar bathroom, piles of plays and poems blocked a window, and Uminer slept on a floor mattress engulfed in dog-eared novels. Waking up around noon, he spent his afternoons on his sunlit chaise, devouring the works of Yiddish writers like Chaim Grade and critics like Edmund Wilson, nourishing his mind while the city churned outside."

   Of course, such an existence could not last. He was evicted, not because of his Jewishness, but his bookishness. The notice reads, " “You are violating a substantial obligation of your tenancy,” it began. “You are maintaining the Premises in a severely overcluttered condition; permitting the over-accumulation of books in the Premises; creating a fire hazard by over-accumulating combustible books in the Premises.”
  His bookseller friend argued, “Of all the vices, I find books to be the least dangerous,” Mizrahi said. “I think it’s possible his landlord might have their priorities misplaced, or might not understand him. If you’re not steeped in his culture, maybe his library does look chaotic. But I’d argue it only looks like a mess. I’ll bet he can tell you where every single book is in his apartment.”
  The landlord was not moved by such an argument and Mendel recently moved out on a rainy day. One observer noted, “I heard he’s found a bigger apartment, so that means, more books."

Source: "Too Many Books?: Mendel Uminer Faced a Crisis When His Landlord Objected to the 10,000 Volumes in His New York Studio Apartment," Alex Vadukul, New York Times, July 9, 2026.