Moe's, landmark Berkeley bookstore, endures economic hardships of pandemic
Moe's Bookstore in Berkeley.
BERKELEY, Calif. - A historic Berkeley bookstore is asking for the community's help to remain a fixture on Telegraph Avenue and endure the economic hardships of the pandemic.
Doris Moskowitz, whose parents opened Moe's books in 1959, said she started a GoFundMe account for the store after the first month of shelter-in-place restrictions made it apparent the future of the beloved bookstore was threatened.
"The fear of loss of sales due to the shelter-in-place order propelled me to put my needs on paper," Moskowitz wrote in a statement on the GoFundMe page to customers and supporters.
Last year, the New York Times featured the four-story bookstore, which has more than 200,000 new and used books of all genres - calling it a "Landmark in Berkeley, one of America's very best bookstores and worth an epic detour to visit."
The Moe's storefront, with its red-and-white, candy-stripe awning can be seen in part of the 1967 Dustin Hoffman film, The Graduate. Hoffman's character stares at the store across the street as he sips coffee at another (now gone) Telegraph Avenue landmark, Caffe Mediterraneum.
In 2014, Moe's was recognized as one of Berkeley’s historic landmarks by the Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.
Some of the store's employees have worked there for as long as 40 years.
Organizers are hoping to raise $100,000. Donations have slowed to a trickle now that the pandemic has dragged on. Moskowitz said buying books and supporting the staff are their main objectives, with the money raised being split evenly on those efforts.
"Moe's is essentially a national treasure - not only as an Olde Time-y bookstore but as a support service for the Prisoner's Literature Project. Go Moe!" wrote one donor.
"I would never have been able to complete my PhD at UC-Berkeley without the wonderful presence of Moe's Books. I hope you'll be there to provide great books to many generations of readers to come!" wrote another.
Moskowitz said she has been moved by the community's support so far.
"There are so many important things that Moe's Books supports. We promote literacy, education, patience, thinking and reading, but so do many other Independent bookstores and libraries. I learned from this experience that Moe's Books has a unique and important place in the hearts of many people throughout Berkeley and the world. It is not just words. I think my dad Moe would be proud of this discovery process and the store that he built," Moskowitz said.
Moe's has now opened for limited capacity, in-person browsing, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Starting Nov. 1, they'll be open on Sundays as well.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED: If you'd like to support Moe's, click here.
