Turner Publishing has acquired Jewish Lights Publishing, which was founded in 1990 by Stuart and Antoinette Matlins. Forward reported that "the small press, which grew out of a congregation the duo founded in Woodstock, Vt., and produces 40 to 50 books a year, has helped shape conversations about Judaism between Jews and non-Jews alike." The deal includes three other imprints Matlins established under his holding company, LongHill Partners Inc.
Matlins said the decision to sell was based on an evaluation of the press's needs in a struggling market: "When I started Jewish Lights, my job was to get books into bookstores, because that was the only place they were available. In order to reach the bookstore audience, we now [need] to be part of a larger organization with a stronger bookstore sales force and a stronger gift shop sales force, and Turner offers that to us."
