CHARLES E. BLOCH

On Friday September 8, 2006 Charles E. Bloch, owner of Bloch Publishing Company, ended his battle with cancer at the age of 79.  He was the devoted son of the late Edward H. Bloch and Stella Fixler Bloch. He leaves behind his dearly loved four children, ten grandchildren and sister.

Mr. Bloch took over as president of one of the premier Jewish publishing houses in the United States and one of the oldest continuing publishers in the modern world in 1967, on the retirement of his father, Edward H. Bloch (1898-1982).  The publishing company was established by Mr. Bloch’s great grandfather Edward H. Bloch (1829-1906), who set up the company’s first publishing house in Cincinnati in 1854.  The founding Edward Bloch was encouraged by his brother-in-law, Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, to publish Jewish literature that Rabbi Wise and his disciples were writing to meet the needs of the young frontier communities.  The American Israelite, originally published in Cincinnati during this period, remains the longest running Jewish newspaper in the United States today.

Mr. Bloch’s grandfather and namesake, Charles E. Bloch (1861-1940) succeeded his founding father as president of the company.  He opened a branch in Chicago and then moved the company to New York City at the turn of the century.  Bloch Publishing soon became the largest Judaic bookstore in the country, which continued to flourish through the presidency of his son and successor Edward H. Bloch (1898-1982). Bloch Publishing became a publishing list of Who’s Who in American Jewish scholarship in its origins and development throughout the first century of the company.

In 1982, upon his father’s death, the late Charles E. Bloch became the sole proprietor of the publishing company.  Upholding the family tradition, he continued to serve the Jewish community despite the end of the century decline in the small-book market.  Bloch Publishing Company will continue under the direction and leadership of Mr. Bloch’s son and successor Mitchell E. Bloch.

Mr. Bloch was one of the ‘finest gentlemen’ to grace the Jewish publishing world and the world at large. Always a model of hospitality and encouragement, he perpetuated the Bloch policy of dignity and self respect.  Charles Bloch was enormously supportive of new authors and helpful to veteran writers.  He had a good eye for content and aesthetics of novel writings and had a critical editorial talent for producing a viable book. Stories of his generosity, deeds of kindness, and true tenderness of heart are notorious in the trade and well known among his family and friends. It was no surprise that even after the onset of his battle with cancer he continued to walk fifty blocks between his office and his uptown apartment with a handful of coins for the many homeless he befriended.  When he could no longer walk those fifty blocks, Mr. Bloch still managed to get to his publishing house where he was committed to his customers up until his very last days.  He was a World War II veteran.  He loved life in New York City and enjoyed writing, painting, and running or strolling through Central Park. Above all, he loved his family. May his memory be for a blessing.