Danny Pachima’s Books: Bridging Jewish Worlds Through Stories

In recent years, books from Danny Books have quietly made their way onto shelves across Israel from mainstream stores like Steimatzky to religious chains like Or HaChaim. Their titles include everything from colorful children's encyclopedias and bedtime stories to books about biblical figures, near-death experiences (The World After), and Torah personalities like Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses), seen through both the Torah and the words of the Sages. Series like Chumashli by Rabbi Avraham Ochion have become favorites for young readers.

What makes Danny Books unique is its ability to move between two very different worlds, the general Israeli public and the religious (Haredi) community, offering quality Jewish content while respecting each audience's values. While most publishing houses stick to one audience, Danny Books has found a way to speak to both, sometimes even adapting or “converting” books so they’ll be appropriate for Torah-observant homes.

Behind this special project is Danny Pachima, a warm, thoughtful man from Kiryat Gat. He wears a kippah, once taught biology and folk dance, and served as a school vice principal before opening a Jerusalem bookstore with his brother in 1981. Four years later, in 1985, he launched Danny Books. Since then, the publishing house has grown steadily, absorbing smaller publishers and expanding into the religious market. Today, the company publishes about 100 new books every year with at least 30 to 40 of them written specifically for Torah-observant families.

“Why Focus on the Religious Market?”

“At first we weren’t fully in that world,” Danny explains. “But most of our books were already suitable for religious readers. If we published a book about animals, for example, we made sure not to include any non-kosher animals. But over time, we made a more conscious decision to serve this audience.”

Several things led to that shift. First, the company started publishing more Torah-focused books like Rabbi Menachem Makover’s works about the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temples). They also acquired additional publishing houses, including some with religious backgrounds. And they began adapting some existing books for the Haredi sector especially science books, encyclopedias, and atlases.

“How Do You Adapt Books for Torah Homes?”

“We review everything, both the content and the illustrations,” Danny says. “There are clear guidelines. No pictures of boys and girls together, no immodest clothing, and we include Torah ideas when possible. For example, if the book is about time, a general version might only mention clocks and calendars. But we’ll also include concepts like netz (sunrise), shkiah (sunset), and how these relate to halachic (Jewish legal) time.”

In encyclopedias, they don’t just cover world history, they make sure to highlight Jewish history and connect it to the Torah timeline.

“And What About Less Appropriate Material?”

“We don’t publish novels at all,” he explains. “And if a book teaches about evolution, we won’t publish it. Dinosaurs, for instance we include them in encyclopedias, but we don’t write that they lived millions of years ago. We don’t get into those dates. People can explore different views like the idea that Hashem created and destroyed many worlds but that’s not our focus. Our goal is to produce books that can be brought into any Jewish home.”

With a staff of around 60 people, Danny Books is still growing. While they don’t print advanced Torah books like responsa or Talmud volumes, they continue to expand the Jewish bookshelf with accessible, inspiring works.

Danny speaks proudly of his collaboration with Rabbi Yehuda Adri, who published popular titles through Danny Books like Women in the Bible and Through the Lens of the Sages and Prophets in the Bible and Through the Lens of the Sages. Soon, a new volume about the kings of the Bible will be added to the series. Books about Hasidic life are also in the works, as well as more children’s books by Rabbi Ochion.

A Growing Presence in the Religious World

These books aren’t just appreciated they sell. Women in the Bible and Through the Lens of the Sages sold 20,000 copies. Treasure of the Tabernacle also surpassed 20,000. Children’s books often reach 40,000 copies. The Ofakim Encyclopedia, a ten-volume Torah-friendly encyclopedia created for the Haredi public was years in the making and is now selling well too.

“Today we’re a rising star in the Haredi world,” Danny says, “and we’re still strong in the general market, too. We don’t publish Mishnah Berurah or Gemara (Talmud), but we do offer books that are great for beginners along with practical books like cookbooks by Avigail Meizlik, who’s a well-known name in the religious world.”

He smiles as he adds, “We invested with our whole heart and with emunah (faith). And Baruch Hashem (thank G-d), it’s bearing fruit.”