Historic Medal Dies Contributed to Hebraic Section of the Library of Congress

April 2, 2009 - PRLog -- The exhibit “From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America (1654-2004)” featured more than two hundred treasures of American Judaica from the collections of the Library of Congress, augmented by a selection of important loans from other cooperating cultural institutions. It was shown in Washington DC, Cincinnati, New York, and Los Angeles between September 2004 and February 2006, and now can be viewed at www.loc.gov/exhibits/haventohome .

At the very end of the exhibit three medals were shown. The first marked the 250th anniversary of Jewish settlement in America, one of which was presented to President Theodore Roosevelt "in recognition of his humane endeavors on behalf of the Jews oppressed in other lands." The medal commemorating the 300th anniversary bore the inscription: "Man's Opportunities and Responsibilities Under Freedom." On the obverse of the new medal celebrating the 350th anniversary is an extended excerpt from George Washington's reply to Newport's Hebrew Congregation: "May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants; while every one shall sit under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid."

In 2004, the 350th anniversary medal was presented to the Hebraic Section of the Library of Congress by Mel Wacks, who was head of the committee that coordinated the medal – from choosing the original designs by Dana Krinsky to production by the Highland Mint. In March 2009, Wacks also presented the original dies to Peggy Pearlstein, Ph.D., Head of the Hebraic Section. Thus no additional medals can ever be struck, making the final mintage of this historic medal “a total of one thousand bronze, ninety-four silver, and sixty-two gold-plated silver medals, of which the majority were distributed to officials, dignitaries, and institutions, as with previous commemorations, primarily by the Celebrate 350 Committee and the American Jewish Historical Society. In fact, a golden medal was the public gift of the Celebrate 350 Committee to President George W. Bush on the occasion of his attendance at the 350th Anniversary National Dinner on September 14, 2005, in Washington, DC,” as reported by Dr. Ira Rezak, another member of the 350th Anniversary Medal Committee.

Mel Wacks indicated that “It would be nice if these dies would be shown in 2054 for the 400th anniversary of the first Jewish settlement in America, and in subsequent 50-year celebrations. In any case, they are now a part of American history.” For further information about the medals commemorating 350 Years of Jewish Life in America, contact Mel Wacks at directorjahf@yahoo.com or (818) 225-1348.

# # #

Founded in 1969 by Mel Wacks, the Jewish-American Hall of Fame is now a division of the American Jewish Historical Society. Its award-winning web site can be seen at www.amuseum.org/jahf. For further information call (818) 225-1348 or email directorjahf@yahoo.com.