New exhibition on Medals and Coins Offers a Dazzling Journey Through History

New York, NY - August 16, 2024 - Step into a world where history glitters in metal and every artifact tells a story. The Center for Jewish History is thrilled to unveil Jewry Reflected, Refracted, and Recorded on Medals, a new exhibition curated Dr. Ira Rezak. This exhibition, based on artifacts from a private New York collection offers a rare and captivating glimpse into Jewish life through the ages, as told by a stunning array of coins, medals, tokens, insignia, and amulets.

Dr. Ira Rezak, a Brooklyn-born retired physician and professor at Stony Brook University, has spent over 70 years investigating the forms and meanings of Jewish medals and related artifacts. His journey began in the most unexpected of ways: with a foreign coin mistakenly thought to be a U.S. silver dollar given to him for Chanukkah when he was a child. That simple gift sparked a lifelong obsession with history, culture, and the hidden stories within every coin and medal.

"What piqued my attention was that the foreign (Dutch) coin couldn't be spent," Dr. Rezak recalls. "It was a mystery, something to be figured out. Collecting has always been a form of escapism for me-a way to temporarily disengage from present concerns by exploring the past and the extraordinary tales these objects hold."

The exhibition offers a glimpse into the diverse roles that these artifacts have played throughout history. From ancient coins dating back to the first century, such as the silver shekel of the year 2(67 CE) used during the Jewish revolt against the Romans, to Renaissance medals, and tokens used in Jewish communities for various ritual and communal purposes, each item tells a unique story.

"Medals and coins are not just objects of beauty; they are functional items that served specific purposes in Jewish history," Rezak explains. "This exhibition is oriented toward demonstrating the variety of functions these objects have, reflecting the diversity of Jewish life across different times and places."

Dr. Gavriel Rosenfeld, President of the Center for Jewish History added, "This exhibition allows us to appreciate how historic artifacts, though small in size, can carry immense significance in the way they reflect the Jewish historical experience across the ages."

Dr. Rezak's personal favorites include a copy of a bronze medal of Narcisse Leven, one of the founders of Alliance israélite universelle, on a Dead Sea stone, and a silver medal from a Lower East Side Yeshiva awarded to a student for exemplary performance.

About Dr. Ira Rezak
Born in Brooklyn in 1936, Dr. Ira Rezak is a retired physician and former professor at Stony Brook University where he served for 40 years. His interest in Jewish history and ritual Judaica, particularly Jewish medals, has led him to engage with a wide range of numismatic material for over seven decades.
The Center for Jewish History will present the program, Forms Serving Functions: Coins and Medals as Judaica with Dr. Rezak on September 8, 2024 at 11:30am.

Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
Ilana Rosenbluth, media@cjh.org, 212-294-8301

The Center for Jewish History is a vibrant hub for exploring and preserving the Jewish History. Through exhibitions, events, and educational programs, the Center fosters a deeper understanding of Jewish history and culture.

This release was published on openPR.