From 1969 to 2019, Jewish-American Hall of Fame medals have been issued - finding homes in collections, museums, etc. around the world - becoming the longest continuing series of non-government art medals currently being issued in the United States. Now, for the first time, biographies of more than 50 Jewish-American Hall of Fame inductees have been published, along with their portrait medals created by leading medalists ― many of whom have won the prestigious Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture (presented by the American Numismatic Association), and the American Numismatic Society's J. Sanford Saltus Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of the Medal.This book also includes back stories of the medals ― including correspondence with the medalists and preliminary art work ― adding to the appreciation of the final works of art. Mintages and mints are indicated for the benefit of collectors. In addition, the reader will find pictures and mintage data for over three dozen additional special medals commissioned by the Jewish-American Hall of Fame. On the back cover, noted medal collector and scholar Donald Scarinci writes: "For those who are interested in American history, culture, art and science, the Jewish-American Hall of Fame medals form a gallery of great Americans." Accordingly, the book features biographies about honorees such as physicist Albert Einstein, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, baseball hall of famer Hank Greenberg, magician Houdini, Israel Prime Minister Golda Meir, newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer, immunologist Jonas Salk, patriot Haym Salomon, entertainer Barbra Streisand, and many more.Just as you don't have to own a Rembrandt to enjoy an art museum, you don't have to be a medal collector to appreciate this handsome and informative volume.

"The first 23 medals in Medals of Dishonour create a fascinating commentary on events and issues of the 16th-20th centuries, and include Dutch medals satirizing kings; German and British medals on financial scandal and political corruption; a French medal showing a future emperor as an insect; German medals of the First World War period lambasting war; and two 1939 American medals protesting against racism and capitalism." "The second part of the book focuses on medals recently commissioned by the British Art Medal Trust from 16 celebrated contemporary artists. Their brief was to tackle the global issues of our time. Jake and Dinos Chapman graphically expose the banality of war, while the allied invasion of Iraq in 2003 is addressed in differing but equally powerful ways by Steve Bell, Richard Hamilton, Yun-Fei Ji and Cornelia Parker. Geo-politics, oppression and the abuse of power are the subjects of medals by Mona Hatoum, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, William Kentridge and Langlands and Bell. Ellen Gallagher confronts the horrors of racial exploitation, Michael Landy turns anti-social behaviour on its head, and Grayson Perry mocks western consumerism. In the final medal, Felicity Powell pours scorn on the responses of public figures to environmental issues." "With over 170 illustrations, including details and accompanying drawings as well as the actual medals themselves, Medals of Dishonour provides an intriguing exploration into a darker tradition of medal-making." --Book Jacket.

"Modernized illustrations based upon 16th-century mingahim books (books of Jewish customs), with an introduction, and descriptions of each image"--

Part I of each volume will feature 5-7 major review chapters, including 2-3 long chapters reviewing topics of major concern to the American Jewish community written by top experts on each topic, review chapters on "National Affairs" and "Jewish Communal Affairs" and articles on the Jewish population of the United States and the World Jewish Population. Future major review chapters will include such topics as Jewish Education in America, American Jewish Philanthropy, Israel/Diaspora Relations, American Jewish Demography, American Jewish History, LGBT Issues in American Jewry, American Jews and National Elections, Orthodox Judaism in the US, Conservative Judaism in the US, Reform Judaism in the US, Jewish Involvement in the Labor Movement, Perspectives in American Jewish Sociology, Recent Trends in American Judaism, Impact of Feminism on American Jewish Life, American Jewish Museums, Anti-Semitism in America, and Inter-Religious Dialogue in America. Part II-V of each volume will continue the tradition of listing Jewish Federations, national Jewish organizations, Jewish periodicals, and obituaries. But to this list are added lists of Jewish Community Centers, Jewish Camps, Jewish Museums, Holocaust Museums, and Jewish honorees (both those honored through awards by Jewish organizations and by receiving honors, such as Presidential Medals of Freedom and Academy Awards, from the secular world). We expand the Year Book tradition of bringing academic research to the Jewish communal world by adding lists of academic journals, articles in academic journals on Jewish topics, Jewish websites, and books on American and Canadian Jews. Finally, we add a list of major events in the North American Jewish Community.

The 45th Anniversary Edition of The Handbook of Biblical Numismatics is greatly expanded from the original 1976 book, and features over 150 coins in full color, 20 maps, and over 50 Biblical quotes. Readers will also find enlarged photos of small coins and estimated coin values by Ira Goldberg. While it is still easily read by the novice, it also contains the latest theories of experts in the field on controversial subjects like the bud (pomegranate or poppy?) appearing in between double cornucopia on Hasmonean coins, the vessel (chalice or pot of manna?) and budding plant (pomegranates or Aaron's rod?) on First Revolt Shekels, the star (Bar Kochba = "Son of the Star" or the golden candelabrum donated by Queen Helena) above the Temple on the sela issued during the Second Revolt, etc. The coins mentioned in the New Testament also receive attention ― the Widow's Mite, Tribute Penny and Thirty Pieces of Silver. Chapters are generally preceded by expert maps, and cover the Maccabees/Hasmoneans, Herodians, Prefects/Procurators, First Revolt, Judaea Capta, Second Revolt, etc. Readers will also learn about the Herodian Kings of Armenia, the Jewish Princess Salome, and the connection between Cleopatra and Judaea. Appendices include Ancient Hebrew Coin Inscriptions, The Holy of Holies on Ancient Judaean Coins, Roman Tenth Legion Counterstamps, and False Shekels. Noted collector and philanthropist Hon. Abraham Sofaer contributed this blurb on the Handbook's back cover: "Somehow, Mel has managed to provide a work that is succinct without being superficial; that summarizes all the important material rather than limiting coverage through exclusion; and that simplifies complicated issues without compromising their difficulties. In pulling off this achievement, Mel has provided a practical, take-along, guide. Every important period is covered, and every significant coin type illustrated. Rather than attempting to supersede other types of books, Mel gives us all ― collectors, scholars, and intelligent observers alike ― something to use anywhere to identify coin types and context, read inscriptions, and even have some idea of value. Even a novice will be able quickly to learn and appreciate this aspect of Jewish history, and the history of other cultures with whom the Jewish People have interacted. The Handbook is thus a must have for the tutored and beginner alike."

Each story preceded by 1-2 paragraphs of commentary.

A provocative, original, and richly entertaining group biography of the Jewish immigrants who were the moving forces behind the creation of America's motion picture industry. The names Harry Cohn, William Fox, Carl Laemmle, Louis B. Mayer, Jack and Harry Warner, and Adolph Zucker are giants in the history of contemporary Hollywood, outsiders who dared to invent their own vision of the American Dream. Even to this day, the American values defined largely by the movies of these émigrés endure in American cinema and culture. Who these men were, how they came to dominate Hollywood, and what they gained and lost in the process is the exhilarating story of An Empire of Their Own.