CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF
BUILDING A JEWISH
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Leadership Vision Community Connection
As a gateway into the Jewish experience & the first of point contact for individuals relocating, JIC provides the resources and opportunities Jewish Professionals need to secure a soft landing in New York and Israel. Developing personal relationships with like minded individuals & connecting with Jewish observance is a tremendous support for those far from family. And with over 220 events per year, JIC truly has something for everyone. Join us in celebrating 20 years of leadership by bidding on these exclusive items honoring the values of JIC during our live, online charity auction Sunday, December 6 to Tuesday, December 8.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
HAND-SIGNED HONORARY EVENT PROGRAM
MARCH 25, 1934
NEW JERSEY, USA
Gavin Samuels says, "Albert Einstein is best known for his scientific genius. But he also clearly understood the evil of Nazi Germany as it came to power. Einstein fled to America relatively early, demonstrating his clarity of thinking that many other luminaries of his era did not. That kind of foresight and openness to reexamine assumptions is certainly something that we can all learn from."
An event program and menu signed by Albert Einstein ("A. Einstein") from a festive dinner hosted in his honor by the American Jewish community, at the Mosque Theater in Newark, New Jersey in March of 1934. Over 10,000 people were in attendance to pay respect to arguably the world’s most famous and well-respected Jew of the time. Addresses were given by many prominent politicians and rabbis, including Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver. The event, covered extensively by the local press, raised critical funds for Jewish German scientists and academics who escaped from Nazi persecution to Eretz Yisrael. This one-of-a-kind item (we could locate no others extant) is dated only a few months after Einstein escaped to the United States from the rise of Nazism in Germany. It serves as a celebratory, historical reminder of Einstein's proud international roots, his deep connection to global Jewry, his passionate commitment to philanthropy, and the indelible spirit of Jewish communal hospitality.
9in x 6in; Four Pages; In Very Good Condition
NATAN SHARANSKY
CURIO AUCTIONS EXCLUSIVE
HAND-SIGNED CHESS BOARD + CHESS PIECE
1980s
THE SOVIET UNION
8.25in x 8in; Wood/Metal; In Good Condition
2.75in; Wood; In Good Condition
Natan Sharansky's love of, and affinity for, Am Yisrael - as Steve Eisenberg reminds us - was matched only by his commitment to others, no matter the circumstances. And it is these enduring qualities which inspire the work of JIC.
During his lengthy incarceration by the Soviet Union during the Cold War, chess prodigy Natan Sharansky credits the game he loved as keeping him sane. A competitive, fearless risk-taker with a genius intellect and sense of humor to match - the qualities that made him a great chess player - also ensured he survived as a Refusenik political prisoner in a Communist gulag for almost a decade. Defiant until the very end, legend has it that during his prisoner exchange, he was instructed by his Soviet captors to walk in a straight line across the bridge separating East from West Berlin to the awaiting Allied forces on the other side. But once out of reach, Sharansky zig-zagged his way to freedom. Following his Aliyah to Israel, Sharansky continued to fight for human rights, rising to the ranks of Deputy Prime Minister before his retirement from politics. These auction lots were obtained by our Chief Curator directly from Natan Sharansky in Jerusalem, during November 2020, exclusively in support of Jewish International Connection’s 20th Anniversary Curio Auctions fundraiser.
REBBE MENACHEM MENDEL SCHNEERSON
1 ISRAELI LIRA HANUKKAH GELT
1978
NEW YORK, USA/ISRAEL
The Lubavitcher Rebbe's selfless love for all Jews is an inspiration to JIC co-founders Steve Eisenberg and the Samuels. JIC has always drawn upon the wisdom of the Rebbe's teachings to inspire themselves and their ever-growing community.
"When two people meet, something good should result for a third," the Rebbe quoted his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch, when explaining the "Sunday Dollar" custom. During his lifetime, millions of people received a dollar or coin from the Rebbe. And as a result, the most famous Jewish spiritual leader of the Twentieth Century ignited a renewed commitment to Tzedakah that transcended Judaism. By elevating each daily encounter through the performance of a mitzvah – which would also benefit another – the Rebbe’s simple act served as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to one another whenever and however we are called to serve.
3.25in x 3.25in; Paper/Plastic/Metal; In Good Condition
THEODOR HERZL
PRINTED PHOTOGRAPH
1930s
BERLIN, GERMANY
Jodi Samuels says, "Theodor Herzl never gave up on his vision. That determination is a source of inspiration for JIC as we seek to build a lasting community and an ever-strengthening connectivity among and within the Jewish People."
This powerful black and white photograph is especially moving. Printed on paper, and stamped by the Rabbinate of Berlin as Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist Party rose to power in post-World War I Germany, this stirring image captures a critical moment of time in which Herzl's vision would shape the destiny of the Jewish People and their future state in the immediate years leading up to and following the Holocaust.
9in x 6.5in; Paper/Ink; In Good Condition
CARMEL WINERY
SMALL WINE BARREL
1920s
PRE-STATE ISRAEL
Baron Edmond de Rothschild, known as the “Benevolent Provider”, was a visionary leader. The establishment of his Carmel Winery in pre-State Israel was the foundation upon which the community was built, which truly captures the essence of every JIC event, especially the fine Israeli wine!
This finely decorated 7-liter barrel is a rare relic of the winery’s earliest days. This spectacular item depicts the spies carrying grapes beneath a Hebrew inscription from Psalms 104:15 reading, "Wine Makes The Heart Happy." In 1882, having fallen on hard times, the first Israeli pioneers turned to the well-known Baron de Rothschild for assistance. Owner of the world-famous Chateau Lafite Winery in Bordeaux, the passionate philanthropist dispatched representatives to Israel to assess the environmental conditions. The climate, similar to the French country-side, proved favorable for planting wine-producing vineyards. The founding families of the modern state – a melting-pot of immigrants who arrived in the first wave of Aliyah - were dependent on Rothschild’s investment in Israeli viticulture as the foundation of their survival. Both the Rishon Lezion and Zichron Yaacov Wineries continued production without pause through two World Wars, the transition from Ottoman, British and Israeli governance, the founding of the State of Israel, and the regional wars which followed.
13in x 8.6in; Wood/Iron; In Good Condition
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MENACHEM BEGIN
ORIGINAL ARCHIVAL PHOTO
ISRAELSUN/SIPA PRESS ARCHIVES
JULY 1981
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL
Prime Minister Menachem Begin, pictured at the Kotel, was a man of great faith who expressed an unconditional love and respect for all the Jewish People. JIC celebrates how proudly he cared for all of Am Yisrael.
Begin's belief in Judaism shaped many of his domestic political and foreign policy decisions - from his early days as a commander in the pre-State underground movement, through his two terms as Israel's Prime Minister. Begin's traditionalist approach to Judaism, in contrast to the prevailing secularist Zionism of the time, was central to his political ideology and garnered him widespread public support which propelled him to the heights of leadership.
10in x 7in; Glossy Photo Paper; In Fine Condition
GOLDA MEIR
HAND SIGNED, TYPED LETTER
MARCH 11, 1931
NEW YORK, USA
As one of the first women in the world to ever be democratically elected a Prime Minister, American- raised Golda Meir has been an inspiration for Jodi Samuels as an agent for change and symbol of female empowerment.
In this letter detailing the development of ongoing Zionist youth activity, the future Prime Minister of Israel writes, people are having "a hard time. But the work needs to get done and we will get it done!" Drafted while serving as Secretary of the Pioneer Women's Organization in Palestine – a position she held from 1932 to 1934 – this rare letter signed by Meir honors the unflappable nature of the first female head of the Jewish State, while recognizing her long-term commitment to Zionist principles as the foundation for the future of the Jewish People. Founded in 1925 by a group of women from the earliest wave of pre-state Aliyah, the Women’s Organization for the Pioneer Women in Palestine (as it was formally called) provided welfare services for Israeli immigrants, and encouraged Jewish American women to live a Torah-inspired life while actively engaging in Jewish community and American civic affairs.
11in x 8.5in; Three Paper Pages; In Very Good Condition
