By Jonathan Greenstein
After decades of experience in the world of Judaica and fine Jewish art, where I’ve built strong, collaborative relationships with numerous artists, I am proud to announce two exciting new ventures. The first is a new retail gallery on Central Avenue in the home of the old Goldmine, where I will be offering a hand-curated selection of artisan and heirloom Judaica made by Israeli artists in a wide range of styles and prices to meet every budget.
We will also be featuring newly-designed Judaica made by up-and-coming artists such as Yaakov Davidoff, Dekel Aviv, David Cohen, as well as my own designs that are crafted in Jerusalem by silversmiths. We will feature vintage and antique Judaica, Sifrei Torah, Megillahs, Nevi’im on Klaf, and other works on parchment. We also offer restorative services to antique silver and can repair and restore Sifrei Torah. In addition, we will be purchasing antiques, collectables, silver objects, and Judaica of all kinds. We look forward to meeting you and providing a free evaluation.
The second venture I’m proud to announce is a new column that will be featured weekly right here showcasing one special item that we have on display in the gallery and we feel is a unique piece of Jewish history. For my first column, I would like to highlight one of my favorite pieces in the collection: a rare letter written by Albert Einstein to the National Council of Young Israel. It is the only known letter between Einstein and Young Israel in existence and is dated 1935.
The Young Israel Movement was founded in 1912 by a group of young Jews on the Lower East Side, notably Max Grablowsky, Joshua Horowitz, and Benjamin Koenigsberg (the first openly Orthodox Jewish attorney). Their goal was to make Orthodox Judaism more relevant to young American Jews at a time when a significant Jewish education was rare, and most Orthodox institutions were Yiddish-speaking and oriented to an older, more European Jewish demographic. By 1925, Young Israel was extending into social services, and formed a support agency for Sabbath-observant workers that included job placement and vocational training. Later in the decade, the synagogue network grew to about 25. The central organization developed a Wall Street office and a full-time staff. The office began publishing material regularly for branches and Young Israel members. A few years later, branches started opening outside of New York, and by 1935, there were branches in New England, Chicago, parts of the Midwest, Canada, and Israel.
In 1933, while visiting the United States, Einstein watched in horror as Hitler rose to power and decided to stay in New York. This letter was written in his native German two years after his arrival and is from Professor Einstein to Theodore Nathan in response to a request by Nathan to write an article. What the article was supposed to be about is not known. The letter translates to: To my great regret, I am not in a position to write the requested article with best regards, A. Einstein.
Please come and see it in person. Our gallery is located at 417 Central Avenue and is open from Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday hours are 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will resume in September. n
Jonathan Greenstein is a specialist in antique Jewish ritual objects and art and has been featured on NBC, ABC, and Fox Business News. You can visit his gallery at 417 Central Avenue or call him at 516-295-2931 or e-mail him jonathan@jgreenstein.com or visit JGreenstein.com.
