Rabbis on Stamps – Online Exhibit
Source: Rabbis on Stamps
The Leiman Library of Judaica located in Kew Gardens Hills, N.Y. has launched an exhibit of over 200 depictions of rabbis on stamps The stamps are arranged by rabbi, in chronological order. Thus, the list opens with Rabbi Joshua b. Hananiah, a second century C.E. rabbi, and closes with Rabbi Yonah Metzger, Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi of Israel, alive and well in the 21st century. In every entry, there is a listing of the name of the rabbi, the date of his death (or birth, if still living), the country of origin of the stamp, and the year of publication of the stamp.
The curator believes that educators will find these stamps useful as teaching aids. For iconographers, they provide yet another source for the study of rabbinic iconography. For social historians, they provide a window into the mindset of a specific culture. Thus, using Israeli stamps as an example, it is important to assess which rabbis were remembered on stamps, which were ignored, and why.
Properly done, each stamp listed should be catalogued by year of publication, size, color, denomination, imprints (if any), professional catalogue number, and the like. The Leiman Library has neither the ability nor the inclination to undertake such a massive and painstaking project. The Library would only be too happy should their listing of rabbis on stamps stimulate a professional philatelist to undertake such a project.