Obj. ID: 37322
  Sacred and Ritual  Commemorative medal in honor of Rabbi Yitzhak Elchanan Spector, Lithuania, 1896

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Medal in memory of Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor (1817-1896), chief Rabbi of Kovno. Russia (now Kaunas, Lithuania), [post 1896, late 19th cent.]. Obverse: image of R. Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor and an inscription: "HaRav HaGaon R' Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor". Reverse: the rabbi's grave, inscription: "image of the Gaon R' Yitzchak Elchanan Spektor's grave" and the dates of his birth and death.

This is a commemorative medal in honor of Rabbi Elchanan Spector, possibly to be carried as an amulet. Probably cast in the year of the Rabbi's passing, 1896, the medal was most likely a souvenir for those visiting his grave site. There is a small version of this brass medal also in the Gross Family Collection, 027.002.053 and a silver version as well, 027.001.***. Rabbi Spector was an exceptionally well-known rabbinical figure in the Jewish world.

Addition by Vladimir Levin:

Those who produced this medal were Lithuanian Jews, since they wrote Spector with the letter shin (on reverse with ayin, on obverse without ayin). They were also removed from the religious tradition, since they mentioned his birth year, but forgot to add the phrase “May the memory of the righteous be blessed” (זצ"ל) or even simpler “May his memory be blessed” (ז"ל) when mentioning the name of such a respected rabbi. 

Inscriptions:

Obverse:

הרב הגאון ר' יצחק אלחנן שפקטאר

Ha-Rav ha-Gaon Rabbi Yitzhak Elchanan Spector

Reverse: 

תמונת קבר הרב הגאון ר' יצחק אלחנן שפעקטאר
נולד בשנת תקע"ז
נסתלק ביום כ"א
אדר תרנ"ו

Image of the grave of Ha-Rav ha-Gaon Rabbi Yitzhak Elchanan Spector. Born in the year 1817. Passed away on 21 Adar 1896.