Obj. ID: 37448
Sacred and Ritual Objects  Beiliss Medal, Russia, 1913

The following description was prepared by William Gross:

Commemorative medals recalling events and memorializing individuals have been minted and cast regularly since the times of the late Middle ages and the Renaissance. Medals with a Jewish connection are a part of this history as well. Thousands of pieces exist from tiem of their appearence over the last more than 500 years. Such objects appear in a large variety of shapes and materials even though the majority are circular and formed from bronze, brass, copper, pewter and silver.

This small medal was issued to honor Mendel Beiliss, a Russian Jew falsely accused of ritual murder in Kiev 1n 1911 and tried in a notorious trial in 1913. He was finally acquited after more than a year in jail and became a hero and celebrity that emphasized the anti-semitic policies of the Cazrist regime in Russia. This medal commemorates his acquital. He left Russia with his family for Palestine and then then to the United States where he dies in 1934. The texts of the inscriptions are in Russian and Hebrew. The medal was either worn on a chain as a necklace or put on a key chain.