The special Commemorative Coin issued by the Bank of Israel to mark the 60th Anniversary of the establishment of Yad Vashem, was presented on Hanukka (Sunday), December 1, Kislev 28, to Yad Vashem Chairman, Avner Shalev, at a ceremony held at Yad Vashem in the presence of the Governor of the Bank of Israel, Dr. Karnit Flug.
Designed by artist Yossi Lemel, the coin obverse bears the Israel State Emblem, Face Value, "Israel" in English, Hebrew and Arabic, Mint Year and Mint Mark. The reverse depicts a striped shirt with yellow Star of David, that Jews were forced to wear. A Star of David rising in the background symbolizes the continuity and rebirth of the Jewish people in the modern State of Israel. Around the border is the inscription "Yad Vashem – 60 Years".
The coin is available in three variations: Gold proof-quality with face value 10 New Sheqalim, 30 mm diameter (just over 1"), 16.96 grams weight of .917 fine (22kt) gold in a limited mintage of no more than 555 pieces and two sterling silver coins - a proof-quality silver coin with 2 New Sheqalim face value, measuring 38.7 mm (1½ in.) in diameter and weighing 28.8 grams with limited mintage of 2,800 and a prooflike silver coin with 1 New Sheqel face value, diameter 30mm, weight 14.4 grams and limited mintage of 1,800.
While speaking at the event, Dr. Karnit Flug said:
"I am moved to stand here at Yad Vashem, as the Governor of the Bank of Israel, and daughter of Noach Flug, who served as chairman of the Center of Organizations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel. I'm proud to take part in strengthening the economy and prosperity of the State of Israel, which serve as a fitting response to the history seen before us here."
Established in 1953 by a law of the Knesset, Yad Vashem is the world center for the commemoration of the six million Jews murdered in the Shoah. Situated on the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem and spread over some 45 acres, Yad Vashem has spent the last 60 years committed to Holocaust documentation, research, education and commemoration, through its Archives, Libraries, International Institute for Holocaust Resarch, International School for Holocaust Studies and Museum Complex, and through its recognition of the Righteous Among the Nations.
Over the years, Yad Vashem’s programs and activities have gained increasing recognition in Israel and around the world. Yad Vashem holds diverse activities, in conjunction with Holocaust survivors and the next generations, commemorating victims of the Shoah and the Jewish world that was destroyed. In 2003, Yad Vashem was awarded the prestigious Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement: A Unique Contribution to Society and to the State; in 2007 Yad Vashem was the recipient of the international Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, the Spanish-speaking countries’ equivalent of the Nobel Prize; in the same year, French President Nicolas Sarkozy presented Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev with the Legion of Honor award. Recently, the Yad Vashem Pages of Testimony repository was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
The coin is distributed by Israel Coins and Medals Corp. and part of the proceeds from sale of the coin will be donated to Yad Vashem. To order or for more information, contact ICMC at www.israelmint.com, medals@coins.co.il, P.O. Box 2040, Nesher 36680, Israel, Tel. 972-4-821-2807, Fax 972-4-821-2818
