Wise Men of Chelm

The Wise Men of Chelm
Official Medal 2009/5769
Fourth in the "Jewish Folktales" Series

In Jewish folklore, the city of Chelm, Poland is known as the legendary capital of fools. Jews resided in the city for generations and the nickname "The Wise Men of Chelm" was used to denote those whose actions were foolish and absurd. Although no one knows for sure why Chelm was designated as "The City of Fools", one theory suggests the similarity to the polish word "holem", meaning "foolish".

There are numerous anecdotes about The Wise Men of Chelm. Though their origins are unknown, the stories have been revised and readapted, passing from generation to generation to the utter merriment of Jewish children worldwide.

The medal commemorating these amusing tales describes one of the most well-known stories about the attempt of The Wise Men of Chelm to catch moon beams and store them in buckets, in order to light the city during the dark of the night. The reverse side of the medal, in line with the entire series, depicts the beauty and the power hidden within these tales, passed from generation to generation as a unifying factor in the rich and unique heritage of the Jews of Eastern Europe.

This beautiful series, full of inspiration, nostalgia and "Yiddishkeit" is a true collector's item. Each medal is accompanied by the story it depicts and, in addition to "The Wise Men of Chelm", the series includes "The Golem of Prague", "Hershele of Ostropol" and "King Solomon's Daughter".

Obverse: The medal describes one of the most well-known stories about the attempt of The Wise Men of Chelm to catch moon beams and store them in buckets, in order to light the city during the dark of the night.

Reverse: Grandfather relates stories to the grandchildren, strengthening the bonds between the generations.

Edge:
Bronze medal: Milled.
Silver and Gold medals: Smooth.

Designer: Aharon Shevo.

Engraving: Romania.

Mint:
Bronze and Silver medals: Romania.
Gold medal: ICMC Mint.