American Jewish Historical Society

Jewish American Hall of Fame

Please visit the official site of the Jewish American Hall of Fame

The Jewish-American Hall of Fame (JAHF) honors individuals and events of significance in American Jewish history through medals and a website.

Mel Wacks, the JAHF's founder, established the organization to create and distribute medals honoring these American Jewish path breakers and historic moments. To date, JAHF has created more than 30 medals, which are collected by individuals, synagogues and museums around the world. Jewish-American Hall of Fame medals are distinguished by their unique shape (rounded trapezoidal), high relief, and artistry. The most recent medal, created in 2004, was adopted as the official medal for the commemoration of the 350 th anniversary of Jewish settlement in North America.

The Jewish American Hall of Fame website provides educational resources, encyclopedic reference material about Jewish Americans as well as links to other resources.

The Jewish American Hall of Fame was authorized as an educational project of the Magnes Museum with Mel Wacks as founding director. The Board of Trustees of the American Jewish Historical Society voted to accept the Jewish-American Hall of Fame as an operating division commencing July 15, 2001.