NAMED UNITED JEWISH APPEAL 1963 ISRAEL SILVER 117g STATE MEDAL Holocaust Related

Description

This is a very rare example of the large, silver UJA State Medal. Very few of these medals are found engraved, such as this one. This presentation medal was awarded to Abraham J. Abeloff.
Abraham Abeloff was an honorary board member of the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). After WWII he visited D.P. camps and shaped the JDC's life saving medical services for 250,000 Holocaust survivors in Germany, Austria, and Italy. A surgeon, he also played a major role in developing the JDC's medical and health programs in Israel, North Africa and Europe. (N.Y. Times Aug. 22, 1997)
The medal is in excellent condition with some attractive light toning on the obverse and on the reverse.
In January 1939 the UNITED JEWISH APPEAL for REFUGEES  and OVERSEES NEEDS was established during the time when Jewish communities of Europe were facing a threat to their survival.  The UJA, founded in 1948, marked its 25th anniversary of rescue and rebuilding with the striking of this medal.
The obverse represents the “25” the anniversary intertwined with the UJA emblem.
The reverse depicts a ship with disembarking immigrants.
The edge:   “State of Israel” in Hebrew and English and the menorah with the words Sterling .935
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Number.  SM-22a
Metal.     Silver, .935
Issue year.  1963
Diameter.  60mm
Weight.   117,5 gms  (3.5 pure ounces of silver.)