Jew with a coin: Difference between revisions

Research by [[Erica Lehrer]], who curated the ''Souvenir, Talisman, Toy'' exhibit at the [[Ethnographic Museum of Kraków]], shows that while figurines of Jews existed in the past in Poland the contemporary figurines connecting traditionally dressed Jews with coins is recent. Prior to World War II, Jewish figurines were present in Christmas and Easter rituals and in particular in the Emaus Easter market fair in Krakow. During the [[History of Poland (1945–1989)|communist era in Poland]] figurines of Jews were available for sale in the {{ill|Cepelia |pl|Cepelia}} ethnic art stores. <ref name="haaretz20141120">[https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/.premium-why-are-the-poles-amassing-jewish-figurines-1.5331736 Why Are the Poles Amassing Jewish Figurines?], Haaretz, Benny Mer, 20 November 2014</ref> According to {{ill|Bożena Umińska-Keff|pl|Bożena Umińska-Keff}}, while Jews were connectedassociated towith money and financial gain in the past in Poland, the rise of the coin imagery in post-communist Poland is not coincidental as Jews have become associated with success in the capitalistic West.<ref name="haaretz20141120"/>

The figurines were first described in articles from 2000 whose authors state the phenomena is recent, and that the figurines probably date back to the times following the [[Revolutions of 1989#Poland|transition of government in 1989]].<ref name="Tartakowsky"/> According to Ruth Ellen Gruber, the figurines, were generally hand-crafted in the 1990s. However, as of 2011 many of figurines are mass produced in standardized forms that are widely available and popular.<ref name="Gruber">[https://books.google.com/books?id=K5437Vh3YEUC&pg=PA324&dq=Zydki+jewish&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhgL7686riAhWYSxUIHeWdAj8Q6AEINDAC#v=snippet&q=Anatewka%20coin&f=false Philosemitism in History], chapter by Ruth Ellen Gruber, Cambridge University Press, page 324</ref>