Awards to John Hersey for his current best seller “The Wall” and to Professor Guido Kisch, eminent historian of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, for “The Jews in Medieval Germany” were made here today by the National Jewish Welfare Board-sponsored Jewish Book Council of America at its annual meeting hold at the Jewish Museum. The two awards – one of $500 for the best work of non-fiction of literary merit and general Jewish interest, and one for $250 for a book of fiction meeting the same qualifications – are made annually by the Council.
The money for the non-fiction award – known as the “Isadore Hershfield Award” was provided by friends of the late Isidore Hershfield, of Washington, D.C.; the funds for the fiction award were furnished by Samuel H. Daroff, Philadelphia philanthropist and civic leader. Philip Schiff, Washington representative, presented the award to Professor Kisch on behalf of a group of Mr. Hershfield’s friends, who raised the funds to make the award possible. Harold Strauss, editor-in-chief of knopf, accepted the award for Mr. Hersey, who is now in Paris and who had earlier in a letter to the Council directed that the check for the $250 be turned over to the Joint Distribution Committee.
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