The Honorable Newton D. Baker of Cleveland, Ohio, has been designated by a committee of notables as 1930 winner of the American Hebrew Medal for the Promotion of Better Understanding between Christian and Jew in America. The establishment of this annual award was announced on November 21st, 1929, at the fiftieth anniversary celebration of the founding of the American Hebrew, of which Rabbi Isaac Landman is editor.
Mr. Baker, first recipient of the award, was selected from among several nominees and his qualifying achievements are summed up as follows:
“Because he has formulated in writing the philosophy of the program for Better Understanding between Christian and Jew in America and has thereby promulgated the ideal among opinion-makers throughout the country; because he has succeeded in inducing research bodies, such as the Yale Institute of Human Relations, to approach the field of possibilities for furthering Better Understanding between Christian and Jew in America; because, at great personal sacrifice, he is the Protestant Chairman of the National Conference of Jews and Christians; because in his own city he is actively promoting the movement as President of the Religious Education Association, which includes Protestant, Catholic and Jew.”
Presentation of the medal will take place on December 9th, 1930, at the Hotel McAlpin, New York, on the occasion of a seminar on Christian-Jewish Relations to be held at the invitation of New York University, under the auspices of the National Conference of Jews and Christians.
The medal, wrought in bronze by the American sculptor, Ernest Wise Keyser, portrays two figures personifying Jew and Christian together ascending the steep mountain of misunderstanding toward heights of mutuality.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
