Today is the 8th day (one week and one day) of the Omer.
In ancient times, the Israelites counted 50 days of harvesting barley between Pesach and Shavuot. Each sheaf, called an Omer, was offered at the ancient Temple. More recently, the tradition of Mussar—Jewish character development—began to encourage Jews to enumerate, throughout each of the 50 days of the Omer, the character traits that guide our lives. In a similar vein, this week, we will highlight figures from modern Jewish history who may inspire us toward our greatest religious and civic values.
On this day in 1924, fifty-two year old Lithuanian born American coin designer and engraver Victor David Brenner passed away. Brenner is best known for his design of the United States penny, featuring Abraham Lincoln.
In 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt launched a redesign for all American coinage; the president wanted the United States to enjoy the most valuable and artistic currency in the world. For the centennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 1809, Roosevelt intended to mint a coin featuring America’s sixteenth president. Though Lincoln remained a controversial figure, especially in the South, Roosevelt felt that Lincoln’s vision and commitment to national unity had saved the nation.
Victor David Brenner, commissioned to design the coin, agreed. He felt that all Americans would benefit from a consistent symbol of the vision for equality and liberty that Lincoln championed, so he recommended that Lincoln be placed on the smallest coinage, the United States penny. Thus, in 1909, was Brenner’s work, a bust of Abraham Lincoln, memorialized on the Lincoln Wheat Cent. Though the reverse of the coin was replaced in 1958 with an engraving of the Lincoln memorial, Brenner’s original bust remains, with the artist’s initials just under Lincoln’s shoulder.
Brenner’s work, as well as his passion for the project, serve to illustrate the power that symbols possess to message and reinforce our values. As we count the Omer, it is worth considering: What symbols do we use to remind ourselves of the values we want to guide our lives? Are they effective?
— Rabbi Josh Knobel