Jonathan Greenstein

Jonathan Greenstein
Born (1967-11-01) November 1, 1967
Brooklyn, New York
Nationality American
Alma mater Brooklyn College
Occupation J. Greenstein & Company Inc., president[1]
Website www.jgreenstein.com

Jonathan Greenstein is an antique Judaica authentication expert.[2][3][4] He is the owner, chief expert and president of J. Greenstein & Company, the only auction house dedicated solely to Jewish religious ritual art.[5][6][7][8][9] Greenstein represents rare pieces of antique Judaica and Jewish art.[10] Additionally, he is the founder and president of Mercy Home Care and Medical Supplies, a medical equipment and disposables company located in Brooklyn, New York.

Early life and education

Greenstein was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.[11] His parents were Donald and Janice Greenstein. He was raised in the Orthodox Jewish faith. At the age of fourteen, he worked at Gold Bug, an antique store, and began collecting Judaica.[5] Greenstein visited flea markets and garage sales to add to his Judaica collection.[12] Eventually, Greenstein began dealing in antique Jewish ritual objects.[8] He received his bachelor's and master's degree from Brooklyn College in health administration.[11]

Career

Greenstein auctioneered a charity auction in 2002 at the Park East Synagogue in New York City.[5] He organized the pieces and made the catalogue for the auction. Shortly after, Greenstein received an auctioneer's license and hosted his own auction.[5] In 2003, he founded J. Greenstein & Company in Brooklyn, New York.[7] The Judaica retail gallery and auction house focuses on religious art from the 1600s to 1938.[13] J. Greenstein & Company auctions include people on the auction floor, the phone and available via the web.[14] In 2010, Greenstein moved the company's headquarters to Cedarhurst, New York.[7] J. Greenstein & Company has also hosted celebrity Judaica including Sammy Davis Jr.'s personal menorah and items from victims of the Bernard Madoff scandal.[15]

By December 2012, 600 people including Michael Steinhardt, a billionaire hedge-fund manager and antiquities collector, received Greenstein's auction catalogs.[16] That year, he hosted "Jewish Gilt," a Jewish antiques television show featured on the Jewish Channel.[17] In December 2014, Greenstein sold a Hanukkah menorah for $100,000 and added a spice box valued at $337,000 to his collection.[2][5] The menorah was made in Ukraine during the 18th century.[10] In 2015, J. Greenstein & Company hosted an auction featuring 232 rare objects including rare Judaica items belonging to Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz.[18]

Greenstein has been featured on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, NBC News with Chuck Scarborough, The New York Times, MarketWatch and The Huffington Post.[7][10][19][20] Additionally, he is a frequent guest on Fox News.

References

  1. ↑ What's Next for Valmadonna Judaica Trove After Record-Shattering Sale?. Forward. Britta Lokting. January 7, 2016. January 18, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Nachum and Art Dealer/Auctioneer Jonathan Greenstein Discussed Historic Judaica and a Special $100,000 Chanukiah". December 17, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ Lizzie Widdicombe (May 11, 2009). "Samela's Shammash". New Yorker. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ Jeff Bessen (September 16, 2015). "Sustaining the faith and religious rituals". Five Towns Herald. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Rochelle Maruch Miller. "The $100,000 Menorah". Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Collectibles: Faith No More". December 1, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Jewish 'Antiques Roadshow' comes to life in Cedarhurst store". The Jewish Star. September 12, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "The Indiana Jones of Judaica Tracks Down Treasures". Daily Finance. May 19, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  9. ↑ "At Auction, the Candy Man Can't". New York Times. June 8, 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "Celebrate Hanukkah with a $100,000 menorah?". Market Watch. December 22, 2014. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Silver Judaica Still Shines". Jewish Journal. January 20, 2010. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ "One of the World's Only Judaica Auction Houses is in Cedarhurst". March 4, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ Vanessa Parker (November 4, 2015). "Collecting and preserving Jewish history". Five Towns Herald. Retrieved December 4, 2015.
  14. ↑ Claude Solnik (January 29, 2016). "The art of the auction". Long Island Business News. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  15. ↑ "J. Greenstein & Co to Host Special Auction Featuring Judaica Owned by Prof Alan Dershowitz". The Jewish Voice. February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  16. ↑ "The Menorah's Secrets". The Wall Street Journal. December 10, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Judaica Antiques Road Show comes to Beth Yeshurun". November 22, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  18. ↑ Niva Goldberg (February 8, 2016). "Alan Dershowitz ‘S Antique And Rare Judaica Items To Be Auctioned". Jewish Business News. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Biblical Depth vs. Artistic Freedom: A Scary Menorah". Huffington Post. December 2, 2013. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
  20. ↑ "Jewish Gilt". Retrieved July 28, 2015.
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