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The fourteenth in the series of Hanukka coins was issued in conjunction with the signing of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel on March 6, 1979. The Hanukka lamp which appears on the coin was made in Egypt in the 19th century. During the Middle Ages there was a flourishing Jewish community in Egypt. Suffice it to mention that Maimonides, one of the brightest stars in the Jewish cultural firmament, spent most of his active life in Old Cairo. The thousands of manuscript fragments discovered in the Cairo Geniza have thrown light not only on the Jews of Egypt but also on Jewish life throughout the medieval world. Active and flourishing Jewish life continued right up to modern times, the Jews participating in all aspects of Egyptian life while maintaining their special identity and culture. The wars between Israel and Egypt following the declaration of the State, however, brought this to an end, forcing most Egyptian Jews to emigrate from what had become a hostile environment. It is known as the Egyptian Lamp

A Hanukka lamp from Egypt within a shallow depres- sion in the form of the Star of David. From the corners three blossoms emerge and in the middle a miniature Star of David. Below the passage "For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light". Below the words, the Hebrew "A Hanukka lamp from Egypt, 19th century".

In spite of the persecution suffered by Jews of Corfu, at the hands of their Christian neighbors, they clung to their ancient prayers from Byzantine days, and they built elegant synagogues.

Until the 19th century, Corfu was the center of etrog cultivation, and these were exported to all parts of the world for Jews to observe the commandments of the "four species" on Sukkot.

A Hanukka lamp from Corfu within an hexagonal depression. The words in Hebrew: "A Hanukka Lamp from Corfu, 19th century".

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