Jonathan Greenstein
Jonathan Greenstein | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 1, 1967 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Auctioneer, antique Judaica specialist, CEO |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Known for | President of J. Greenstein & Company; CEO of Mercy Home Care & Medical Supplies |
Jonathan Greenstein (born November 1, 1967) is a specialist in authenticating antique Judaica and serves as president of J. Greenstein & Company, an American auction house dedicated to the appraisal and sale of vintage Judaica artifacts. Additionally, he has been the CEO of Mercy Home Care & Medical Supplies since 1993. Greenstein lives on Long Island, New York with his spouse and their five children.
Early life and education
Jonathan Greenstein was born in Brooklyn, New York to parents Donald and Janice Greenstein. At age 14, he departed from yeshiva to enroll at James Madison High School. His initial involvement with Judaica began through working at The Gold Bug and collecting religious artifacts sourced from flea markets and garage sales, which eventually led him to become a dealer specializing in antique Jewish ritual items. He holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in health administration from Brooklyn College.
J. Greenstein & Company
Greenstein’s auctioneering career commenced in 2002 when he organized and conducted a charity auction at Park East Synagogue in New York City, managing both the items and cataloging process. Shortly thereafter, he secured an auctioneer’s license and started hosting his own auctions.
In 2003, he established J. Greenstein & Company in Brooklyn, New York. This gallery and auction house focuses on religious artwork dating from the 1600s up until 1938. The company moved its main office to Cedarhurst, New York in 2010. By December 2012, the auction catalogs had been distributed to approximately 600 clients, among them billionaire hedge-fund manager and collector of antiquities Michael Steinhardt. That same year, Greenstein presented Jewish Gilt, a television program about Jewish antiques on The Jewish Channel.
A notable sale occurred in December 2014 when an 18th-century Ukrainian Hanukkah menorah was sold for $100,000. In 2016, J. Greenstein & Company handled the auction of 232 rare Judaica pieces from the collection of Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz. In June 2017, the firm acquired and sold Ze'ev Jabotinsky’s French refugee identification card for $20,000. The auction house has also dealt with celebrity-related Judaica such as Sammy Davis Jr.’s menorah, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s piano, Joan Rivers’ Seder plate, and items connected to victims of the Bernard Madoff scandal.
In November 2018, J. Greenstein & Co. auctioned Marilyn Monroe’s annotated Jewish prayer book from 1922—the year she converted to Judaism and wed Arthur Miller—which sold for $21,000 plus fees. That event also included Judaica from comedian Jerry Lewis’s collection, featuring a Torah binder dating back to the late 17th century.
Mercy Home Care and Medical Supplies
Greenstein is the founder and chief executive officer of Mercy Home Care and Medical Supplies, a Brooklyn-based enterprise specializing in medical devices and disposable supplies.