In 1983, Duncan Bauman was honored by the St. Louis Rabbinical College for his years of uplifting Jewish stories in the local press. The gift? A ceremonial ‘Crown of the Torah’—rarely awarded to anyone outside the faith. Today, that same crown is on public view for the first time.
The sterling silver Keser Torah crown is now on display in the Missouri History Museum’s new exhibit, “Collected.” The ornate piece—typically reserved for ceremonial use atop a Torah scroll—was presented to Bauman, then editor of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, in recognition of his consistent coverage of Jewish life in St. Louis.
The St. Louis Rabbinical College, also known as Yeshiva Gedolah, was the city’s first Jewish seminary. Founded in 1961, it trained young men from across the country in Orthodox Jewish learning and leadership until its closure decades later. The college’s Keser Torah Award was given to individuals who had made significant contributions to the Jewish community.
It was a rare honor, and according to Hattie Felton, director of curatorial affairs and curator of the new exhibit, a first-of-its-kind moment. “According to Duncan Bauman’s autobiography and my research, this was the first time that the Yeshiva Gedolah had presented this award to a non-Jewish individual,” she said.
For Felton, the crown’s story was compelling enough—but it was the object’s visual impact that first caught her attention. “It struck me while sitting on the shelf as an incredibly beautiful artifact,” she said. “I didn’t know the story behind it at the time, but the second I saw it I was struck by the fineness of the decoration and the silver and just… the glory that this piece had.”
She added, “It seemed like the perfect fit for this exhibit because it was an object of extraordinary beauty but it was also an object that allowed me to talk about such an important part of St. Louis history—our Jewish heritage.”
The crown features ornate filigree, bells that tinkle as it moves and inscriptions on both sides, including a heartfelt dedication from the Rabbinical College’s dean, Rabbi Yitzchock Kleiman. The craftsmanship is so precise, it still fits over the wooden poles of a Torah scroll.
Now part of the “Collected” exhibit’s initial rotation, the crown will be on view through 2027. “This is a piece that will be on exhibit from open until 2027 at least—that’s what’s planned for this piece at this time,” Felton said.
“Even though this was done as an award, a presentation Torah crown, you can see the ends are still there to fit over the Torah scrolls,” said Felton. “They tinkle and swing back and forth as you move the piece, which actually makes it a little intimidating to move it. But it’s such a beautiful, unique piece.”
The crown, donated by Bauman’s family, is more than just an artifact—it’s a portal into the legacy of the St. Louis Rabbinical College, the city’s first Jewish seminary. Though the institution closed decades ago, its impact still resonates today.
“I was able to talk to a graduate of the Yeshiva Gedolah who gave me this beautiful quote about how the Rabbinical College’s legacy continues to impact St. Louis today,” Felton said. “They had such a formative experience there.”
And Jewish history won’t be a one-and-done in this gallery. “I intend to always ensure that the story of St. Louis’s Jewish community is represented in this gallery,” Felton added. “We’ve got some incredible things—from Holocaust-era objects to artifacts tied to the first synagogues here in the city.”
The “Collected” exhibit is part of the Missouri Historical Society’s larger effort to share more of its collection with the public, rotating items in and out regularly. That means fragile, rarely seen pieces—like this one—can finally have their moment in the spotlight.
To see the Keser Torah crown and explore other rare and never-before-seen items from St. Louis’s past, visit the Missouri History Museum’s “Collected” exhibit starting March 29. More info at mohistory.org/exhibits/collected.
