Century-Old Jewish Mural Was Hidden For Decades In Vermont

NPR | NEWS
By Jon Kalish

In 1910, Lithuanian artist Ben Zion Black painted the interior of Burlington's Chai Adam
Synagogue. Much of the painting was destroyed when the building underwent renovations.

VERMONT---There was a time in Eastern Europe when the landscape was dotted with wooden synagogues, some dating to the 1600s. Inside, the walls and ceilings were covered with intricate painted designs. Almost all of these structures were destroyed during the Holocaust, and with them, a folk art. But in Burlington, Vt., has been uncovered where it lay hidden for a quarter century. Two years ago, the Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, where Goldberg serves as archivist, started renting the apartment. It tore down the wall that had been erected to protect the mural and hired art conservator Connie Silver to help restore it. [link]