A Jewish mural, dated to the 1890s, was found suspended to the ceiling in an attic in North Adams, Massachusetts, CBS Boston announced last week.
The location in which the mural was found was once a synagogue belonging to the local Lithuanian community.
The mural is some 25 feet in length and five feet in height. It bears the inscriptions “Know before whom you stand,” “before the king of the kings,” flanked by two lions holding the ten commandments.
Between them is a Star of David and above them, are two American flags.
The mural and its uniqueness
Historian Carol Clingan told the news outlet that the mural encapsulates the many traditions and identities of this Jewish community, combining the Jewish Lithuanian background along with the wish to belong to America.
Clingan noted the uniqueness of the mural, since many similar artworks in Europe were destroyed by the Nazis.
According to Clingan, the mural is extremely fragile. This is due to the materials with which it was made, primarily conte crayons, which are a form of pastel colors that fade with the touch of the hand.
The mural is set to be moved from the North Adam attic to the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, where the public will be able to view it.
Clingan said that owing to the fragility of the mural such an operation is extremely expensive and therefore she is looking to raise the sum of $150,000. However, according to her, the mural’s worth far exceeds this sum.