The Lost Mural
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The Lost Mural

In the News

 
 

2022

2022 Preservation Awards Announced

Burlington, VT, June 9, 2022 -- The Preservation Trust of Vermont today will award five Preservation Awards to individuals and organizations that have made special contributions to preserving Vermont’s historic architecture, downtowns and village centers. The awards will be presented at the Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference in St. Johnsbury. More than 300 people will be on hand to celebrate.

Receiving 2022 awards are:

  • Friends of the Lost Mural for the saving, moving and painstaking restoration of the Lost Mural now located in the lobby of the Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington.


The Preservation Trust of Vermont is a statewide organization that builds community through preservation of Vermont’s downtowns and village centers. www.ptvermont.org 

 
 
 

2020

 

Five Years Ago This May We Moved the Lost Mural!

Because of the support of the local, regional, and international communities, the Friends of the Lost Mural is celebrating an exciting milestone - it's the 5th anniversary of the Mural’s historic move!

We’d like to invite you to join us in celebrating this anniversary, and also to catch you up on what the Friends of the Lost Mural have been working on over the past five years, and especially in the past few months.

May 6, 2020 marks five years since the Mural’s historic move from 105 Hyde Street in Burlington to Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, about four-tenths of a mile up the road. Many of you may recall the incredible feat of moving the Mural….and if you don’t, you can watch it here!

fiveyearsago.jpg

Today, the mural hangs in the public lobby of Ohavi Zedek Synagogue. 

With the mural safely installed in the lobby of Ohavi Zedek, the Friends Board could begin to prepare for the next phase of its existence. How could we ensure that generations to come will be able to see and experience the power of the Mural? How do we tell the multitude of stories that emanate from the Mural? What role does the Mural play in the larger context of the immigrant experience in Vermont? The questions -- and the possibilities -- were endless.

To that end, last November, the Friends of the Lost Mural brought together an impressive cohort  of museum directors, arts experts, and cultural historians to brainstorm the tremendous potential of the Lost Mural. They encouraged the Board to prioritize the continued restoration of the mural. Without professional art conservation, none of the exciting possibilities mentioned above would, well, be possible. 

The most immediate and urgent step in the conservation of the mural is to carefully remove the layer of varnish on the mural’s surface before it hardens any further. We are busily working on applications for  grants to help subsidize $150,000 for this cleaning, which will not only protect the mural,  but will also reveal its vibrant original colors. A bigger total goal of $300,000 would additionally enable us to restore the damaged areas of the mural, bringing it fully back to its original appearance. 

We look forward to the completion of this work in the near future because we know that the mural’s message of hope and determination will be even more powerful when its original colors are able to shine once again!

One of the things we have learned by showing the mural to thousands of visitors over the past five years is that even after 110 years, the mural’s story still resonates -- maybe now more than ever. We must stand together to restore our faith in hope and humanity and to not take our beloved community history, struggles and freedoms for granted. 

Wishing all of you health and safety during these uncertain times.

The Friends of the Lost Mural

If you’d like to join in the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the mural’s move, you can explore “Five Fascinating Facts for the Mural’s 5th Anniversary.” You can also help us explore how the mural’s colors might look after cleaning by coloring your own version of the Lost Mural and then sharing it with us on Facebook or by email: friendsofthelostmural@gmail.com

The Lost Mural is Safe

Henia Lewin_11x17_Poster_R2.jpg
 

2017

Armenian Genocide to Holocaust
Chris Bohjalian
Password: LostShul3517

Saving Burlington, Vermont’s synagogue mural of 1910
Jewish Advocate—8/18/2017

Jewish-Advocate-article.jpg

2016

In epic save, Vermont Jews rescue neglected ‘Lost Shul Mural’
Times of Israel—5/9/2016

Jewish Routes // Vermont
Moment Magazine—March/April 2016

2015

Lost Shul Mural unveiled at Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington
WPTZ Burlington Channel 5—8/5/15

Lost Shul Mural Unveiled in Burlington
Seven Days—8/3/15

‘Lost’ Jewish mural revealed in new home
USA Today—8/3/15

Long-Hidden Mural Revealed at Burlington Synagogue
VT Digger—8/3/15

Lost Shul Mural revealed at new home
Burlington Free Press—8/2/15

“Lost Shul” mural to be unveiled Sunday in Burlington
Washington Times—8/2/15

A Rare Mural on the Move
Historic New England Magazine—Summer 2015

“Just Heavenly:” Jewish Mural Moved to New Home
WPTZ Burlington Channel 5 & New England Cable News—5/6/15

The Lost Shul: Rediscovered Mural Moves to its New Home
WPTZ Burlington Channel 5—5/6/15

New Home for Historic Mural
WCAX Burlington Channel 3—5/6/15

‘Lost’ Jewish Mural Finds New Home
Burlington Free Press—5/4/15

Lost Shul Mural Tour—Preparing for the Move
Town Meeting TV Channel 17—4/6/15

Preservation Burlington: Lost Shul Mural
Town Meeting TV Channel 17 —1/22/15

2014

Long Hidden VT Mural to be Moved, Restored
WPTZ Burlington Channel 5—12/17/14 & New England Cable News—12/16/14

Priceless, Historic Mural Readies for Big Move
Burlington Free Press—11/21/14

Century-Old Jewish Mural Was Hidden For Decades In Vermont
All Things Considered, National Public Radio—4/19/14

The Lost Shul Mural
Ami Magazine—2/19/14

Salvage Drive for Rare Jewish Mural in Vermont
New York Times—1/30/14

Century-Old Jewish Mural’s Hidden History in Vermont
The Forward—1/17/14

Additional Reading

 
 

Our Newsletter: 
Mural Musings

December, 2016

January, 2017

February, 2017

Spring 2017

 

For the Media

To request interviews, information, photos or to arrange a visit, please contact:

Tari Santor
Ohavi Zedek Synagogue,
188 North Prospect St.,
Burlington, VT 05401
tari@ohavizedek.org.

Testimonials

 
 
 

"The Lost Mural is a symbol that crosses generations and validates the universal story of communities built by refugees and immigrants in the community. The ability of future generations to learn from this important piece of American history depends on actions taken today. The need to clean and further preserve the mural is urgent; it is essential to safeguarding its legacy." 2021

Peter Manseau, Ph.D., Lilly Endowment Curator of American Religious History, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.

"The Lost Mural at Ohavi Zedek not only exemplifies the rich history of creativity and resilience in Burlington’s Jewish community, It inspires all of us to remember that the Vermont identity is dynamic and diverse. By preserving this cultural treasure, we also preserve the opportunity to have a more expansive conversation about the Vermont experience and what it means to be a Vermonter. This is just one of the many reasons why the Preservation Trust of Vermont was honored to present The Friends of the Lost Mural with a 2022 Preservation Award for their outstanding contribution to the field of historic preservation."

Ben Doyle, President, Preservation Trust of Vermont, Lost Mural Project Public Reveal Event, June 28, 2022

"The Lost Mural is a magnificent piece of Lithuanian Jewish history and heritage. It tells us a remarkable story of a thriving Jewish immigrant community from Lithuania and the successful efforts of their descendants to preserve their cultural legacy today. The Lost Mural is not lost anymore – it is being restored to its full glory. The preservation of this masterpiece is an encouraging example that it is possible to restore the memory of our past and bring communities and people together. Lithuania is honored to be a part of the preservation efforts of the Lost Mural."

H.E. Audra Plepyté, the Ambassador of Lithuania to the United States, Lost Mural Project Public Reveal Event, 2022

Synagogue Art Experts

“The Lost Shul Mural is a survivor, a rare painting; one of only a small number of extant ‘East European’ synagogue murals in this country….[It is] a unique survivor of the Age of Immigration. The mural is a gift from the past that adds color, vitality, and the immediacy of piety.”

Samuel Gruber, Ph.D.
Rothman Family Lecturer in Jewish Studies, Syracuse University

“This is a remarkable folk art mural in an American synagogue sanctuary and must be saved. It recalls a heartfelt desire of refugees to channel sacred memories of their Eastern European traditions and sanctify their new houses of worship. The mural’s survival makes an invaluable contribution to the larger legacy of Jewish culture that was largely destroyed in the Holocaust. In saving it, we preserve a sacred past that must not be forgotten.”

Joshua Perelman, Ph.D.
Chief Curator & Director of Exhibitions and Collections,
National Museum of American Jewish History

“The Lost Shul Mural is a unique icon of the American immigrant experience and a local treasure.  The City of Burlington was built by our immigrant ancestors, and today, the contributions of New Americans are continuing to improve our remarkable City.  Promoting and celebrating the history and stories of Burlingtonians highlight the vibrancy and diversity of our City.  The effort to preserve the Lost Shul Mural fosters our commitment to diversity and deserves the generous support of our community.”

Sergey Kravtsov
Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem,
Co-author, Synagogues of Lithuania

Vermont Historians and Civic Leaders

“The Lost Shul Mural is a unique icon of the American immigrant experience and a local treasure.  The City of Burlington was built by our immigrant ancestors, and today, the contributions of New Americans are continuing to improve our remarkable City.  Promoting and celebrating the history and stories of Burlingtonians highlight the vibrancy and diversity of our City.  The effort to preserve the Lost Shul Mural fosters our commitment to diversity and deserves the generous support of our community.”

Mayor Miro Weinberger
City of Burlington, Vermont

“The Lost Shul Mural is a cultural treasure that should be preserved for the enrichment of Vermonters today and for generations to come. It shares a rich story of the immigrant experience and the religious diversity of our state.”

Mark S. Hudson
Executive Director, Vermont Historical Society

Holocaust Experts

“While the Holocaust intended to erase all memory of the vibrancy of Eastern European Jewish life and culture, the “Lost Shul Mural” reminds us that it did not succeed. The mural reveals the lost historical legacy of symbolic artistic imagery in Jewish folklore and tradition. The Center for Holocaust Studies supports the preservation of the mural as an authentic remnant which must be preserved to promote scholarship and public awareness of issues concerning the vitality of Jewish traditions before the Holocaust.”

Frank Nicosia, Ph.D.
Raul Hilberg Distinguished Professor of Holocaust Studies,
Professor of History and Interim Director of the Center for Holocaust Studies, 
University of Vermont

Vermont Clergy

“The artistry of Ben Zion Black evokes the love at the heart of Eastern European Jewry, a heart so terribly broken by the Shoah, yet a heart ever more whole because of its brokenness, as Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav taught.  The colors, the symbols, the fact that this work inspired the worship of the new immigrants who were members of Chai Adam Synagogue, all combine to make the restoration of this mural a gift to the Jewish people; indeed, a gift to all people who celebrate the triumph of hope over despair.”

“It is personally a privilege for me, as Rabbi of Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, to witness the restoration of this mural and its return journey to the walls of  a synagogue, where it will be accessible to the public for contemplation and study. May this project evoke a sense of Ahavat Yisrael, the love of all Jews for one another, and through this love, a love for all of our friends and neighbors with whom we have come to call Vermont our home.”

Rabbi Joshua Chasan
Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, Burlington, VT

“B’H The ‘Lost Shul’ mural powerfully reminds us that our forebears strove to preserve the rich and vibrant traditions of Eastern European Judaism as they built a new community in Burlington, Vermont. Preserving this surviving piece of rare art empowers us to educate and inspire future generations. It serves as a reminder of the sacred traditions of our ancestors who lived lives dedicated to Torah and Mitzvot.”

Rabbi Yitzchok Raskin
Regional Director, Chabad Lubavitch of Vermont

“For many Vermonters, Burlington’s rich Jewish past is unknown. That is about to be changed with the restoration of artwork from one of Burlington’s original 19th century Orthodox synagogues. Preserved for decades in its original building, now an apartment building, the Lost Shul Mural will be meticulously removed and publicly displayed so that the entire community can once again see and appreciate the great heritage of Burlington’s Jewish past. This is an extremely exciting time for our community.“

Rabbi James Glazier
Temple Sinai, South Burlington, VT

Representatives of Lithuania

“The Lost Shul Mural is a unique visual testimony of the contributions of Lithuanian immigrants to the American experience, and especially to immigrant cultural and artistic history. Saving the Lost Shul Mural is vital to the common interests of all Lithuanian and Americans in preserving our collective past. Contributing to the Lost Shul Mural project will assist Lithuania in promoting all of Lithuanian’s cultural heritage.”

Zygimantas Pavilionis, Ph.D.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States

“The Lost Shul Mural is an important symbol of Lithuanian Jewish culture in the United States, providing us with a rare glimpse of the past. I am humbled by the incredible commitment to this project, and look forward to the day when it is restored for all to see.”

Kerry E. Secrest
Honorary Consul of Lithuania to Vermont