In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Eastern European Jews fleeing pogroms came to the industrial towns of the northeast seeking peace, freedom, and opportunity. Many found jobs in the textile mills of New England. In the bustling industrial town of North Adams, Massachusetts, the European Jewish community built a synagogue on a hill overlooking the train station. It was a worship hub for many Jews in the Berkshires. A local folk artist named Noah Levin, likely originally from Ukraine, painted a traditional mural above the sanctuary.

As North Adams began to decline, the Jewish community dispersed. The synagogue building became an apartment house. Several remodels walled off the vaulted attic where the mural lay, and eventually, the painting was forgotten.

The mural was rediscovered in the 1990s, but years of neglect had damaged the paint and the underlying plaster and wall supports. Rock Against Racism Vermont has been working with local historic preservation groups, Jewish groups, museums, and landowners to help save this important but little-known part of New England history.

Read about a similar mural rescue and restoration in Burlington, Vermont.