Immigrant Voices in Color: Murals and other Art from America’s Synagogues

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Immigrant Voices in Color: Murals and other Art from America’s Synagogues

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Join art and architectural historian Dr. Samuel D. Gruber for an illuminating journey through the vibrant art and design of America’s historic synagogues. This illustrated lecture explores how Jewish immigrants expressed their faith, identity, and aspirations in a new land through color, pattern, and imagery. Dr. Gruber will highlight the beautifully painted ceiling, pillars, and curtains of the Walnut Street Synagogue in Chelsea, one of the few surviving examples of the richly decorated immigrant-era sanctuaries that once flourished across the country. He will also present murals and artwork from other current and former synagogues, revealing how these sacred spaces became canvases for storytelling and memory. Through his engaging talk and striking visuals, Dr. Gruber will show how these works of art—created by and for immigrant congregations—continue to speak to us today, celebrating a legacy of creativity, resilience, and community that is central to the American Jewish experience.

ABOUT OUR SPEAKER

Dr. Samuel D. Gruber has been a leader in the documentation, protection, and preservation of historic Jewish sites worldwide since 1988. He was founding director of the Jewish Heritage Program of World Monuments Fund (1988-1996) and Research Director of the U.S. Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad (1998 through 2008).He presently directs Gruber Heritage Global, a cultural resource consulting firm and is president of the not-for-profit International Survey of Jewish Monuments. He has taught as part-time faculty in Art History and Jewish Studies at Syracuse University (1994-2022) and at Binghamton, Colgate, Cornell, and Temple universities and Le Moyne College. Sam received his BA in Medieval Studies from Princeton University, his Ph.D. in Art and Architectural History from Columbia University and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Rome, where he won the prestigious Rome Prize in Art History. Sam writes and lectures about Jewish art and architecture. He is author of American Synagogues: A Century of Architecture and Jewish Community (2003), Synagogues (1999), and scores of reports, articles, and book chapters. Since 2008, he has written the blog Samuel Gruber’s Jewish Art and Monuments . He is a frequent invited speaker and consultant across the United States and in Europe.

The Massachusetts Antisemitism Synagogue Task Force (MAST) is our community partner for this program.

This series is made possible by a grant from the Congregation Ahabat Shalom Religious Fund and other generous donors.