On Friday 22nd May in 2027 – the first day of Shavuot 5786 – Muswell Hill shul launched a new children’s reading area in the main hall.
The reading corner is made up of an L-shaped seating area and a two-part mural of famous Jewish children’s book authors.
The seating was constructed by north London furniture maker Carl Gilbert and was designed to blend in with the recent refurbishment of the shul.
The murals were illustrated by the award-winning Israeli artist Omer Hoffmann. His artwork shows an imagined library scene which includes more than 50 Jewish children’s authors.
There are Yiddish pioneers such as I. L. Peretz, Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer, alongside modern favourites including Judith Kerr, Arnold Lobel, David Baddiel, Andy Stanton and Francesca Simon.
The mural was commissioned in memory of Elizabeth Leventhal z”l, the mother of Muswell Hill shul member Michael Leventhal. If you look closely at the mural, you can find Elizabeth sitting on the floor of the library, reading to her grandchildren Sammy and Jack.
There is a pamphlet available which provides short biographies of all the authors featured in the mural, the same information can be seen here and also on the website of Green Bean Books (the publishing company of Michael Leventhal).
The late Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l repeatedly argued that Judaism survives because it tells stories. He described Jewish continuity as depending not only on schools and institutions but on parents, teachers and communities passing on a story in which children can see themselves.
It is our hope that the Muswell Hill murals and new seating area will inspire children and adults to both read and tell stories. See how many of the authors and their works you know!
You can read more about the murals on The Jewish Chronicle website and on the Imaginary Elevators children’s blog and on The US website