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Goshen artist designs creative Hebrew letter mural at Chabad

| 07 May 2012 | 01:41
    Noah Reich of Highland Mills, 5, is excited the new mural in his Hebrew School classroom.
    Noah Reich of Highland Mills, 5, is excited the new mural in his Hebrew School classroom.
    Conner Ingber of Goshen, 6, is excited about the ìred rocketî for the Hebrew letter ìreish."
    Conner Ingber of Goshen, 6, is excited about the ìred rocketî for the Hebrew letter ìreish."
    The new creative ìAleph Bet Adventure Muralî at Chabad designed by Corbett Hoffman of Goshen.
    The new creative ìAleph Bet Adventure Muralî at Chabad designed by Corbett Hoffman of Goshen.
    Ariel Koyfman of Chester, 6, likes the ìTorahî for the Hebrew letter ìTaf."
    Ariel Koyfman of Chester, 6, likes the ìTorahî for the Hebrew letter ìTaf."
    Corbett Hoffman of Goshen, artist of the Hebrew mural at Chabad.
    Corbett Hoffman of Goshen, artist of the Hebrew mural at Chabad.

CHESTER — The Chabad Center in Chester, headed by Rabbi Pesach and Chana Burston, now boasts The “Aleph-Bet Adventure Fantasy Mural.”

“Aleph-Bet” refers to the Hebrew alphabet and Chabad’s new mural combines creativity with intellect with this colorful new project. It was designed by artist Corbett Hoffman of Goshen.

A vibrant scene stretches across the large classroom wall in the upper level of the Chabad Center in Chester. Each Hebrew letter can be found near a picture that makes its sound.

“This wall teaches the Hebrew letters in a more sophisticated way than a conventional chart,” Chana Burston said in the press release announcing the mural. “Students will use associations to learn letters and sounds.”

The mural was the brainchild of Hoffman, who holds a BFA in fine arts from Florida Southern College. She also dressed celebrity clients at Bergdorf Goodman as high fashion personal shopper and presently designs modern art with strong colors that tie rooms together.

“In twenty years from now I want students to remember that in Hebrew School there were ‘challah clouds in the sky’ for the letter Chet, and giant lollypops for the letter ‘lamed’,” Hoffman said. “It’s an exciting introduction to the Hebrew language.”

Hoffman attends Chabad’s Mommy & Me with a Jewish Twist with her one-year-old son, Shepard, and noticed the large wall which had not yet been decorated. Hoffman sketched a concept of the “Aleph Bet Adventure Fantasy Mural” and the project began. Hoffman donated materials as well as her time and talent to accomplish this project.

Chabad Hebrew School students greeted their new wall with excitement last week as they pointed to their favorite parts of the mural: With a sky-blue backdrop, giant lollypops and brightly colored cupcakes rest in tall green grass beneath a lovely bird on a branch; a fluffy sheep wearing roller skates eats pink ice-cream and a family of ducks munches on popcorn. In the sky are “Challah” clouds floating, with a rocket ship, a Torah scroll, and a helicopter carrying a yellow crayon nearby.

The Aleph Bet Adventure Fantasy Mural can be viewed at the Chabad Center in Chester. For more information, call 845-782-2770, e-mail rabbi@ChabadOrange.com or log onto www.ChabadOrange.com.