Children's Reading Lesson

I was captivated by the innocence emanating from this group. This plaster sculpture, also featured in the Jewish Virtual Museum, was then met with a mix of emotions when I learned that its creator perished at Auschwitz, a victim of the Holocaust in the Netherlands. This group, entitled "The Book," is by Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, whose extensive biography can be found online. This scene, like a photograph, captures a precious moment of peace and tenderness between these four children. Under the watchful eye of the eldest, the youngest sister is not yet attending school, unlike her brother, who still has his slate on his lap. This apparent tranquility, however, does not bode well for the near future of these children. It is the 1920s and 30s, a time of carefree innocence.