Michael Kaufman, a Holocaust survivor who discovered painting only at age 90, will have hundreds of his works shown publicly for the first time at an artists’ fair in Nof HaGalil on Thursday, three months after his death. Kaufman, born in 1929 in Belarus, spent his childhood there and, during the war, fled with his family to Uzbekistan, where they hid in harsh conditions before returning to Belarus after the war.
His grandson, Lior Kaufman, said Michael worked for decades as a watchmaker in Belarus and immigrated to Israel in 1990 with his wife, his only son and his brother. The family settled in Nof HaGalil, which he immediately loved for its clean air and surrounding forests.
Lior said that at 90, his grandfather suddenly asked the family to buy him oil paints, brushes and boards, then began painting without any preparation. He said Michael often dreamed about art at night, looked for subjects in his sleep and planned how to turn his ideas into finished works. In one dream, Lior said, Moses asked him whether he had already taken up a brush. Kaufman hoped his paintings would be exhibited and receive public recognition and legitimacy.
Kaufman died about three months ago, leaving behind a large collection of hundreds of oil and acrylic paintings that he had wanted to show. The exhibition will take place on June 25 at a major art fair in Nof HaGalil. Lior called it “an emotional closing of a circle,” and said, “We managed to fulfill grandfather’s dream, although unfortunately he will not get to see it.” Nof HaGalil Mayor Ronen Plot said the city is proud to present Kaufman’s work alongside 70 artists taking part in the fair to mark the city’s 70th anniversary.
