Holocaust Survivor Zvi Grunman's Spiritual Art Featured in Jerusalem Exhibition

An exhibition titled "A Sign from Heaven: Sign, Spirit, and Matter in the Work of Artist Zvi Grunman" is currently on display at Heichal Shlomo in Jerusalem, showcasing the unique artistic legacy of Zvi Grunman (1917-1995). Grunman, a Holocaust survivor, developed a distinctive mosaic-like technique using layers of acrylic and gouache to create works that offered profound interpretations of Kabbalistic and Hasidic texts, as well as the writings of prominent Jewish thinkers like Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, and the thinker.

Grunman viewed art as a tool for spiritual expression and healing, deeply connecting his creative process to his faith. His grandson, Yishai Rivlin, shared that Grunman believed "there can be no observant creator whose work doesn't reflect God." His tombstone inscription, "His Torah was his art and his art was his Torah," encapsulates this philosophy.

Following Grunman's death in 1995, his extensive collection of artwork remained with his wife, Leah, who meticulously preserved them. While his paintings had been exhibited in Israel and abroad, they were largely inaccessible to the public. After Leah's passing two years ago, the family decided to share the works, which had begun to deteriorate, with a wider audience. "It's a disservice to leave such works at home or in storage," stated exhibition curator Ruth Eliyav, who is also Rivlin's sister-in-law. She noted that Grunman's art, which predates contemporary interest in the intersection of art, Judaism, and mysticism, is now poised for greater appreciation.

Born in Poland to a Zionist family of artists, Grunman's early life was marked by his involvement in a kibbutz training group and editing an underground newspaper. He served in the Polish Army during the German invasion and was briefly a prisoner of war. He later worked as a painter decorating synagogues and signs. During the Holocaust, he was forced to work as a painter at a camp on Count Potocki's estate, managed by Heinrich Himmler, where he and other Jewish artists were tasked with decorating the premises. The artists would sabotage their work at night to ensure they remained indispensable.

Grunman's experiences during the war were harrowing. He recounted the extreme hardship and cruelty at the estate, including the murder of a Jewish opera singer. He managed to visit his family twice by exploiting a commander's favor, which allowed him to travel for supplies. On his third attempt to visit, he arrived during an 'aktion' (a mass roundup) and found his family's home looted. He broke in through a window and salvaged his father's tefillin and family photographs.

After surviving Buchenwald and a death march, where his brother Shmuel aided him, Grunman eventually reached Switzerland with the help of a Jewish-American soldier. He studied graphic design there before immigrating to Israel in 1949. Together with his brother Shmuel, he established the graphic design firm "Grunman Brothers," responsible for designing the first Yad Vashem exhibition in the early 1960s, the Israeli pavilion at the Montreal World's Fair, and numerous synagogues and exhibitions. Zvi Grunman also designed the iconic purple cover for the "Da'at Mikra" series and illustrated works by Rabbi Kook and Rabbi Neriah.

The exhibition features three series: "Rosh Milin," inspired by Rabbi Kook's work on Hebrew letters and vowels; "Ba'al Tefillah" (A Prayerful Person), based on a story by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov; and "The Haggadah of the Maharal - The Might of the Name," interpreting the Maharal's commentary on the Passover Haggadah. Each artwork includes a QR code linking to deeper information about the underlying text. The exhibition runs until the end of October, with a gallery talk scheduled for October 25th.