Unknown Kleinman Painting Found

By COLlive reporter

A newly discovered early work by the renowned Chassidic artist Zalman Kleinman, who passed away over 20 years ago, is expected to generate the interest of his many fans.

The black and white sketch shows a group of Chassidim seated by a table as they intensely exchange ideas during a Torah class.

The drawing is reminiscent of the works that Kleinman has become synonymous with – depicting the rich and devout life of members of the Chabad-Lubavitch chassidic community in Russia, Israel and the United States.

Despite a childhood filled with war and anti-Semitism in Leningrad, Kleinman’s work was not filled with sadness or tragic recollections. Rather, he sought to evoke the tenacity of the Chassidic culture that refused to succumb to hardships in communist Russia.

At the age of 13, Kleinman left Russia to travel with a group of Polish Jews through Displaced Persons’ camps, finally settled in France for three years at a yeshiva in Paris.

Kleinman then traveled to Israel and joined the army as an artist for the military rabbinate after studying in Paris. His artist’s studies were briefly sponsored by Israel’s third president and Chabad admirer Zalman Shazar.

“My estimation is that this unknown artwork was drawn by Zalman during his youth living in Kfar Chabad,” estimated the Chassidic artist Yechiel Offner who made the discovery.

Offner has not disclosed where the drawing was found. He speculated that the drawing was created about 60 years ago during the early days of the Chassidic village in central Israel.

After several years in Israel, Kleinman returned to Paris, where he met and married his wife Rosa. The Kleinmans settled in Crown Heights, Brooklyn after having traveled to New York, where they would raise a family.

Kleinman illustrated books and magazines while developing a reputation as a painter and was able to support his family as an artist. He was very highly respected in the Chassidic community of his artistic talents and strong faith and resided in Crown Heights until his death in 1995.