Shoshannah Finkelstein
"Painting is the essence of my existence"
Shoshannah Finkelstein (nee Dolinsky) was born in Skidel, Grodno
District on the eve of W.W-1. Her parents were; Slava nee Rajchstein
of Grodno who was a teacher and Jacob Dolinsky who was born in Brisk
and later moved to Skidel. Jacab was a teacher and a merchant.
Her older brother; David was born in 1910. Her youngest sister; Rivka,
born in 1919.
Already in her early childhood painting has attracted Shoshannah.
At 13 years of age her parents had sent her to Grodno' then capital of
the district, to study fashion design. After having completed her
studies in Grodno, Shoshannah moved to Vilnius to study Art at the
Local University.
While Living in Vilnius she had become exposed to the prevailing
atmosphere of anti-Semitism and had witnessed many atrocities and
violent deeds committed against Jews. All these experiences had
convinced her to decide to leave Poland and immigrate to Palestine.
Shoshannah joined the "haChalutz" youth movement and had begun to
prepare herself for the "Alliyah". During this period of getting ready
Shoshannah had not forsaken her artistic activities: She had
contributed to many expositions by the Keren Kayyemet and was rewarded
many times. Her family, who had not shared her enthusiasm for
Palestine, had remained in Poland and became victims of the Holocaust.
Finally Shoshannah embarked for Palestine in 1938; there she had
joined the "Plugot Hayam" group, which set up the Afeq kibbutz not far
from Haifa. In the kibbutz, and disregarding hardships of those times,
Shoshannah went on with her painting relentlessly. She joined a group
of painters, took lessons from the world famous painter Hermann
Struck.
Prof. Heinich teacher of "Beux-Arts" at the Technicum of Haifa, was
also her instructor. Finally, Shoshannah decided to quit the kibbutz,
the conflict between her individualism, as artist could not be
reconciled with the collective way of life of the kibbutz any more.
Living in Haifa fitted Shoshannah and her husband Israel very well.
Shoshannah joined a group of people who made Haifa the core of their
artistic activity. most of the members were being Jews of German
origin fleeing from the Nazi Regime.
Shoshannah had established very close friendship with Dr. Schiff the
Curator of the Haifa Museum of Modern Art and also with his deputy
Paula Eichenbaum. The Haifa Museum had held those days a prominent
position in Israel.
Both Schiff and Paula helped Shoshannah's career devotedly both by
assisting her to get public recognition for her art and by encouraging
her to take part in various public projects. On of these was her
contract with the "Zim" Shipping Company, which agreed to include her
works in the internal decor of the company's passenger ships. The
links with "Zim" opened for Shoshannah the opportunity for traveling
abroad.
Paris, which was then still the entrepot of the artistic world, was of
course her first choice. After having spent there a couple of months
and being deeply imbibed with the Parisian esprit she had returned
home, and put on show many new pictures in the galleries and an
one-man show at the Betzalel Museum of Jerusalem revealing her
Parisian experiences.
Shoshannah held shows also at London and Paris. The Jewish National
Institutions invited her to join many worldwide shows of Israeli Art.
In 1971 Shoshannah visited the United States. In the U.S. she was
confronted with the prevailing Post Modernistic trend. She had
experienced there the overwhelming driving force of the Avant-garde,
their enthusiasm in the use new techniques and new materials, while
transcending all that was familiar and accepted. At that time her
works were put on show in New York and Pittsburgh. In 1987 Shoshannah
took part at the Riom Biennial, where she had been awarded the 1-st
prize.
In 1996 Shoshannah visited Poland her birthplace, from where she had
returned laden with many sorrowful sights and remembrances. Her visit
to Poland had yielded many new works consecrated to the memory of her
parents.
In 1970 Shoshannah had moved to Jaffa and joined the lively new artist
community in Old Jaffa. She became part of this buoyant and creative
society participating in many shows, festivities and exhibits. Jaffa
the old Mediterranean City with its picturesque sights, arches,
ancient stone masonry, fishermen and colorful multitudes excited her
imagination intensively.
Shoshannah's landscapes sustain a fine balance between the impetuosity
of her emotion and her needs to preserve form as tool for handling
pictorial elements efficiently.
Along with the versatility of her work, Shoshannah had sustained a
certain unity of style, which pervades all her work indiscriminately.
Her aquarels and other paper work impress the onlookers with a feeling
of lightness surrounded by an aura of optimism. Shoshannah's
subjective interpretation of the world creates intuitively very
intimate and spontaneous relations with her public.
Through the nineteen eighties and nineties, Shoshanna kept on
exhibiting her work, both in Israel and abroad, In December 2000 she
held an one man exhibition in the Ramat-Gan Museum of Israeli art. She
passed away in January 2005
Yad Vashem reports by Shoshana;
Dolinsky Slawa
Slawa Dolinsky nee Reichstein was born in Grodno, Poland in 1886 to
Owsej and Rebeka. She was a teacher and married to Jacow. Prior to
WWII she lived in Skidel, Poland. During the war was in Wilno, Poland.
Slawa perished in 1942 in Ponary Area. This information is based on a
Page of Testimony (displayed to the left) submitted on 22/10/1999 by
her daughter from Israel
Dolinsky Jacob
Jacob Dolinsky was born to Nathan and Haja. He was married to Slava.
Prior to WWII he lived in Skidel, Poland. During the war was in
Vilnius, Poland. Jacob perished in Ponary, Poland at the age of 61.
This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to the
left) submitted by his daughter; Shoshana.
Dolinsky David
David Dolinsky was born in Skidel, Poland to Jacob and Slava nee
Rajchstein. He was an accountant and married. Prior to WWII he lived
in Skidel, Poland. During the war was in Wilno, Poland. David perished
in Auschwitz at the age of 32. This information is based on a Page of
Testimony submitted by his sister; Shoshana
Reikhshtein Sonia
Sonia Reikhshtein nee Reikhshtein was born in Grodno, Poland to
Owsey and Rebeka nee Halperin. She was a grocer and married. Prior to
WWII she lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war was in Wilno, Poland.
Sonia perished in 1941 in Ponary, Poland. This information is based on
a Page of Testimony (displayed to the left) submitted on 26/10/1999 by
her niece ( daughter of her sister) from Israel
Dolinsky Rywka
Rywka Dolinsky was born in Skidel, Poland in 1919 to Jacow and
Slawa. She was a student . Prior to WWII she lived in Skidel, Poland.
During the war was in Wilno, Poland. Rywka perished in 1942 in Ponary,
Poland. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to
the left) submitted on 26/10/1999 by her sister from Israel
Slep Dona
Dona Slep nee Halperin was born in Wilna, Poland in 1895 to David.
She was a teacher and married. Prior to WWII she lived in Wilna,
Poland. Dona perished in 1943 in Ponary, Poland. This information is
based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to the left) submitted on
30/05/1955 by her cousin
Slep Abram
Abram Slep was born in Wilna, Poland in 1890. He was a music teacher
and married to Dona nee Halperin. During the war was in Wilno, Poland.
Abram perished in Latvia. This information is based on a Page of
Testimony (displayed to the left) submitted on 30/05/1955 by his
cousin
Blumberg
nee Rajchstein was born to Owsey and Rebeka nee Halperin. Prior to
WWII she lived in Wloclawek, Poland. she perished in 1940 in the
Shoah. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to
the left) submitted on 30/01/1987 by her sisters' daughter; Shoshana
Finkelshtein from Israel
Merlis Owsiej
Owsiej Merlis was born in 1880. He was a a book dealer and married
to Helena nee Halperin. Prior to WWII he lived in Wilna, Poland.
Owsiej perished in Ponari, Poland. This information is based on a Page
of Testimony (displayed to the left) submitted on 30/05/1955 by his
relative- the cousin of his wife.
Milshtein Hadasa
Hadasa Milshtein nee Reichstein was born in Grodno, Poland to Owsei
and Rebeka. She was a merchant and married to Eliezer. Prior to WWII
she lived in Wilno, Poland. Hadasa perished in 1942 in Ponary Area.
This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to the
left) submitted on 20/10/1999 by her niece from Israel
Milkanowizky Betia
Betia Milkanowizky nee Merlis was born in Wilno, Poland in 1908 to
Owsei and Helena. She was a lawyer and married to Bunim. Prior to WWII
she lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war was in Wilno, Poland. Betia
perished in 1942 in Ponary, Poland at the age of 34. This information
is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to the left) submitted on
26/10/1999 by her cousin from Israel
Broydo Jasha
Jasha Broydo was born in Vilno, Poland in 1915 to Hadasa nee
Reichstein. He was a veterinarian and married. Prior to WWII he lived
in Vilno, Poland. During the war was in Vilno, Poland. Jasha perished
in Vilno, Poland at the age of 24. This information is based on a Page
of Testimony (displayed to the left) submitted on 26/10/1999 by his
cousin.
Blumenberg Helene
Helene Blumenberg nee Reichstein was born in Grodno, Poland to Owsei
and Rebeka. She was a photographer and married. Prior to WWII she
lived in Wloclawek, Poland. During the war was in Wloclawek, Poland.
Helene perished in 1941 in Wloclawek, Poland at the age of 55. This
information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to the left)
submitted on 26/10/1999 by her niece from Israel
Utianski Zina
Zina Utianski nee Reichstein was born in Grodno, Poland in 1908 to
Owsei and Rivka. She was a merchant and married to Avram. Prior to
WWII she lived in Minsk, Belorussia (USSR). During the war was in
Minsk, Belorussia (USSR). Zina perished in 1942 in Ussr at the age of
34. This information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to the
left) submitted on 26/10/1999 by her niece from Israel.
Sonya nee Rajchstein was born in Grodno, Poland to Yevsey and Rivka.
She was married. Prior to WWII she lived in Wilno, Poland. During the
war was in Wilno, Poland. Sonya perished in Ponary, Poland. This
information is based on a Page of Testimony (displayed to the left)
submitted by her niece
Dolinsky Yacow
Yacow Dolinsky was born in Brisk, Poland in 1883 to Natan and Haja.
He was a teacher and married to Slava nee Reichstein. Prior to WWII he
lived in Wilno, Poland. During the war was in Wilno, Poland. Yacow
perished in 1942 in Ponary, Poland. This information is based on a
Page of Testimony (displayed to the left) submitted on 22/10/1999 by
his daughter from Israel