Zoya Lerman

Here I am, Zoya Lerman, in a photo taken in Kiev in the 1960?s. This photo appeared in the booklet from one of my exhibitions. I am still working. I have exhibitions. Many of my pictures have been sold abroad. Some of them I gave away as presents. I recently got an offer to work in Germany and then organize an exhibition of my pictures there. I lived there for over two months. I had some of my works with me, and I painted while I lived there. The exhibition was held at the palace where one of the Russian tsars once resided. It was beautiful. Sometimes I go to the house of artists in the outskirts of Moscow where I work for 2 or 3 months of the year. I have many friends there. My work is very important for me. I haven't traveled much. I've only been in Poland and France, but I hope I will have an opportunity to visit other countries. But now I find time to study Jewish history and religion, as well as Jewish traditions. I get more and more interested in these studies. I visited Israel recently. I liked it there very much. But one can live a life and be creative only where one was born. Many things are possible now thanks to Hesed and the Jewish Community Center. I used to go there with my friend, but her physical condition is worse and she cannot do it any more. I attend lectures and meetings. I have new friends and we often celebrate Jewish holidays. I read Jewish newspapers and magazines. There are so many interesting things around. I feel that by gaining all this knowledge I'm getting closer to my grandmother. She was the first to open this striking world to me.