Arutz Sheva - Israel National News spoke with German-born artist Barbara Hines who has opened "Jerusalem in My Soul," her first solo exhibition in Israel from October 15th - 21st December, 2026, at the Moshe Castel Museum of Jewish Israeli Art, in Maaleh Adumim.
"Jerusalem in My Soul" is an exploration of her deep love and connection to Zion after a long spiritual journey from Christianity, through Hinduism, Sufism and Buddhism that took a sharp turn when she discovered her parents had hidden their Jewish identity to evade the Nazis.
Barbara Hines’ entire life, religion and identity changed after a phone call between her son and mother. While studying at one of London’s most prestigious Church of England schools, young Trevor had decided to convert to Judaism. He called to tell his elderly German grandmother, who casually replied: "That’s interesting dear, because my mother and grandmother were Jewish."
Unbeknownst to Barbara, her father had been dismissed from the Luftwaffe after they discovered his mother was Jewish, and her mother had saved and hid him throughout the war; both were Jews who hid in plain sight as German Christians.
After the war, they could no longer bear to look at their peers and moved to Australia, where she was raised as a Christian. Her parents maintained their secret for fear of another Holocaust.
While her art originally focused on nature and beauty, it began to evolve with her personal story taking on Biblical, Zionist, and Israel-related themes. As she became more religiously observant, her connection to the Holy Land increased too, so much so that she began to mix earth from Israel into her paint to imbue it with extra meaning.
Over the years, she has exhibited around the world, including at the Holocaust Museum Houston, the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, the Aspen Institute in Colorado, the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College in New York, and the Jerusalem Biennale.
After her husband, Gerald Hines, passed away in August 2020, Barbara decided she wanted to fulfill a lifelong dream of moving to Israel. Eventually, she was introduced to Rabbi Dr. Natan Ophir, whom she married on May 29, 2026. Their very first date was at the Castel Museum of Jewish Israeli Art. Not only did Barbara and Natan find love that day, but she was also offered her first solo exhibition in Israel. With the opening of "Jerusalem in My Soul" on October 15, 2026, Barbara’s life journey home came full circle, overlooking the majestic hills of Jerusalem.