In
1925, Jacob Avinathan, "Kuba", was born in Zloczow, Poland. He studied
at a Jewish school in Lodz. When in 1939, Poland was conquered by the Germans,
he was confined in the Jewish Ghetto and was later deported to nazi concentration
camps in Auschwitz and Buchenwald. He is the only survival of his family.
Both his parents and brother perished in the concentration camps.
The camps were liberated by the Americans. After a long recovery period
Kuba joined a group of illegal immigrants who boarded a ship to Israel.
Caught by the British the illegal immigrants were interned in a prison
camp in Athlit. After his release Kuba resided in Haifa where he
worked as an electrician in a British Army Camp. In 1947 Kuba joined the
Haganah. Later in 1948 He was recruited to the Israeli Defense Army and
participated in the independence war of Israel. During the siege in Jerusalem,
he met Zahava Venezia. At the end of the war they got married
and settled in Tel-Aviv where their daughter was born.
In 1952, they moved to Zefat in the hills of the Galilee. His
son was born there and Kuba lived there with his family for twenty years.
During these years he worked as an accountant, an insurer, and a
banker. He was also socially involved with the artist community of Zefat,
but he himself did not start painting until 1970. The Israeli painter Arie
Akstein, "Lolik", his friend from their days in Poland, became his mentor.
In 1972 he had his first ‘one-man’ show in ‘GALLERY 220’ in
Tel-Aviv.
His work as a deputy manager general of the Israeli Hotel Association brought
him to Tel-Aviv where he is currently living.
Today he is retired and devotes himself to painting.
