German-born artist Barbara Hines will present her first solo exhibition in Israel, titled *Jerusalem In My Soul*, at the Moshe Castel Museum of Jewish Israeli Art. The exhibition will be on display from October 15 through December 31.

The show reflects a significant personal and spiritual transformation for Hines, sparked by a late discovery of her family’s concealed Holocaust history. Raised as a Christian in Australia, Hines explored various religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, before uncovering her Jewish heritage. This revelation came after a phone conversation in which her son informed his grandmother of his intention to convert to Judaism, prompting the grandmother to disclose that her mother and grandmother had been Jewish.

Unaware of her ancestry, Hines learned that both of her parents were Jewish Holocaust survivors who had concealed their identities as German Christians to avoid persecution. Her father was removed from the Luftwaffe once his Jewish background was discovered, and during World War II, her mother protected him by hiding this truth. After the war, traumatized and fearing further persecution, the family immigrated to Australia and maintained their secrecy.

This newfound awareness profoundly impacted Hines’s artistic direction. Previously focused on nature themes, her work shifted toward biblical, Zionist, and Israeli motifs. She also began incorporating physical soil from Israel into her paints, aiming to imbue her pieces with additional spiritual significance. Her art has been exhibited internationally, including at the Holocaust Museum Houston and the Jerusalem Biennale.

Following the death of her husband, Gerald Hines, in 2020, Barbara Hines relocated to Israel to pursue a lifelong aspiration. In Israel, she met Rabbi Dr. Natan Ophir, whom she married on May 29, 2026. Their first date took place at the Moshe Castel Museum, the venue now hosting her debut Israeli exhibition.