Rare Hendel Lieberman Masterpiece to Headline Upcoming Judaica Auction
An important and rare painting by beloved Chabad artist Hendel Chenoch Lieberman (1900–1976) will be offered at auction by J. Greenstein & Company, as part of an upcoming sale featuring more than 130 exceptional lots of antique and modern Judaica.
The centerpiece of the auction is Tashlich, a large oil-on-canvas masterpiece painted in 1967, measuring 39” x 34” (45” x 41” framed). In the vivid work, Lieberman masterfully captures the scene of Tashlich as it would have been observed in Russia, bringing to life the colors, movement, and spirit of the long-lost Old World shtetl. The painting is notable both for its artistic quality and its deep emotional and historical resonance.
Shortly after it was completed, Tashlich was exhibited in Jacques Lipchitz’s Exhibition of Chassidic Art at Wayne University in Detroit. The Lubavitcher Rebbe sent Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky as his liaison to attend the exhibition and read a letter at its opening—underscoring the significance of Lieberman’s work and its place within Chabad cultural history.
Hendel Lieberman, born Chenoch Hendel Futerfas in Plyeshchanitsy, Belarus, was a devoted Chabad chassid and the brother of renowned mashpia Rabbi Menachem Mendel Futerfas. Affectionately known throughout the Chabad world as “Feter Hendel,” his life story was marked by both tragedy and resilience. While serving in the Red Army during World War II, his wife Breina and their two daughters were murdered by a Nazi Einsatzgruppe in 1941.
In 1946, Lieberman escaped the Soviet Union using forged Polish papers, later changing his surname to Lieberman to evade the KGB. After time in Paris and London, he eventually settled in Brooklyn, where he became a chassid of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. His art, focused on Jewish and Chassidic life, customs, and spiritual moments, has since earned international recognition, with works held in major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Chabad rock band Feter Hendel is named in his honor.
In addition to the Lieberman painting, the auction will feature 130 other important and rare lots of Judaica, spanning antique ritual objects and Jewish-themed art of historical and cultural importance.
J. Greenstein & Company, founded in 2004 by noted Judaica expert Jonathan Greenstein, is widely respected as a leading authority in the field of antique Judaica and Jewish art. Based in Cedarhurst, New York, the boutique auction house has become a trusted destination for collectors, museums, and institutions seeking authentic Jewish ritual objects and artworks.
Over the years, the auction house has gained widespread attention for landmark sales, including Sammy Davis Jr.’s personal menorah, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s piano, and Professor Alan Dershowitz’s Judaica collection. Jonathan Greenstein, who has been immersed in the field for more than four decades, is also a well-known commentator on Jewish art and culture and a frequent media guest.
The upcoming auction offers collectors and the broader Jewish community a rare opportunity to acquire a profound piece of Chabad artistic heritage, alongside an exceptional selection of Judaica with deep historical significance.
