I have heard from people who liked this painting that it " tells a story." What is the man's story? Has he wandered in his life? Has he had other transitions? Where does he come from? At what point in his life did he discover his Judaism? What I see in his eyes is a story of years of suffering and hardship that did not break him but only forged his personality and made it deeper and connected to values that are beyond time and matter. Here he is, with the musical instrument that is his beloved friend. The painting tells us his personal story, which is the story of thousands of other Jews like him throughout history.