R' Elya was my great great grandfather. It was very moving for me to paint this picture and I feel very proud looking at it, knowing what an amazing Gadol he was and that I am a grandchild of his.

R’ Elya was not just a Gadol of enormous stature, he was extremely humble. In the face of his strengths, his position, and his title, he maintained extreme humility. He would never daven at the front of the shul, only with the other bachurim, in the fear he may begin to think himself worthy of the honor. That was his level of humility.

The plain coloring, the angle of R’ Elya’s face, and the dignity it expresses, were chosen to portray that quality.