Born in Russia, Rifka Angel was schooled at home as a youngster by Jewish parents. To escape religious persecution her father fled to New York City, and she joined him in 1914. A sister and brother refused to come and later perished in the Holocaust. Her father had art talent, and sketching in his spare time, encouraged her to do the same. She also said later that "her desire to create art was born out of the turmoil of her early life and her need to find peace of mind." However, she was 25 years old before she took up art with any seriousness. Enrolling at the Art Students League of New York, she studied with Boardman Robinson and was especially inspired by other artists she met there, especially John Sl...