Barnett Freedman (1901–1958) Barnett Freedman was born in Stepney, East London, the son of Louis Freedman, a journeyman tailor, and Reiza Ruk, Jewish immigrants from Russia. His early life was marked by hardship; he suffered extended periods of illness as a child and received minimal formal education after age nine, spending time convalescing at the London Hospital where he developed his passion for drawing and music. This formative e…