Born in 1923 in Vienna, Pinhas spent his early years immersed in his family's world of books, music, and lively discussions. His knack for reading and language emerged quickly, and by age five, he could already recite street signs and manage conversations in French with his mother.

As political tensions rose in the late 1930s, Pinhas and his family left Austria behind. The journey to what was then the Land of Israel brought new challenges, but Pinhas held fast to his curiosity and creativity. Though never a professional painter in the classical sense, he found lifelong fulfillment in sketching, singing, and applying his mechanical skills wherever he could.