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{{Short description|American-Israeli soldier (1984–2006)}} |
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{{for|persons of a similar name|Michael Levin (disambiguation)}} |
{{for|persons of a similar name|Michael Levin (disambiguation)}} |
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'''Michael Levin''' (February 17, 1984, [[Holland, Pennsylvania|Holland]], [[Pennsylvania]], United States – August 1, 2006, [[Ayta ash |
''' Michael Levin''' (February 17, 1984, [[Holland, Pennsylvania|Holland]], [[Pennsylvania]], United States – August 1, 2006, [[Ayta ash Shab]], Lebanon) was an American-Israeli soldier in the [[Paratroopers Brigade]] of the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF) who was [[killed in action]] in the [[2006 Lebanon War|Second Lebanon War]]. |
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Levin's death had a major impact in Israel. Thousands of people attended his funeral, and his death inspired the creation of the [[Lone Soldier Center]], a support organization for other [[lone soldiers]] in the IDF. A memorial to him was built in [[Jerusalem]]. |
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Levin was raised in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and attended Gratz College<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jewishexponent.com/2013/04/25/service-honors-those-whove-died-in-defense-of-israel/|title=Service Honors Those Who’ve Died in Defense of Israel|last1=Leiter|first1=Robert|website=Jewish Exponent|publisher=Jewish Exponent|accessdate=30 April 2018}}</ref> before moving to Israel shortly after he turned 18 years of age. Michael's maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors and had a great impact on his Jewish identity.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/Features/Michael-Levin-Bigger-than-life-itself|title=MICHAEL LEVIN: BIGGER THAN LIFE ITSELF|last1=Katz|first1=Yaakov|date=April 22, 2007|accessdate=30 April 2018|publisher=Jpost, Inc.|agency=Jerusalem Post}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Omer Yaniv, from Levin's paratrooper unit, gave a graphic description of the chaotic circumstances surrounding his death. The 890th Paratrooper Battalion came under heavy fire as they advanced into the town. The IDF soldiers could not identify the source of the fire. The battalion's units got separated when running |
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Levin grew up in Holland in [[Bucks County]], Pennsylvania, the grandson of two Holocaust survivors. In the summers, he attended [[Camp Ramah]], a [[Jewish summer camp]]. Inspired by the stories of his grandparents, Levin made ''[[aliyah]]'' and moved to [[Israel]] in 2002 at the age of 18. He spent a year in an ''[[ulpan]]'' studying Hebrew and volunteering on [[Kibbutz]] Tirat Tzvi,<ref name="JTA2006">{{cite news |title=Pennsylvania-born IDF Soldier Remembered As Friend and Zionist |url=https://www.jta.org/archive/pennsylvania-born-idf-soldier-remembered-as-friend-and-zionist |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]] |date=2006-08-03}}</ref><ref name="Jpost">{{cite news |last1=Katz |first1=Yaakov |title=Michael Levin: Bigger than life itself |url=https://www.jpost.com/Features/Michael-Levin-Bigger-than-life-itself |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[Jerusalem Post]] |date=2007-04-22}}</ref> before joining the [[Israel Defense Forces]] (IDF).<ref name="CampStories">{{cite news |last1=Schucht |first1=Eric |title=Lone Soldier Michael Levin's Memory Lives on at Camp Ramah |url=https://www.jewishexponent.com/lone-soldier-michael-levin-camp-ramah/ |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[Jewish Exponent]] |date=2019-07-19}}</ref> |
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As a foreign-born soldier without immediate family in Israel, Levin was considered a [[lone soldier]] in the IDF. When Levin enlisted, there were an estimated 2,300 lone soldiers, approximately 120 of whom were American.<ref name="Wapo">{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Molly |title=U.S. Family Lays 'Lone Soldier' Son to Rest in Israel |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2006/08/04/us-family-lays-lone-soldier-son-to-rest-in-israel/c03d1de9-df99-4ae8-80a5-b3e3ad741fe9/ |access-date=8 July 2023 |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date=2006-08-04}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | Levin was one of three IDF soldiers killed in Ayta ash |
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==IDF service== |
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| ⚫ | A memorial for Levin was |
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Levin had completed 2 years in the IDF when the [[Second Lebanon War]] broke out between Israel and [[Lebanon]] in July 2006. Levin was in Battalion 890 of the IDF's [[Paratroopers Brigade]].<ref name="Jpost" /> When the war erupted, Levin ended his home leave in Pennsylvania and rejoined his unit stationed on Israel's northern border with Lebanon.<ref name="Wapo" /> |
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| ⚫ | Omer Yaniv, from Levin's paratrooper unit, gave a graphic description of the chaotic circumstances surrounding his death. The 890th Paratrooper Battalion came under heavy fire as they advanced into the town. The IDF soldiers could not identify the source of the fire. The battalion's units got separated when running for cover. Levin's platoon hid in the back room of an empty store. A [[Hezbollah]] fighter managed to get close and fire straight into the small room, hitting Levin in the head. After several hours reinforcements reached the building and extracted them.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.gvura.org/a344325-כשהחדר-מלא-דם-כמו-בסרטים-זה-נראה-כמו-צבע-לא-קשור |script-title=he:כשהחדר מלא דם, כמו בסרטים, זה נראה כמו צבע לא קשור |script-website=he:אתר הגבורה |author=Ro'i Amos |date=September 2, 2011 |access-date=2011-11-10}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | On August 1, 2011, the 5th anniversary ("[[yarzheit]]") of Levin's death according to the [[Gregorian calendar]], a flag was flown over the US Capitol in his memory at the request of a man from his local area, Johnson Reynolds, who considered him both an Israeli and American hero. Upon receiving the flag from the architect of the Capitol, Reynolds, at the |
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===Death=== |
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| ⚫ | Levin was one of three IDF soldiers killed in [[Ayta ash Shab]] that day. Another 27 on the Israeli side were wounded. For several hours the Israeli soldiers fought and killed 15 Hezbollah fighters, according to IDF figures. The IDF's wounded were treated at the spot under heavy fire, as an evacuation was deemed almost impossible.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://info.jpost.com/C002/Supplements/CasualtiesOfWar/2006_08_02.html |title=3 soldiers killed in Hizbullah ambush 5 brigades battle village by village in S. Lebanon |author=Yaakov Katz |date=Aug 2, 2006 |access-date=2011-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927061301/http://info.jpost.com/C002/Supplements/CasualtiesOfWar/2006_08_02.html |archive-date=2011-09-27 }}</ref> A local commander of Hezbollah guided [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]] through Ayta ash Shab after the war and showed them the store where Levin was killed.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgFcNs5zQ8U&feature=endscreen&NR=1 | title = Hizbullah Tactics During War 3-3| publisher = al-Jazeera /Youtube | access-date= Dec 4, 2011}} (Arabic)</ref> |
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Levin was the first American and 36th IDF soldier killed during the Second Lebanon War.<ref name="JTA2006" /> Of the 41 IDF soldiers killed during the war, three were lone soldiers.<ref name="Wapo" /> |
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==Funeral and legacy== |
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[[File:Michael Levin grave.jpg|thumb|Michael Levin's grave at Mount Herzl]] |
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Levin was buried on August 3 at [[Mt. Herzl]], Israel's [[national cemetery]].<ref name="Wapo" /><ref name="NYT">{{cite news |last1=Kraft |first1=Dina |title=In Israel, a Tribute to a Young Paratrooper From Pennsylvania |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/04/world/middleeast/04soldier.html |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[New York Times]] |date=2006-08-04}}</ref> Levin's death was credited with increasing interest from lone soldiers in serving in the IDF and improving the resources to support them. By 2014, there were more than 5,700 lone soldiers in the IDF. In addition, there were four [[Lone Solder Centers]] set up in Levin's honor to provide housing, meals, and cultural acclimation support to lone soldiers.<ref name="Inquirer">{{cite news |last1=Nark |first1=Jason |title=Bucks County native inspired 'lone soldiers' in Israel |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/20140729_Bucks_County_native_inspired__lone_soldiers__in_Israel.html |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[Philadelphia Inquirer]] |date=2014-07-29}}</ref> |
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| ⚫ | A memorial for Levin was erected at [[Ammunition Hill]], Jerusalem, the site of a major [[Battle of Ammunition Hill|battle]] during the [[Six-Day War]] of 1967.<ref>[http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/12728/Monument_to_Honor_Fallen_American/ Monument to Honor Fallen American] {{dead link|date=January 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> The [[Lone Soldier Center|Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin]] was created in 2009 by a group of people who had served as "[[lone soldier]]s" in the IDF. The center operates from branches in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. It provides services to lone soldiers such as help finding housing, counseling, and organized meals on Jewish holidays and the Jewish Sabbath. |
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| ⚫ | On August 1, 2011, the 5th anniversary ("[[yarzheit]]") of Levin's death according to the [[Gregorian calendar]], a flag was flown over the US Capitol in his memory at the request of a man from his local area, Johnson Reynolds, who considered him both an Israeli and American hero. Upon receiving the flag from the architect of the Capitol, Reynolds, at the invitation of an IDF battalion commander, traveled with several friends to Israel and on September 21, 2011, accompanied by a member of the IDF, flew that flag over Levin's resting place at Mt. Herzl. On June 27, 2012 they presented the flag to Levin's parents, Mark and Harriet Levin, in a case with the assistance of Consul General Daniel Kutner of the Israeli consulate of Philadelphia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Honoring a Philly Hero |url=https://embassies.gov.il/philadelphia/NewsAndEvents/Pages/Honoring-a-Philly-Hero.aspx |access-date=2024-09-27 |website=embassies.gov.il |language=en}}</ref> |
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==See also== |
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* [[Max Steinberg (soldier)|Max Steinberg]], lone soldier killed during the [[2014 Gaza War]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/03/AR2006080301539.html U.S. Family Lays 'Lone Soldier' Son to Rest in Israel] |
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* [http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3707793,00.html ynetnews - News - sorry page] |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://lonesoldiercenter.com The Lone Soldier Center – In Memory of Michael Levin] |
* [http://lonesoldiercenter.com The Lone Soldier Center – In Memory of Michael Levin] |
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* [http://www.israelpolitik.org/2008/08/15/remembering-michael-levin/ |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120212065344/http://www.israelpolitik.org/2008/08/15/remembering-michael-levin/ Remembering Michael Levin] |
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[[Category:Gratz College]] |
[[Category:Gratz College]] |
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[[Category:Israeli military personnel killed in action]] |
[[Category:Israeli military personnel killed in action]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Military personnel from Bucks County, Pennsylvania]] |
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[[Category:Israel Defense Forces]] |
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[[Category:Lone soldiers in the Israeli military]] |
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Latest revision as of 08:54, 27 September 2024
Michael Levin (February 17, 1984, Holland, Pennsylvania, United States – August 1, 2006, Ayta ash Shab, Lebanon) was an American-Israeli soldier in the Paratroopers Brigade of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) who was killed in action in the Second Lebanon War.
Levin's death had a major impact in Israel. Thousands of people attended his funeral, and his death inspired the creation of the Lone Soldier Center, a support organization for other lone soldiers in the IDF. A memorial to him was built in Jerusalem.
Early life
[edit]Levin grew up in Holland in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the grandson of two Holocaust survivors. In the summers, he attended Camp Ramah, a Jewish summer camp. Inspired by the stories of his grandparents, Levin made aliyah and moved to Israel in 2002 at the age of 18. He spent a year in an ulpan studying Hebrew and volunteering on Kibbutz Tirat Tzvi,[1][2] before joining the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).[3]
As a foreign-born soldier without immediate family in Israel, Levin was considered a lone soldier in the IDF. When Levin enlisted, there were an estimated 2,300 lone soldiers, approximately 120 of whom were American.[4]
IDF service
[edit]Levin had completed 2 years in the IDF when the Second Lebanon War broke out between Israel and Lebanon in July 2006. Levin was in Battalion 890 of the IDF's Paratroopers Brigade.[2] When the war erupted, Levin ended his home leave in Pennsylvania and rejoined his unit stationed on Israel's northern border with Lebanon.[4]
Omer Yaniv, from Levin's paratrooper unit, gave a graphic description of the chaotic circumstances surrounding his death. The 890th Paratrooper Battalion came under heavy fire as they advanced into the town. The IDF soldiers could not identify the source of the fire. The battalion's units got separated when running for cover. Levin's platoon hid in the back room of an empty store. A Hezbollah fighter managed to get close and fire straight into the small room, hitting Levin in the head. After several hours reinforcements reached the building and extracted them.[5]
Death
[edit]Levin was one of three IDF soldiers killed in Ayta ash Shab that day. Another 27 on the Israeli side were wounded. For several hours the Israeli soldiers fought and killed 15 Hezbollah fighters, according to IDF figures. The IDF's wounded were treated at the spot under heavy fire, as an evacuation was deemed almost impossible.[6] A local commander of Hezbollah guided Al Jazeera through Ayta ash Shab after the war and showed them the store where Levin was killed.[7]
Levin was the first American and 36th IDF soldier killed during the Second Lebanon War.[1] Of the 41 IDF soldiers killed during the war, three were lone soldiers.[4]
Funeral and legacy
[edit]
Levin was buried on August 3 at Mt. Herzl, Israel's national cemetery.[4][8] Levin's death was credited with increasing interest from lone soldiers in serving in the IDF and improving the resources to support them. By 2014, there were more than 5,700 lone soldiers in the IDF. In addition, there were four Lone Solder Centers set up in Levin's honor to provide housing, meals, and cultural acclimation support to lone soldiers.[9]
A memorial for Levin was erected at Ammunition Hill, Jerusalem, the site of a major battle during the Six-Day War of 1967.[10] The Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin was created in 2009 by a group of people who had served as "lone soldiers" in the IDF. The center operates from branches in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. It provides services to lone soldiers such as help finding housing, counseling, and organized meals on Jewish holidays and the Jewish Sabbath.
On August 1, 2011, the 5th anniversary ("yarzheit") of Levin's death according to the Gregorian calendar, a flag was flown over the US Capitol in his memory at the request of a man from his local area, Johnson Reynolds, who considered him both an Israeli and American hero. Upon receiving the flag from the architect of the Capitol, Reynolds, at the invitation of an IDF battalion commander, traveled with several friends to Israel and on September 21, 2011, accompanied by a member of the IDF, flew that flag over Levin's resting place at Mt. Herzl. On June 27, 2012 they presented the flag to Levin's parents, Mark and Harriet Levin, in a case with the assistance of Consul General Daniel Kutner of the Israeli consulate of Philadelphia.[11]
See also
[edit]- Max Steinberg, lone soldier killed during the 2014 Gaza War
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Pennsylvania-born IDF Soldier Remembered As Friend and Zionist". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2006-08-03. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ a b Katz, Yaakov (2007-04-22). "Michael Levin: Bigger than life itself". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Schucht, Eric (2019-07-19). "Lone Soldier Michael Levin's Memory Lives on at Camp Ramah". Jewish Exponent. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d Moore, Molly (2006-08-04). "U.S. Family Lays 'Lone Soldier' Son to Rest in Israel". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Ro'i Amos (September 2, 2011). כשהחדר מלא דם, כמו בסרטים, זה נראה כמו צבע לא קשור. אתר הגבורה. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ^ Yaakov Katz (Aug 2, 2006). "3 soldiers killed in Hizbullah ambush 5 brigades battle village by village in S. Lebanon". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
- ^ "Hizbullah Tactics During War 3-3". al-Jazeera /Youtube. Retrieved Dec 4, 2011. (Arabic)
- ^ Kraft, Dina (2006-08-04). "In Israel, a Tribute to a Young Paratrooper From Pennsylvania". New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Nark, Jason (2014-07-29). "Bucks County native inspired 'lone soldiers' in Israel". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- ^ Monument to Honor Fallen American [permanent dead link]
- ^ "Honoring a Philly Hero". embassies.gov.il. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
External links
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