Aryeh Levin
A humble Jerusalem rabbi whose boundless compassion for prisoners and the afflicted made him a living symbol of practical holiness.
1885–1969 (age 84)·Israeli rabbi·Birthday: March 22·The Lost Generation
Biography
Rabbi Aryeh Levin earned the title 'Father of the Prisoners' by visiting Jewish underground fighters imprisoned during the British Mandate. Born in what is now Belarus, he immigrated to Ottoman-controlled Jerusalem as a young man. He walked the city's alleys and courtyards, offering spiritual comfort to prisoners every Sabbath, relaying messages to families, and tending to their needs. His home was a sanctuary for the poor, the sick, and the lonely. He regularly visited the leper colony near Jerusalem, embracing its shunned inhabitants. In an era of growing ideological conflict, Levin's focus on individual suffering and simple charity made him a rare unifying figure across the Jewish spectrum.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Aryeh was born in 1885, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Aryeh Was Born
The biggest hits of 1885
Aryeh's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1885Born
Karl Benz builds the first gasoline-powered automobile
President: Grover Cleveland
1890Started school
Wounded Knee massacre marks the end of the Indian Wars
President: Benjamin Harrison
1898Became a teenager
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1901Could drive
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1903Could vote
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Turned 21
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1915Turned 30
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1925Turned 40
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1935Turned 50
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1945Turned 60
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 70
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 80
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1969Died at 84
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
Key Achievements
- Made weekly Sabbath visits to Jewish prisoners held by the British Mandate authorities, providing moral and material support for decades.
- Served as the personal spiritual guide to many prominent Torah scholars and yeshiva heads in Jerusalem.
- Was a dedicated visitor to the Jerusalem leper hospital, offering comfort and friendship to those isolated by illness.
Did You Know?
He and his wife were known for their extraordinary hospitality, often giving away their own food and bedding to the needy.
Despite his renown, he lived in a small, modest apartment in the Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem.
He was a close confidant and supporter of the Sephardic sage, the Chacham Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld.
A biography of him, 'A Tzaddik in Our Time,' by Simcha Raz, became a widely read classic.
“When I visit the prisoners, I feel that I am visiting the Divine Presence itself, which is imprisoned with them.”
