Michael Levin was always smiling.
"You never saw Michael without a smile," said Rachel Tova Rott, a member of Michael's circle of Jerusalem friends. "We were all so close. Most of us are here in Israel alone, we live in Nachloat, and we bonded, became family for each other. When this whole mess in Lebanon began, I worried about Michael because he was on active duty in the IDF. Then someone said he'd gone to visit his family in Pennsylvania, and I was so relieved -- at least I didn't have to worry about him. Next thing we knew, he'd cut his vacation short and rejoined his unit. It was something he had to do, he said. 'If I didn't come back to fight with my unit, I wouldn't have any life anyway.'"
On Tuesday, August 1, two days before Tisha B'Av, First Sgt. Michael Levin, 22, died a hero's death. His unit, Battalion 890, had been clearing a building in Aita al-Shaab, a southern Lebanese town, when Hezbollah scored a direct hit with an anti-tank missile. The human toll was horrific – 11 wounded and three killed. Michael's comrade Shanir Turjeman told Ynet what happened: "I heard on the two-way radio that Michael was wounded, and I remembered the night before, when we'd been talking about girlfriends, family, and life," Turjeman said. "I'd lost eye contact with him during the heavy sniper fire and the antitank attack, and then during the evacuation I spotted him lying there, badly injured."
It turned out that Michael was killed instantly. His comrade, Shlomi Singer -- another Anglo immigrant -- tried to save him. "It was very difficult," Singer said. "We were under heavy fire, and all around us our friends were wounded."
On Tisha B'Av, Levin was laid to rest in Mount Hertzl Cemetery. His family – mother, father, sister Alisa and his twin sister Dara -- flew in from Pennsylvania. They were joined by hundreds of people from all over Israel who came to pay tribute to the young hero.
"There's a huge hole in our group," said Yael Ariel, another friend. "We're already so lonesome for him -- he's the one we need right now. If Michael were here, he'd have some funny little comment, some little quip. He'd say something to bring us out of it, to relieve the pressure."
To speak of Michael's courage and strength of character seems almost superfluous. At age 18, he deliberately chose the hard, dirty, dangerous work of the IDF by coming to Israel to enlist in the IDF as a 'lone soldier'. Officially, 'lone soldiers' serve in the MAHAL unit, a Hebrew acronym for "overseas volunteers". Native Israeli's give the acronym a different twist: they say the letters stand for “Meshuga’im M’Hutz L’Aretz” -- the 'crazy guys from outside Israel' who voluntarily enlist.
Levin's 'crazy' passion for Israel was ignited during his years at Camp Ramah. While many campers became enthusiastic Zionists, Michael was unique – he never let go of passion for Israel. His determination to not only live here, but to serve in the IDF, never wavered. Eytan Peer was Michael's Shaliach, the Israeli immigration agent, who processed Michael's application for aliyah. "Michael just showed up at my office in New York unannounced," Peer said. "He'd charmed his way in. In my entire career, I've only seen one other person so determined."
Upon arrival in Israel, Michael wasn't about to tolerate the built-in delay that allows most new immigrants several months to settle in and adjust to the Israeli way of life before starting IDF training. Michael fought for -- and received -- special permission to join the IDF almost right away. Once in, he fought again to get into the elite Paratroopers Brigade, becoming one of the few former Americans ever to do so. He had to fight against another disadvantage: he was so slightly built, so thin, that the first time he parachuted, he drifted off course. After that, they attached weights to his parachute.
Michael was an overachiever in everything he did. Not only was he an A+ student during his 2001 term at the Alexander Muss High School in Israel, but everyone who knew him came away with a greater love for Israel themselves. "Michael always ran ahead of everyone else," Yael Ariel recalled. "No matter what it was, he volunteered to do it. When he come back to rejoin his unit, they tried to send him to Hevron, but again he fought -- he wanted to serve in Lebanon.
Michael was more than brave. Courage was part of his character.
"Was that brave?" Ariel asked. "That word doesn't really fit Michael – he was more than brave. Michael wasn't a person who did brave things. Instead, courage was part of his character. Like his coming alone to Israel to enlist in the IDF – that wasn't 'brave', so much as it was a reflection of who he was."
"In anything he did, we worked harder than anyone else," Rachel Tova Rott added. "When he was training, he weighed about 125 pounds, but part of the regimen was to run carrying a 120-pound pack. The pack weighted almost as much as he did, but he did it anyway."
Many of Michael's friends and family believe he had some premonition of his fate. "It upset me at the time," Rott says. "He'd say things like, 'if I come back', and 'if I get out of this'. I begged him to stop, not say that, but it wasn't as though he was depressed -- exactly the opposite. It was as though he knew what his job was, what he was supposed to do in this world. And -- just as he did with everything else -- he ran ahead to do it with enthusiasm, happy to be able to serve Israel. He was just the most remarkably upbeat, positive, kind and caring person I've ever met."
"Mike was a very spiritual guy," said Yitzhak Meir, another Jerusalem friend. "Shabbat will never be the same without him. Michael loved to sing zemirot, Shabbat songs. No matter how many we sang, he always wanted to sing one more. One time there was someone at the Shabbat table that wasn't really getting into it, and Mike was encouraging him, 'You gotta sing!' he said. 'You can't feel Shabbat unless you sing!' Then he'd start another song."
"Michael had a unique way of relating to everyone as their best friend," Meir said. "No matter who he was talking to, he made them feel special. In everything he did, he gave his all, whether it was listening to a friend, cheering at a football game, singing on Shabbat, or serving in the IDF."
There are no doubt hundreds of people all over the world who thought of Michael as his or her best friend. "I always knew that if there was ever a time when I needed help, for anything, I could call Michael and he'd come," Yael Ariel said. "If he was anywhere in the area, not on a mission, he'd be there, right away. It would never occur to him that it was too late, that it was a long way, or that he was exhausted himself. If someone needed him, he was there.
"The one thing that comforts me now is that Michael knew we loved him," Ariel said. "Sometimes when people pass away, you feel you should have told them more how much they meant to you, how much you loved them. But with Michael, he knew. He knew how much we all loved him, trusted him and appreciated him. That helps -- to know that he died understanding how much he meant to all of us."
Our Sages tell us that when a righteous person leaves this world, his presence can be felt more strongly in all the worlds than it was during his lifetime. Freed from his physical body, his influence will be even greater.
Michael himself may have understood that. About a month ago, he and a friend from a kibbutz were talking, lamenting the many losses Israel has suffered.. 'Why is it that all the good ones, the stong ones, die first?' the friend asked. Michael thought a moment, then said, "Maybe the real war is up there, and God needs them there."
Rest in peace, Michael Levin. You fought the good fight, you gave your best, every time. The True Judge, Blessed be He, has called you home to continue your work from another plane. May all of us who knew you, and all who met you only through your story, be blessed by your courage, your love of life, and your passion for Israel and the Jewish people. We love you, Michael. We'll never forget your smile, and with your help, we'll continue working to accomplish all the things you wanted for your beloved homeland.
(33) Bob eubanks, October 15, 2017 10:31 PM
Lived his life on his terms
Duty before comfort
(32) Louise, April 16, 2013 1:25 PM
Thank you for what you have done for the other Lone Soldiers
My son is also in the IDF from Jacksonville, Florida. As a mother I can not thank you enough for the programs that are set up in Michael's memory. There hundreds of soldiers at Pasach sader this year. What wonderful merit for his neshama
(31) Anonymous, April 14, 2013 3:48 PM
May we all emulate the way of this young Israeli American Soldier
May he rest in peace...
(30) Marlene Langert, April 11, 2013 3:54 PM
A Special Sooul!
Michael did what he wanted to do. A credit to his parents that they allowed him to do so. He was a very special soul in a body and now is a very special soul free of that body. He is still around to help those who need him. Please feel free to call on him when you need him. Then, be still and be aware so you can hear the answer.
(29) Rodney Rittmann, April 9, 2013 5:36 AM
Dear Mike
Yom HaShoah was yesterday and Yom HaZikron is coming up. I thought it would become easier with time, but not really. I miss you buddy. Even though you are gone, you still make me laugh. How do you do that? PS. I still owe you a shokal b'sakit.
(28) Batsheva, April 26, 2012 6:03 AM
So moving
I first read about Michael in a beautiful book called, "Lone Soldiers." It moved me to tears as did this article.
(27) shira, April 24, 2012 10:02 PM
ISRAEL
It never seizes to amaze me, the love of my fellow jews, how wonderful and full of compassion these people write of you dearest michael, God has a plan andi feel you passed on your soul to those here on earth, ever giving, loving and deep deep love for Israel, how lucky we were blessed by god, for he gave us you, and now you are with him, thank you god for michael's life,,,,
(26) John Reynolds, September 16, 2011 4:09 AM
Traveling to See Michael This weekend
I first heard the story about Michael on the News here in Philadelphia when this happened in 2006 and at that point it did not register. It was a few years later working on a special project dealing with history that I ran into Michaels full story online and learned so much more about him, and the events of that day. I would later meet his mother Harriet via telephone to request a copy of the DVD "A hero in Heaven". I watched this and connected with Michaels story as well as his family's story on so many levels and began a special project in his memory and for his parents Harriet and Mark that will be finalized as I travel to Israel for the first time next week. It has been 5 years since Michael passed, and while his mother and father were in Israel to honor their son at Mt Herzl, I ensured he was honored here and had a flag flown at the request of one of our US Senators over the United States Capitol in Michaels memory on Aug 1st. I will be bringing that flag with me to Jerusalem, and plan to hold it up where Michael is buried to honor him. Upon my return, I will be placing this flag in the care of his parents, along with a special case I designed just for Michael's flag. I look forward to meeting some of his fellow soldiers while I am there and to hopefully find out some news about Michaels footlocker that I may be able to bring it to his mother as she had asked me about it upon learning of the details of my trip. I just hope we are able to locate it after these years... Thanks for the wonderful read Aish!
Ruth, April 14, 2013 4:28 PM
The flag
What a privilege and special honor you have to also bring honor to michaels parents and family Nisiya Tova
(25) Stuart Cohen, August 12, 2011 2:11 AM
Thank you Michael
For all 19 years of my life it wasn't until the beginning of this 2011 summer I heard the name Michael Levin. On a Birthright trip this June my friends and I were given the opportunity to walk amongst the heroes at Mt. Herzl. If you've ever walked been there you know that Michael Levin's tombstone stands out amongst all the others. Not for it being built higher than anybody else, nor with more intricate architecture, no it's as standard a tombstone as all of the other heroes in his grave site area have. It stands out because it has been given the most love. Be it Philadelphia Phillies Hats, pictures, wristbands, rocks any way a visitor can say "thank you", "I miss you", or "I love you", it has been said. I didn't fully know who this man was; I showed my respect to the level that I could at that time and promised myself I would look more into Michael Levin when I made it home. Michael you are a dedicated, persevering individual who I'll always be thankful I crossed paths with. I've always believed that if you can positively affect one person's life before you're gone you've succeeded in life. Michael of the just over 20 years you shared with us in this world I know of no one more successful. Thank you for leading us all, by following your dreams. I'll be following your lead. I wish you the very best with Hashem. Thank you Michael.
(24) Zuriël, January 13, 2010 3:11 PM
wow
thank you for this inspirational and inspiring article!
(23) Shayna Letter, November 11, 2009 12:45 PM
Veteran's Day...
I arrived at my friend Ari Blatt's apartment on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem to have a nice Shabbat dinner with him and his visiting mother Julie. Michael Levin was there, he had just returned from Philadelphia (my hometown) and was happy to have the opportunity to serve in the war in Lebanon, defending Israel. We exchanged a few laughs about Philadelphia, and with a big smile and his gun in his hands he said his good-byes to all who were gathered there. He was off to defend us and Israel. I felt so proud of him. I will always remember that moment. His excitement, his enthusiasm, his love for us and for Israel. When the sad news came of Michael's untimely death, I cried like a baby. It was a tremendous blow to our psyche. I struggled to find comfort in the knowledge that he died living his dream of defending Israel against our many enemies. So as we Americans observe this Veteran's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to remember this courageous American-Israeli citizen, who served our nation and sacrificed his life for us all. May Hashem continue to bless him and us, and let him forever be remembered and comforted amongst the mourners of Zion.
(22) Aaron M., August 29, 2009 6:18 PM
A Hero
I was recently in Israel, and learned about Michael's story while being shown around the national cemetery. He is a true inspiration. He was courageous and fought for what is right. Am Yisrael Chai! Michael, rest in peace, you lived your life well.
(21) bobby harris, January 31, 2009 4:21 AM
a hero indeed
i have read about michael levin and yes i agree he did do hard work to defend israel his beloved homeland and i would have been proud to have supported him if he was still here because i do too love israel and never ignore it i couldnt just walk away that isnt me i stand up for everything i beleive in and including the IDF army and all that defend the homeland of israel so i say to michael rest now and we will carry on the task to be done and will look after others who still are in battle to protect and serve thank you for that story it touches me very peaceful meaningful ways wow
(20) Tarin Jakoby, January 23, 2009 12:53 AM
A Bitter Loss, But Great Inspiration
What does it mean to lay down one's life for their country? I visited Michael Levin's grave at Mt. Hertzl three days ago, and as I looked into his smiling face in the photographs and the powerful emotions that people stir when visiting his grave. Michael has given me the inspiration to follow in his footsteps and join the IDF in Israel. He believed--as I now understand--the immense honor it is to serve one's country, even at the cost of their life, in order to protect and defend it. Michael, you will be sorely missed, and God bless you and your family.
(19) Anonymous, August 6, 2008 12:16 AM
my hero
i never knew him but when i heard his story, i felt a connection to him.
he will always be my hero and an inspiration to me. as long as we have jews like him, we will always stand strong and stand as one.
he will always be in our hearts...
(18) JoshuaMann, September 5, 2006 2:25 PM
Thank you
Michael-
Thank you. You are my inspiration and my hero.
As long as we have loving, kind and courageous Jewish soldiers, like Michael, we will never lose!
Am Yisrael Chai!!!!
Michael-
you will truly be missed.
(17) augustine e johnson, August 14, 2006 12:00 AM
hero
he was a hero of israel
(16) michele, August 12, 2006 12:00 AM
My heart is broken. The wasted young lives of out beautiful young men with so much future is lost by people who truly do not deserve to live.
(15) john brown, August 11, 2006 12:00 AM
volunteers to defend Israel are crazy?
Officially, 'lone soldiers' serve in the MAHAL unit, a Hebrew acronym for "overseas volunteers". Native Israeli's give the acronym a different twist: they say the letters stand for "Meshuga'im M'Hutz L'Aretz" -- the 'crazy guys from outside Israel' who voluntarily enlist.To The Editor,I am an American, a very pro-Israel American.It distresses me to see the way Israel is constantly under attack both from the nuts in the surrounding nations as well as in the media.I have considered coming to Israel to fight for her.How eye-opening it is to learn that native Israelis consider those who come to fight for you "crazy".Perhaps I am crazy.Or perhaps the natives are crazy in despising those who would risk their own lives freely to try and save yours.I suppose I will think this over long and hard both in regards to my own service and the services my country offers to yours.How ungrateful can a people possibly be? On your side but bewildered, sincerely, john brown
(14) Anonymous, August 10, 2006 12:00 AM
Somebody Else's Job? MUST READ By Jonathan S. Tobin
Michael Levin’s sacrifice is a stark contrast to contemporary American Jewish culture
This week, a family in suburban Bucks County, Pennsylvania is facing the ultimate tragedy. The Levins have lost their son, Michael, a 22-year-old graduate of a public high school in this suburb of Philadelphia, who was killed in Lebanon on Aug. 1 while serving with the Israel Defense Force.
The Levins are not alone in their grief. Dozens of Israeli families have also been faced with the same horrifying task of burying children cut down long before their time. The casualties from the fighting in Lebanon with Hezbollah terrorists have been heavy and may grow in the weeks to come.
Each such death — as well as the many casualties from the Hezbollah rocket attacks — are heartrending. So many precious lives have been lost that each individual story of the soldiers who have been fighting to preserve the life of the Jewish state and the Israeli civilians murdered by Hezbollah are lost amid the flood of wartime grief.
But not so Michael Levin.
Though Levin was just one of many Israeli soldiers who were prepared to risk their lives, his particular sacrifice is bound to stand out. That’s because unlike the many Israeli kids who took the normal route of going straight from high school into the army, Levin’s path was anything but typical for an American teenager.
Unlike in Israel, the notion of serving in the military — any military — is simply unimaginable for many of us. Indeed, for many, if not most American Jews the mere idea of even visiting Israel, be it in times of trouble like now or even when things are a bit more peaceful, is more than they can manage.
Why is this so?
The answer isn’t hard to figure out. Ours is a population raised in peace and security. It’s been over 30 years since any American was conscripted to serve in the military. And given the number of exemptions and evasions available even during the Vietnam War draft, the idea of universal military service is something that we really haven’t known here since World War II, a conflict that ended 61 years ago this month.
But the distance between us and that culture of national service which led so many to volunteer or to at least serve willingly when called is deeper than the mere passage of time. Contemporary American culture values personal autonomy and freedom above all else.
Baby boomers were reared on the notion that marching to Henry David Thoreau’s “different drummer” was the ideal, not service to the nation. Indeed, if there is any concept that is truly alien to our culture today, it is the very notion of seeing any cause as being larger than our own personal interests.
A nation that prizes individual freedom and the right to live pretty much as we like is one that must be considered fundamentally healthy in many respects. But deep down we understand that there is also something that has been lost as traditional notions of patriotism and the value of sacrificing for our country have been shoved aside.
That’s part of the reason so much has been made about the legacy of “the greatest generation,” as broadcaster Tom Brokaw put it. The men and women who survived the Great Depression and then helped defeat Germany and Japan — our parents and grandparents — faced the challenges that were forced upon them and persevered.
To baby boomers and their children, the idea of putting academic or business careers on hold and being thrust into a life and death conflict against the menace of Nazism is the stuff you watch on the History Channel or view in fading pictures in old family photo albums. It is not the life or the world we know even if the contemporary challenge from Islamism is no less grave.
And given the alienation from the military itself that was engendered in so many Americans by the debacle in Vietnam, participation in the armed services has become rare.
And it is in this context that Levin’s decision not only to go to Israel to live a fully Jewish life but to volunteer for a combat unit — Israel’s elite paratroopers — stands out so starkly.
Though by all accounts, he was a modest young man who eschewed the status of hero, his actions spoke to an acceptance of ideas that have had little resonance for his contemporaries.
For him, it was not enough to care about the Jewish people and to recognize that being Jewish was more than an after-school option. The threats Israel faces from Islamists like those of Hamas and Hezbollah wasn’t merely something for other people to face. Like so many Israelis, he was prepared to do his share.
That took not only courage, which he appears to have had in abundance, but the imagination to see beyond the spirit of his times and to understand that there are great causes, such as Zionism, that are bigger than our own personal advancement.
And so even as we mourn with the Levins, it is incumbent on the rest of us to think about Michael and what lessons we can draw from his life and death.
Many of us here love Israel and worry about the threats it faces, especially the ones from the Iranian sponsors of the Hezbollah terrorists who openly boast of their desire to eradicate Israel and to massacre its people in a nuclear holocaust. Yet defending Israel — or even showing solidarity by visiting it — is, many of us rationalize, somebody else’s job.
But Michael Levin felt it wasn’t somebody else’s job. Other Americans could change the television channel and pretend that the attacks on Israeli cities have nothing to do with us. He couldn’t.
We know in our hearts that for Israel to live, and for freedom to survive anywhere on this planet, some will have to choose, as Michael Levin did, to fight. As a consequence some parents will wind up burying their kids as the Levins did.
That is a thought that is too bitter for many of us to contemplate. Yet Levin’s sacrifice can, at the very least, remind us that the fate of Israel is something to which we cannot be mere spectators. American Jews may not all become Israeli paratroopers but they can start taking the danger Israel faces personally. They can speak out on Israel’s behalf, visit it and give as generously as they can to causes that are caring for the many Israelis displaced by the war, as well as for those wounded and maimed by the enemy.
Perhaps that is, in the end, what heroes really do. Their example points us in the direction of a higher duty than what we ordinarily think about.
The life and death of Michael Levin should remind us that the deeds of a new “greatest generation” are still well within our grasp.
May his memory be for a blessing.
(13) eve kaplan, August 9, 2006 12:00 AM
May His Memory Be For A Blessing
Your son is a hero, in my eyes. I commend him for following his dream and serving in the IDF. I can only imagine your grief at the loss of such a beautiful and dedicated son.
(12) annie dayan, August 9, 2006 12:00 AM
I am devastated...
Looking at this angel face make me realize how horrible is this war. Michael Levin, rest in peace.My thoughts go to his family.
(11) Joleen, August 9, 2006 12:00 AM
Blessed
Blessed to have met Michael 2 years ago in Jerusalem. We share your passion and love for Israel and the Jewish people.
(10) Daniella Moelker-Lauder, August 9, 2006 12:00 AM
His smile and humor will be missed. I'm thankfull that I got the chance to enjoi his friendship in the Ulpan on Javne.
(9) Jan, August 7, 2006 12:00 AM
wow
What a beautiful rememberance of a very special young man. May HaShem ease the burden on your hearts of this loss for you. Shalom
(8) James Budd, August 7, 2006 12:00 AM
From nothingness we came to nothingness we go
But how we live in between is what make the difference. Michael choose be with his people and fight for them no matter what. I hope, no - I'm sure he didn't die in vain and we all mourn his death. I proud that we are of the same blood with all these young men and women who are fighting for the state of Israel.
(7) sanaz, August 7, 2006 12:00 AM
May Hashem bless you all
As long as Israel has heros like Michae's, there is no need to be frighten. G-g bless Iisrael and all her soldiers and citizens.
(6) sylvia, August 7, 2006 12:00 AM
wonderful
Speechless
(5) Al Ross, August 7, 2006 12:00 AM
He shall do greater things and sit beside Hashem
B"HMichael is now with Hashem, knowing this, we all should be happy for him. He lived his life as he saw his responsibilty. May G-D spread his power all over our beloved soldiers and all Israel, as he has done for centuries.
(4) Alan Naftalis, August 7, 2006 12:00 AM
Why the Jewish People has Survived
I was truly touched by the story and life of Michael Levin. His intense identifiaction with Israel is an inspiration and an example to me why, despite all that the Jewish people has experienced, we have survived. He serves as a counterpoint to the arab terrorist who fights jihad to become a martyr and be rewarded with the gift of 72 virgins. In every generation, Jewish heros like Michael rise up not for personal glory but for the sole purpose of Jewish survival and to remind us all that as Jews we are one and responsible for each other.
(3) Leonard J. Sonders, August 6, 2006 12:00 AM
God Bless you!
(2) Gregg, August 6, 2006 12:00 AM
My heart goes out to his family and friends.
I was greatly touched by Michael's story. This reminds me to pray even harder for Israel and her soldiers and citizens. I wish I could be there to help all of you! Shalom ...
(1) G. Tzipporah Saunders, August 6, 2006 12:00 AM
Condolences
My condolences to the loss of your wonderful son. I know you will miss him deeply and may he continue to watch over you and all of us from up above.