 |
Har Nof victims (counter-clock from top-right: Kalman Levine,
Moshe Twersky, Arieh Koplinksy, Avraham Goldberg,
(Photo courtesy: Yeshiva World News) |
When news-media reported that 4 Anglos (3 Americans and 1 Briton) were massacred in the November 18th Har Nof Synagogue, few imagined that L.A. rabbis were instrumental in educating one of the victims from secularism to the rabbinate.
The Jewish Journal of Los Angeles' Jared Sichel published this on the L.A. connection:
"Rabbi Kalman Levine, born Cary Levine in Kansas City, Mo. on June 30, 1959, was murdered Tuesday morning, November 18, in a terror attack at Kehillat Bnei Torah synagogue in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem. A man who in many ways came of age while living in Los Angeles as a young adult, Levine was killed by two Palestinians who also murdered three other worshippers and injured at least another 12 in the synagogue.
Rabbi Shmuel Goldstein was struck three times by one of the terrorists with a meat cleaver- on his head, ear, and back. From the hospital, he told media of his encounter with the terrorists.
 |
| Rabbi Kalman Levine (H"yd) |
(Video courtesy: Arutz-7)
Although Cary Levine grew up in a Conservative Jewish family in Kansas City, when he visited his boyhood friend, Shimon Kraft in Los Angeles in 1977, the two decided to travel to Israel together to learn Torah. They attended two years of yeshiva before they returned to Los Angeles to attend a post-high school study program at Yeshiva University Los Angeles (YULA).
Levine became very close with Rabbi Zvi Block, who established the first Los Angeles branch of Aish HaTorah—an international Orthodox educational group—in North Hollywood. Levine’s relationship with Block helped solidify the transformation that began in Israel, and Levine eventually decided to drop out of USC and pursue Torah study full-time.
 |
| Rabbi Zvi Block finds meaning in Kalman Levine's martyring |
A discernibly heartbroken Rabbi Block spoke warmly of his former student. “I became a father to all these children, to all these talmidim (students)—they are like my children,” Block said. “This is a huge loss for me. You’re talking about someone who was 18 or 19 when we first met.”
 |
| Mourners prayed and recited tehillim for Kalman Levine's soul |
 |
| Rabbi Shimon Kraft gathered community for teachers' eulogies |
Levine was one of Block’s first five students at Aish HaTorah and the Los Angeles rabbi remembers Levine as one of the brightest young minds he ever encountered.
Kalman Levine, is survived by his wife Chaya, 2 married children, one single-parent daughter living in Florida, 6 never-married children, and five grandchildren.
Rabbi Shimon Kraft organized a eulogy prayer service for those connected to Kalman Levine to mourn together with the L.A. Jewish community.
Speakers featured in JooTube's video playlist from the hespid are:
1) Rabbi Nachum Sauer, Rebbe, Yeshiva University of Los Angeles, Boys High School;
2) Rabbi Shalom Tendler, Rosh ha Yeshiva of Mesivta Birkas Yitzchok
3) Rabbi Block of Toras Hashem in Valley Village
(Advance via playlist buttons at foot of video-player).
 |
| Rabbi Marvin Hier listens at the head of YULA Beis Medrash |
4) Rabbi Sauer requests funds for Chayah Levine's childrens' weddings; leads a memorial prayer;
5) Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean of Y.U.L.A. High School
6) Rabbi Abe Cooper, Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center
7) Rabbi Moshe Parry, classmate of Kalman Levine at YULA
Following the attack, in their grief, the widows of the Har Nof kadoshim-meonah issued this joint, public letter on November 20th:
We turn to acheinu B'nai Yisrael wherever they may be. Let us all come together to increase the rachamei shomayim shown to us! Let us all accept upon ourselves that we will increase love and brotherhood – between each person and his fellow, between community and community, between major group and major group.
Our request is that every individual should see to it to accept upon himself on Erev Shabbos Parshas Toldos, to sanctify this coming Shabbos as a day of ahavas chinam. It should be a day that we refrain from all kinds of divisive conversation, lashon hora, and rechilus.
This will be a great uplift to the souls of the heads of our families who were slaughtered for the holiness of His Holy Name.
May Hashem look from above, see our affliction, wipe away our tears, and say, “Enough!” to our sorrow.
May we merit to see the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days – Amen, Amen.
Signed with a broken and crushed heart: Chayah Levine and family Breina Goldberg and family Yaakovah Kupinsky and family Bashi Twersky and family
* - Translated by Rabbi Yitzchak Adlerstein in Cross Currents
For details of the Palestinian massacre against this morning-prayer minyan, read JooTube's initial coverage, Israeli Muslims massacre prayerful Jews with pistol & meat-cleaver, killing 4 American or British-Israeli Jews, 1 Druze policeman, wounding 7 others.
