Film on Michael Levin available for synagogues, youth groups
The Jewish Week
The family of Michael Levin, the Philadelphia area native who was the only American-born soldier in the Israeli army killed during the clashes against Hezbollah last August, has commissioned a documentary in his honor.
"A Hero in Heaven" will be broadcast this spring on Israeli television, and will be available for distribution in April.
The 40-minute film tells of Levin's devotion to his family, his people and Eretz Yisrael. It features the music of Naomi Shemer, the songs of Rachel, the poetry of Shaul Tchernokovsky, and the words of Levin, his family, his friends and fellow soldiers.
Levin was 22 when he fell in Aita al-Shaab, a village in southern Lebanon that was the site of heavy fighting against Hezbollah forces.
Born and raised near Philadelphia, he grew up in a traditional Jewish household. Active in HaGesher Region USY and Camp Ramah, he attended the Alexander Muss High School program and the yearlong Nativ USY program in Israel.
At 16, he decided that he wanted to make aliyah and join a front-line combat unit in the Israel Defense Forces. He followed his dream three years later; he was chosen for the elite paratroop unit No. 890.
Last summer, Levin received permission to travel to the U.S. to visit his family. When the fighting broke out, he decided to return to help his unit. He went to his commander and demanded to be sent north. Shortly thereafter he was killed.
On Tisha B'Av he was laid to rest in the military cemetery of Har Herzl in Jerusalem. His family was joined by thousands of mourners from all over Israel.
In his Nativ yearbook, Levin had written: "You can't fulfill your dreams unless you dare to risk it all."
"A Hero in Heaven" is available at no cost for synagogues and Jewish youth organizations. It is timely for Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Independence Day), Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day), synagogue events and functions, and youth educational programs.
For information or to obtain a copy, contact Harriet Levin, The Michael Levin Memorial Fund for Israel, Harriet@AheroInHeaven.com.
