Bernard Levmore, American Jewish activist and philanthopist, died in Jerusalem last week (April 15) at age 95.
Levmore was born in 1914 in Canada and moved to the United States at the age of 3. His father and sister passed away when he was 10. He studied economics and journalism at City College and Columbia University. An observant Jew, he abandoned an initial career in investigative journalism for fear of pressure to work on Shabbat.
Levmore joined the Air Force during World War II, initially as a pilot. When his poor vision, which he had concealed, was discovered by the authorities, he was transferred to Air Force Operations and Planning, where he helped plan America's reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor and, after the war, moved on to air force administration, organizing insurance plans for discharged veterans. This led him to found his own successful and independent insurance firm, where he was an underwriter for Lloyd's of London. He made Aliyah to Israel in 1996.
Until his immigration to Israel, Levmore lived in New York City. He was active in public affairs, particularly for Israel, throughout his many years in the United States. He was a vice president of the Orthodox Union (OU), and served as a member of the board of directors for several organizations, notably Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem, Dov Revel Elementary School in Queens and the Queens Jewish Center. Levmore was also active in Hapoel Mizrachi and the Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists. He was active in arranging that the American armed forces provide kosher food to Jewish servicemen and also organized the first pension fund for rabbis and Hebrew day school teachers, an arrangement previously unheard of in the United States.
Philanthropy
Levmore was also a generous contributor to a variety of Jewish and Israeli causes. He was instrumental in urging others to make financial sacrifices, particularly for Israel in times of trouble. His success in raising funds was due to his leading by example.
Levmore also often expressed the opinion that paying taxes was a privilege since it resulted in schools, police, highways and other amenities of well-run society.
Bernard Levmore is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Lori Ullman, daughter of the late chief Rabbi of Belgium; his brother, Shepherd Levmore (New York); his four children - David Levmore (Efrat), Saul Levmore (Chicago), Vivian Levmore Tannor (Rehovot) and Shoshanna Rackovsky (Jerusalem), and many grandchildren.
Prof. Jonathan Halevy, Director-General of Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, said that "Israel and indeed Jews all over the globe owe Levmore a great debt of gratitude for the leadership roles he played throughout his life". Nachum Pessin, Associate Director General at Shaare Zedek, added that Levmore "was loved by all."
Rabbi Tzvi H. Weinreb, former Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, characterized Levmore as "an invaluable asset, a wise lay leader, and a model for many."
Levmore's daughter Vivian reminisced that her father was extremely energetic, rising at 6 o'clock even on vacation days eager to "open the windows and get some fresh air in here."
(text prepared by Susie Dym)