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Hersh Leib Levi was born in Drohitchen, in what is now Belarus, but was at that time part of the Russian Empire. The town is near Grodno. His parents were Shmuel Levi and Channa Ita Gratz. He was born 20 October 1876. In Drahichyn, he studied with Rav Menachem Reichman. His family came to Palestine in 1890 and he married Sarah Hinde Cohen in November of 1895, in Jerusalem. They had seven daughters, all born in Jerusalem except for the youngest, Nachama, or Naomi Levy who was born in Brooklyn, NY. Hersh was a Rabbi. He studied at Yeshiva Toras Chaim with Rav Hirsch Michel Shapiro. He came to the U.S. from Palestine in 1908 (possibly earlier) and settled in NY. He claimed citizenship as he obtained a false birth certificate that said he was born in Chicago, in 1887. This was obtained by Shmuel Levy, his father who got them for most of his children. This is why there is no naturalization document for him. Hirsh Leib came to the US to raise funds for the needy in Israel, but once here, became a champion of Torah education for young Jews of NY. He founded a shul and yeshiva, called Machane Shmuel, in Boro Park, named after his father. He was Rabbi at the Yeshivath Torah M’Zion of Brownsville, at 623 Stone Avenue.
Boropark24 Article about Hersh Leib Levi
He died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 19 December 1936 in Brooklyn, NY at the Jewish Hospital and was buried in the Mount Zion Cemetery.
List or Manifest of Alien Passengers for the United States Immigration Officer at Port of Arrival
SS Cedric sailing from Liverpool, July 30th 1908, Arriving at Port of New York ? Aug 1908
List of United States Citizens on the S.S. Cedric sailing from Liverpool, 30th July, 1914, arriving at Port of New York 11 Aug 1914
Line 12
Levi Harris age 37, Male, Married, he gives no birth city in US, instead says he was naturalized in Cook County, Ill. ? Superior Ct.; and that he is going home to 64 Fowler St., Dorchester, Boston {This is where his brother Eliezer was living at the time}.
Certificate of Registration of American Citizen
Bureau of Citizenship, Dept of State: Jan 2 1914
Acknowledged: Jan 6 1914
Cert # 43292
Form No. 210 Consular
I S. Edelman, Vice Consul, in Charge of the United States of America at Jerusalem, Syria, herby certify that Harris L. Levi is registered as an American citizen in this consulate. He was born Oct. 1877 at Chicago, Ill. and is a citizen of the United States by birth (or naturalization is crossed out). He left his residence in the United States on _____ and arrived in Jerusalem, Syria on Nov. 1912, where he is now residing for the purpose of Bicur Cholim. He is married to Sarah Hinda, who was born in Jerusalem, Syria, and resides at Jerusalem, Syria.
He has the following children:
Jennie born in Jerusalem, Syria on July 1898, and residing at Jerusalem, Syria;
Esther born in Jerusalem, Syria (J.S.) on Sept 1900 and residing at J.S.;
Rachel born in Echron, Palestine on Mar. 1903 and residing at J.S.;
Deborah born in Echron, Palestine on Sept. 1907 and residing at J.S. ;
Bella born in Jerusalem, Palestine on Nov 2, 1913 and residing at J.S.
His local address is Beth Israel, Jerusalem.
The person to be informed in case of death or accident is Isaac Levi*, 46 Ralph Ave., Brooklyn, NY.
His citizenship of the United States is established by Passport, Dept of State no. 59345, April 2 1912.
This certificate is not a passport and its validity expires on December 5, 1914. The following is the signature of Harris L. Levi
* This is important as Isaac, or Ike, Levy is Harris’s Uncle, the brother of his father Shmuel. This is one of the few pieces of evidence we have that the two branches of the family were connected.
Emergency Passport Application
Native
No. 186
Issued Mar 13 1920
I, Sarah Hinde Levi, a Native and Loyal Citizen of the United States, hereby apply to the American Consul, at Jerusalem, for an emergency passport for myself, accompanied by my (wife is crossed out) and minor children, as follows: Esther, born at Jerusalem, on Sept 1900; Rachel, born at Jerusalem, on March 1903, Deborah born at Jerusalem on Sept 1907; and Beliah born at Jerusalem Nov. 1913.
I solemnly swear that I was born at Jerusalem, in the State of Palestine on January 1882; that my husband Harris S. Levi, was born in Chicago, Ill. 1887 and is now residing at Brooklyn, N.Y., for the purpose of ____; that he emigrated to the United States from the port of ____, on or about___; that he resided about 30 years with a few interruptions visiting Jerusalem, uninterruptedly, in the United States, from 1887 to 1912 at Chicago, Ill.; that he was a naturalized as a citizen of the United States before the ____Court of ____, at _____, on _____ as shown by the Certificate of Naturalization presented herewith; that he is the bearer of Passport No. 69345, issued by Department of State, Washington on April 2nd, 1912 that legal domicile is in Brooklyn, N.Y. 623/4 Stone Ave, my temporary residence being at Jerusalem, and I last left the United States on ___ arriving at ___ on ___where I am no rsiding for the purpose of ____, on behalf of ____ that I have resided outside the United States att he folloiwng places for the following periods: {blank}, and that I desire to remain a citisen {sic} of the United States and intend to return-thereto permanently to reside and perform the duties of citizenship when I get my passport. I desire a passport for use in visiting the countries hereinafter named for the following purpose: France and Italy on transit to the United States
Oath of Allegiance
American Consulate at Jerusalem, Palestine, Sworn 2nd day of March 1920
Description of Applicant:
38 years, 4′ 11:, Broad forehead, Blue eyes, small pointed nose, small mouth, round chin, brown hair, white complexion, round face.
Identification
Jerusalem March 2nd 1920
I, J.M. Reichman, solemnly swear that I am a naturalized citizen of the United States; that I reside at Jerusalem; that I have known the above named Sarah Hinde Levi personally for 12 years and know her to be the wife of a native citizen of the united States; and that the facts stated in her affidavit are true to the best of my knowledge and belief…signed.
Emergency passport No. 186 was issued this 13the day of March 1920
Photo attached
Fredel Fruhman(translator on Jewish Gen) [At the very top]:
A person’s soul is the candle of G-d [this is from Proverbs, Chapter 20, verse 27]
[In the circle at the center]:
A marker for a living soul
[In the main section]:
A monument of remembrance of
TZVI ARYEH LEVI
Son of Reb Shmuel, may his memory be a blessing [this refers to the father]
He died on the 5th day of Tevet, 5697
[This is followed by a seven-line acrostic poem of mourning; the first letters of each row spell out his name, Tzvi Aryeh. If you’d like a translation, please let me know]
May his soul be bound up in the bond of life.
[At the very bottom]:
An oak of weeping.
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‘Reb’ is an honorific; it does not mean rabbi.
The deceased had a double name. Tzvi is Hebrew for deer; Aryeh is Hebrew for lion. These animals are represented in the imagery at the top of the stone, which is reminiscent of a design that is often see in synagogues and on the curtain that covers the Ark containing the Torahs; in those designs, the animals are commonly a pair of lions.
(By the way: Some people might mistakenly read the name Aryeh as Ari, as that is what it looks like at first glance. However, there is an apostrophe at the end, representing a missing letter, Hay. This is sometimes done because otherwise the last two letters of the name would spell out one of the names of G-d.)
Shmuel is Hebrew for Samuel.
The 5th of Tevet, 5697, began at sunset on December 18th, 1936, and ended at sunset on the 19th.
