American Israeli Soldier Levin Buried in Jerusalem

JERUSALEM (AP) - August 3, 2006 -

An American immigrant killed after cutting short a family visit in the U.S. to join his Israeli army unit fighting in Lebanon was buried Thursday on a rocky hillside in Jerusalem.

Staff Sgt. Michael Levin, 22, originally of Bucks County, Pa., died Tuesday in the village of Aita al-Shaab when a missile fired by Hezbollah guerrillas struck a building he was searching. He was one of three Israeli soldiers killed in the battle.
Several hundred mourners, including many young men dressed in olive green army uniforms, watched as soldiers carried the coffin to a grave at the Mt. Herzl military cemetery.

Friends and family sobbed as the casket, draped in an Israeli flag, was lowered into the ground.

Levin came to Israel about four years ago, studying and living on a kibbutz before fulfilling what friends said was a lifelong dream of joining an elite Israeli paratrooper unit.

His unit's commanding officer, Capt. Guy Ankor, spoke at the funeral, telling Levin's family, "the 890th Battalion and Operations Company was always Michael's family.

You are forever as well one of ours, one of our family."
"Michael gave both body and soul to Israel," said Rabbi Alan Silverstein, a family friend who traveled here with about 14 others from the United States.
His parents and two siblings all attended the service in Jerusalem.

A memorial service was scheduled Monday at a synagogue in Newtown, Pa.

Original article here

G-d bless him and his family. A true hero. To Israel, and the IDF, I THANKYOU for fighting hizbollah. Never stop, never give up. Always pray for the peace of v'Yerushalayim and fight for it.

Kol ode balevavP'nimah -

Nefesh Yehudi homiyah

Ulfa'atey mizrach kadimah

Ayin l'tzion tzofiyah.

Ode lo avdah tikvatenu

Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim:

L'hiyot am chofshi b'artzenu - Eretz Tzion v'Yerushalayim.

Jeff Davis