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Federation Star
JEWISH FEDERATION
February 2024
Sam Levine: Our local hero By Harvey Cohen, JFGN Member
I Save the Date for a Different Kind of Purim Event Tuesday, March 19, 2024 7:00PM at Nina Iser Jewish Cultural Center Jewish Federa�on of Greater Naples
MCA Programs for Members of the Greater Naples Jewish Community March 25 at 10:00 AM COVID Update and Unravelling Long COVID presented by Dr. Marc Dichter, Professor of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania April 1 at 10:00 AM If Everyone Says I Look So Good, Then Why Do I Feel So Terrible? A Discussion about Fatigue and Health presented by Jack Zoldan, MD To register, go to: mcanaples.org or scan the QR codes below.
Long COVID If Everyone Says…
srael’s War of Independence was the dinner with the mostly American pilots first of many wars with the combined who helped start the Israel Air Force. Arab nations vs. the tiny state of These fighter pilots ‘cut their teeth’ during Israel. Sam Levine, Bonita Springs nonaWWII and brought the battle hardened genarian, served a seminal role for the courage and skills to the air campaigns. fledgling Jewish state, beginning in 1948 The War of Independence successfully and beyond. A volunteer scientist-soldier, ended in the spring of 1949. Young Levine Levine helped lead the establishment of joined in the celebrations and continued what would be known as ‘Radar Mounhis radar research and assessment until tain’ in the Galilee. the fall. He soon found himself immersed Armed with his Master of Science from at the University of Pittsburgh doctoral University of Illinois, the program in physics. Then, native of tiny Hazlewith his doctorate earned, hurst, Georgia and WWII Levine returned to the veteran was on a miliyoung state of Israel with tary mission to advise the a charge to identify the new Israeli government optimum location(s) for on radar technology as a more advanced radar. the War of independence Bringing his battlefieldprogressed. based calculations, he Levine, just 23, and a scoured the hilly areas of handful of Zionist men Israel for the optimum gathered in New York, radar site, then recomthen sailed to London, mended Mt. Meron in hopped a train to Paris, the Galilee, northwest of Sam Levine then to Marseilles. At the Safed. Rising to almost port of Marseilles, they joined hundreds 4,000 feet above sea level, Mt. Meron of refugees in a converted, barely seawas a great choice. Soon to be known as worthy, freighter for an 11-day ‘cruise’ Israel’s ‘Radar Mountain,’ Levine’s sciento Haifa. Many supplies were quite limtific education and his passion gave Israel ited. Levine laughs today, that he filled that qualitative military edge in the years his belly eating dog biscuits, while the following. ‘Radar Mountain’ remains ship’s engineer made daily repairs to the today home to an IDF Air Force base. aging freighter. Levine’s career path brought him back Uniquely suited for his challenge, to America where he joined the faculty of Levine had enlisted in the ‘Mahal,’ as a his alma mater, Virginia Tech. Teaching scientist-soldier. He joined volunteers math to undergraduate students didn’t from around the world who fought and light a candle to the excitement of advancworked alongside the Israelis in their first ing nuclear science. Wanting experience war. Radar in 1948 could only ‘see’ very in industry, he soon joined Northrop to small areas. The technology was primihead their nuclear space program, designtive compared to today. Only the most ing and conducting scientific investigasophisticated and powerful installation tions into atomic energy and illuminating could provide any useful early warning. the risks of radiation. Yet, academia won (Today, we use AWACS, drones and satelhim again when Levine joined the faculty lites with other advanced technologies.) of Penn State University where he worked Levine quickly realized that radar in 1948 with notable colleagues in this growing would work effectively only along the era of nuclear research and development. shoreline or from select higher mountains. Sam Levine recently celebrated his 98th In the War of Independence, Egypt birthday surrounded by his daughters and to the west was the Arab leading power. their families. He is a longtime member Radar sites just north of Gaza along the and supporter of Jewish Federation of Mediterranean Sea up to the major instalGreater Naples, remaining the same paslation on Mt. Carmel, Haifa provided sionate Zionist which took him to Israel early warning to Israel air, sea and land serving in the War of Independence some forces in their efforts to address Egypt’s 75 years ago. He is our local hero. feared military superiority. A highlight of Naples stands with Israel. Levine’s tour of duty was a private Mahal
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