Yehuda Levin
Encyclopedia
Yehuda Levin is the Rabbi and founder of Congregation Mevakshei Hashem (Those Who Seek the Lord) Synagogue in the Flatbush
neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
.
Levin is also a member of the advisory committee of the organization Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation
. Yehuda Levin tends to be in alliance with Christian Evangelicals on efforts opposed to homosexual rights and other social issues. This led to his 1996 support for Pat Buchanan
.
Levin has run for public office numerous times. He ran for Congress in 1984 on the Republican ticket, for mayor of New York City in 1985 on the Right to Life ticket, and for New York City Council in 1991 and 1993 on the Conservative ticket. He was unsuccessful in each of these elections.
Levin was involved in stopping a gay pride
event from taking place in Jerusalem. He apparently supported the use of violence by protesters in opposing the planned event saying "I promise that there's going to be bloodshed".
In October 2010, Levin worked with Carl Paladino
and prepared an anti-gay statement which Paladino read in part in the Orthodox Jewish community, which made national news. Paladino later apologized for that statement causing Levin to withdraw his support from Paladino.
Levin is often noted in popular culture for his strong anti-gay statements. Most notably his statement blaming the 2010 Haiti earthquake
on the presence of homosexuals in the military.
's bid to run as a Democrat for President of the United States.
, has received praise by Orthodox rabbis for defending tradition. Nevertheless, some Orthodox rabbis and community leaders from Ashkenazic and Hasidic communities have responded negatively to Levin. Levin has also received support from some conservative Catholics for causes relevant to the World Congress of Families
.
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
Beliefs and political activities
Levin is a vocal religious conservative and opposes gay rights and abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
Levin is also a member of the advisory committee of the organization Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation
Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation
The Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation is an interest group founded in 2005 by Don Feder in the United States formed to combat anti-Christian prejudice in Hollywood, the news media, academia, politics and the courts...
. Yehuda Levin tends to be in alliance with Christian Evangelicals on efforts opposed to homosexual rights and other social issues. This led to his 1996 support for Pat Buchanan
Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph "Pat" Buchanan is an American paleoconservative political commentator, author, syndicated columnist, politician and broadcaster. Buchanan was a senior adviser to American Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan, and was an original host on CNN's Crossfire. He sought...
.
Levin has run for public office numerous times. He ran for Congress in 1984 on the Republican ticket, for mayor of New York City in 1985 on the Right to Life ticket, and for New York City Council in 1991 and 1993 on the Conservative ticket. He was unsuccessful in each of these elections.
Levin was involved in stopping a gay pride
Gay pride
LGBT pride or gay pride is the concept that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people should be proud of their sexual orientation and gender identity...
event from taking place in Jerusalem. He apparently supported the use of violence by protesters in opposing the planned event saying "I promise that there's going to be bloodshed".
In October 2010, Levin worked with Carl Paladino
Carl Paladino
Carl Pasquale Paladino is an American businessman and political activist from Buffalo, New York. Paladino is the founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for the New York gubernatorial election,...
and prepared an anti-gay statement which Paladino read in part in the Orthodox Jewish community, which made national news. Paladino later apologized for that statement causing Levin to withdraw his support from Paladino.
Levin is often noted in popular culture for his strong anti-gay statements. Most notably his statement blaming the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
on the presence of homosexuals in the military.
Endorsements
Levin is a supporter of Randall TerryRandall Terry
Randall Almira Terry is an American pro-life activist and candidate for the Democratic Party's nomination for President in 2012. Terry founded the pro-life organization Operation Rescue. The group became particularly prominent beginning in 1987 for blockading the entrances to abortion clinics;...
's bid to run as a Democrat for President of the United States.
Praise and criticism
Yehuda Levin, a student of Rabbi Avigdor MillerAvigdor Miller
Rabbi Avigdor Miller was a Haredi rabbi, author and lecturer in the United States. He served simultaneously as a communal rabbi and as the mashgiach ruchani of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and as a teacher in Beis Yaakov for many years.-Biography:Rabbi Miller was born in 1908 in Baltimore...
, has received praise by Orthodox rabbis for defending tradition. Nevertheless, some Orthodox rabbis and community leaders from Ashkenazic and Hasidic communities have responded negatively to Levin. Levin has also received support from some conservative Catholics for causes relevant to the World Congress of Families
World Congress of Families
The World Congress of Families is a worldwide conservative-religious coalition that purports to "stand up for the position of the traditional family, in a time of eroding family life and declining appreciation for families in general".Dr...
.