Harry Levine was born in New York, New York on August 1, 1895. He was educated in New York public schools and at the College of the City of New York. After serving in the U.S. Navy mine force from 1917 to 1919, he worked at the Commonwealth Plastic Company and the New England Plastic Company in Leominster, MA, and later served as President and Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Plastic and Chemical Company.
In 1919, Levine married Hannah (maiden name unknown, died 1941). They had three children: Irwin (killed in WWII), Morton, and Barbara. In 1942, Levine married Leona Edelstein.
Levine was introduced to Zionism by Elihu D. Stone and influenced by Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. He was largely responsible for overseeing the construction and import of Uzi submachine guns into British-Mandated Palestine for the purpose of establishing the State of Israel. Levine was a friend of Israeli President Dr. Chaim Weizmann and a charter member of the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science, as well as the major contributor (with Leona Levine) of the Harry and Leona Levine Institute of Applied Science of the Weizmann Institute. Harry Levine died on May 1, 1977.
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1895:
HL born in New York City
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1917:
Serves in U.S. Naval Mine Force in the North Sea
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1919:
Marries Hannah (last name unknown)
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1923:
Moves to Leominster, MA to work in the plastics industry
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1935:
Becomes a Zionist
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1937:
Co-founder of Camp Young Judea, Zionist Youth Camp
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1941:
Wife Hannah dies
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1942:
Marries Leona Edelstein
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1944:
Charter Member and Treasurer for the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
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1945:
Meets Haim Slavin, agent of David Ben-Gurion
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1946:
Serves as President of New England Plastics and Commonwealth Plastic
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1946:
Begins mobilizing arms for Jews of Mandated Palestine before establishment of the State of Israel
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1949:
Founds the Serafon Plastics Factory in Rehovot, Israel
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1952:
Serves as President and Chairman of the Board of the U.S. Plastic and Chemical Company
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1961:
Donor for the Harry and Leona Levine Institute of Applied Science at the Weizmann Institute of Science
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1977:
HL dies
From the guide to the Harry Levine Papers, undated, 1944-1977 (bulk 1962-1970), (American Jewish Historical Society)
