Levinovich, Yehoshua

Son of Zippora and Chaim Eliezer was born on July 22, 1913, in the city of Reigorod, near Bialystok, Poland to a religiously observant, cultured, affluent and Zionist family. Yehoshua was careful about the observance of the mitzvot and prayed with emotion and passion. During his studies in Yeshivah he joined “Hashomer Hadati” and later to the “Hechalutz Hamizrachi” movement, served in the Yavneh School in Ciechanow, and contributed greatly to its benefit, representing his movement in the Eretz Israel office, and in the Haredi section of the Jewish National Fund.
Seriously serving, seeing it as training for the future defense of the homeland of Israel, he received medals of excellence. With a group of pioneers – refugees were flown through Sweden and Holland to France, and on a ship from Marseilles, Yehoshua amongst the group arrived in Israel on April 1, 1940. Yehoshua joined his friends in the “Avraham” group in Kfar Pines. He was sent first to teach Jewish studies and to concentrate the Bnei Akiva branch in Pardes Hannah, and then to train the first group of youth from Eretz Israel which later settled in Kfar Etzion. He found satisfaction in his work in preparing the land and planting a forest, served as secretary of internal affairs, edited the internal newspaper of the group “Bamahanu” and sent “Igeret” to members of the Haganah and the army, to find a solution to the halachic problems that arose within the special conditions in the life and work of the group. In the summer of 1947 Yehoshua was sent to the last training camp in Poland, which arrived in Eretz Israel with She’erith Hapleitah. In the winter of 1948 his family was transferred to Jerusalem and he participated in guarding, training and fortifications in Kfar Etzion. In the battles against the enemy, Yehoshua was part of the mortar crew. As a man with military training and combat experience from abroad, he stood firm in the trials and tribulations. After the attack on the 25th of Nisan, 5708, he wrote: “If anyone doubts that miracles are taking place today, this could have been seen by us yesterday, our Kfar Etzion had to stand in front of the guns of the British army – and not lose a battle.” On the day of the fall of Kfar Etzion, on the 4th of Iyar 5708, May 13, 1948, he too fell on guard duty in a courageous stand and in an aggressive act of fire against the enemy until the very last moment. On the 25th of Cheshvan 5710 (17.11.1949) he was laid to rest at the military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.