Harvey Lewin

Harvey Lewin, of Chestnut Hill, entered into rest on May 5, 2022, on his birthday, at the age of 103. Harvey, known as Hershel or Hersh to family, was born in Kovno, Lithuania, son of the late Hinde (Wishnovitch) and Simeon Levin. He was the eldest of 6 brothers, 3 of whom survived the Holocaust.

Harvey enjoyed a happy childhood and adolescence, taking particular joy in playing soccer and singing in the synagogue choir. As a young man he endured the horrors of WWII, surviving various ghettos and concentration camps. He was liberated in May of 1945 and spent the next 4 years in a Displaced Persons camp in Feldafing, near Munich, Germany. There he pieced his life together, then emigrating with his two surviving brothers to Boston in 1949.

It was here where he met and married his beloved Sara (Goldstein), who pre-deceased him by two years at the age of 99. He obtained work in the meatpacking industry in South Boston. As many immigrants, Harvey and his brother-in-law, Jack Auerbach, saved their pennies to purchase their piece of the American dream, an apartment building near the Boston College campus. Here they were landlords to generations of Boston College and other area university students. Harvey was not an absentee landlord. The apartment building was his love and many a young first time tenant was lectured by him about responsibility and treating their dwelling with respect (no keg parties)! Harvey was beloved by many, as he often shared his life story with them. And he was an excellent storyteller, with a gift for comic timing.

Harvey’s biggest passions were music and sports, especially his beloved Bruins. He watched every game avidly and critically into his final days. His knowledge was encyclopedic, and he could recall all manner of sports statistics and music history. His joy of music was best shared at Congregation Mishkan Tefila in Brookline where he was a long-time member. He loved singing the liturgies he had sung since his youth. His cantor-quality voice often rose above the rest of the congregation.

Beloved husband of the late Sara (Goldstein) Lewin. Loving brother of Neil Levin of Chestnut Hill and Florida, and the late Jerold (Jerry) Levin, and brother-in-law to Joyce Levin of Newton. Treasured uncle of Sally Cohen and Richard Robbins of Newton; Herb Auerbach and Lisa Flaherty of Jenkintown, PA; Steven Auerbach of Brighton; Chaya Vadel and the late Eli Vadel, and Tova and Asher Morgenstern all of Hadera, Israel; Francine (Levin) and Jeff Ochs of Longmeadow, MA; Susan (Levin) and Michael Robbins of FL; and Sidney Levin and Nancy Maurer, Mark and Robin Levin and Steven Levin and Kristine Rzasa, all of Massachusetts. Cherished great uncle of Jacob Cohen and Rose Chaffee-Cohen; Nathan and Rachel Cohen; Katie Auerbach and Derrick Goodwin; Gregory Auerbach; Ofer and Shira Vadel of Stamford CT; and Shay Vadel, Keren Vadel, Michal Morgenstern and Chen Morgenstern in Israel. Adored great-great uncle of Leo, Joey and Ella.

Graveside services will be held at Sharon Memorial Park on Monday, May 9, at 10:45 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations in Harvey’s memory may be made to the New England Holocaust Memorial, www.nehm.org, or Camp Avoda in Middleboro, MA, campavoda.org.

Services under the direction of Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, www.stanetskybrookline.com.