
Rabbi Shlomo D. Levine
March 1, 1938 - March 16, 2024
Date and Time
Monday, March 18, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Service
Chicago Jewish Funerals
Skokie Chapel
8851 Skokie Boulevard
Skokie, Illinois 60077
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Clergy
Rabbi Jeffrey Weill
Ezra Habonim The Niles Township Jewish Congregation
Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg
Cantor Benjamin Warschawski
Interment
New Light Cemetery
6807 North East Prairie
Lincolnwood, Illinois 60712
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Shiva
Geva/Strauss Residence
1116 Michigan Avenue
Evanston, Illinois 60202
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Monday following the burial until 9PM
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 7PM to 9:30PM
Friday from 3PM to 6PM
Sunday from 2PM to 6PM
Shiva Coordinator: Deborah Hamilton - 847.207.0946
Memorial Contributions
Chicago Jewish Day School
3730 North California Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60618
www.chicagojewishdayschool.org/support
or
Ezra-Habonim the Niles Township Jewish Congregation
4500 Dempster Street
Skokie, Illinois 60076
www.ehnt.org/payment.php
OBITUARY
Rabbi Shlomo Levine passed away on Shabbat, March 16, 2024 at the age of 86 after a long illness. His parents were Benjamin and Lena Levine. Shlomo was born on March 1, 1938 in Brooklyn, NY where he spent his formative years and where he was actively involved with a committed group of Jewish teens in early 1950s New York. This teen group evolved over time, and eventually morphed into the United Synagogue Youth (USY). At age 15, he was the first representative of USY to attend the Youth Leaders Training Institute from Abroad (Machon LeMadrichei Chutz La-Aretz), spending a year living and studying in Israel. This experience shaped his commitment to the Jewish people and played a significant role in his subsequent decision to become a Rabbi. Prior to Shlomo's Rabbinic career and before he attended the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), Shlomo was a youth director at large congregations in Chicago and White Plains, NY. He spent his junior year, 1966-67, in Israel and was in Jerusalem with his first wife Ellen and two-year old daughter Devorah when the '67 war began. After sending his family home on the first flight out, Shlomo remained in Israel as a volunteer until the end of the war. He had the privilege of walking in rubble to the Kotel the day after it was liberated. After returning from Israel for his senior year at JTS, Shlomo, not yet ordained, was permitted to become the Assistant Rabbi to Dr. Joachim Prinz at Congregation B'nai Abraham in Newark, NJ. Dr. Prinz, the former Chief Liberal Rabbi of Berlin and a President of the World Jewish Congress, had a profound influence on Shlomo's professional life. After ordination, Rabbi Levine served four congregations during his career: in Hampton, VA; Chicago, IL; West Palm Beach, FL; and Knoxville, TN. During his seven-year tenure as Rabbi at Rodef Shalom in Hampton, Shlomo earned a doctorate in Educational Psychology at the College of William and Mary, and he then taught part time at Hampton University. During this period, Shlomo was also President of the Tidewater Board of Rabbis. Most of his career was spent in Chicago at Congregation Ezra-Habonim, and during the course of his tenure, he served briefly on the National Executive Council of the Rabbinical Assembly. Shlomo also rose to become the President of the Chicago Board of Rabbis. While in Chicago, he wrote two monographs, one about single parenting and the other about blended families; both of which were published by United Synagogue. Following retirement, Shlomo continued to lead a monthly service at the Lieberman Geriatric Center in Skokie, IL until 2018, and he studied Talmud weekly. You could often find Shlomo surrounded by stacks of periodicals, magazines, and newspapers that delved into a vast array of subjects, including Religion, Education, Psychology, Philosophy, and Politics. Shlomo and his wife Annabel, the love of his life, enjoyed 45 years of marriage and traveled the world together. Above all, nothing brought more joy to Shlomo than spending time with his family. He was a devoted husband, father, and Zeyde, and he cherished any opportunity to visit with his children and grandchildren. He had a generous heart and a warm smile.
Rabbi Levine is survived by his children: Devorah Levine (Mike Hinckley) and Joshua Levine (Rachel); his step-children: Adam Strauss (Celia z”l) and Joshua Strauss (Anat Geva); and his grandchildren: Daniel &Jonah Hinckley, Sam & Sophie Levine, Kalman Strauss, and Avital & Toren Strauss.
FUNERAL Monday, March 18 at 1:30 PM Chicago Jewish Funerals, 8851 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL 60077. Service will also be live streamed and available after the event on the Chicago Jewish Funerals website.
BURIAL New Light Cemetery, 6807 E. Prairie Road, Lincolnwood, IL 60712.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to: Chicago Jewish Day School, 3730 N. California Ave., Chicago IL 60618 (www.chicagojewishdayschool.org/support) or Ezra-Habonim, The Niles Township Jewish Congregation , 4500 Dempster Street, Skokie, IL 60076 (www.ehnt.org/payment.php).