HERBERT OKUN: AN OUTSTANDING LEVINE COUSIN

As the Levine cousins were meeting in November, one of our more famous cousins passed away. Herbert Okun, grandson of Harry Levine, clearly had a brilliant mind. As you can see, he served his country with honor.

Below is the beginning of the Washington Post obituary with the link for the complete article at the end, which you can paste into your browser.

HERBERT S. OKUN, U.S. PEACE NEGOTIATOR DURING THE BALKAN CONFLICT, DIES AT 80.

By Emily Langer, Washington Post, November 16, 2011


Herbert S. Okun, an American peace negotiator during the Balkan conflict of the early 1990s who took detailed notes that made him a key witness in the subsequent war crimes trials, died Nov. 8 at his home in New York.

He was 80 and had congestive heart failure, said his daughter Jennifer Harper.

Mr. Okun, the son of an emigrant from modern-day Belarus, was a Soviet specialist and spent much of his four-decade career confronting the politics of the Cold War. His most senior positions included ambassador to East Germany from 1980 to 1983 and deputy ambassador to the United Nations from 1985 to 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/herbert-s-okun-us-peace-negotiator-during-the-balkan-conflict-dies-at-80/2011/11/14/gIQAvtUoQN_story.html

AMERICA: THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

Photos – American flag at Sagamore Hill, Teddy Roosevelt’s home & Joseph Levine's (JM's) naturalization papers, dated January 24, 1903 "and of our Independence the one hundred and twenty-seventh year."

In the late 19th century, Jews -- in towns such as Slutsk and Kletzk which may be identified as part of Poland, Russia or Belarus -- lived in fear for their future. They looked across the ocean -- to America as a land of freedom and opportunity.

Perhaps the Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem overstated the promise, but he did capture what brought our Levine ancestors across the ocean to establish a new life here in America. Lucky for us!

“Imagine the wonders of America. To begin with, there’s the land. It’s flowing with milk and honey….And business is so good, it makes you dizzy. You can do anything you want. If you want a factory, you set up a factory. If you feel like opening a little store, you open a little store. And the size of the cities! The width of the streets! The height of the buildings!”

From Sholem Aleichem in Jenna Joselit’s, The Wonders of America

THE LEVINE PROGENITORS

Photo 1 - RACHEL (LEVY) LEVINE born July 1842 in Slutsk, Russia, arrived in NY 1893, died 06 May 1910 in NYC and NOAH LEVINE born August 1839 in Russia, arrived in NY 14 October 1892, died 30 April 1910 in NYC. Both buried in Washington Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY.

Parents of 9 known children: Sima - Hochberg, Bluma - Wendroff, Harry, Daughter (name unknown), Sarah - Rubenstein, Henry, Sam, Joseph, Ralph.


Photo 2 - taken in NYC c. 1936. Seated on left – Sima Levine Hochberg, clockwise, her son, Sol Hochberg; Slava Kalikow Levine; seated, Slava’s husband & Sima’s brother, Henry Levine; Solomon Hochberg, Sima’s grandson.

FIRST REUNION OF LEVINE COUSINS --- November 2010

5th generation, 2nd cousins -- from L to R

All are great-grandchildren of Noah Levine
All are great-great grandchildren of Joseph Levine - our first known ancestor

Helaine Levine FELDMAN
Daughter of Joseph Levine
Granddaughter of Harry Levine

David LEVINSON
Son of Bertha Levine
Grandson of Harry Levine

Jane Levine LEWIT
Daughter of Arthur Levine
Granddaughter of Joseph M Levine

Sandy (Sandra) Hochberg STEIN
Daughter of Joseph Hochberg
Granddaughter of Sima Levine

Arlene Shapin SASS
Daughter of Belle Levine
Granddaughter of Henry Levine