Published in the Brownsville Herald, Thursday, January 18, 2001 pg 6
Bernard L. Levine died Wednesday, January 17, 2001 in San Antonio.
He was born in Beaumont, Texas, March 16, 1921 and lived in Brownsville since 1949.
He was the owner of La Tienda Amigo Stores. He enlisted in the Air Force during World War II and served as a radio operator on a bomber plane. He was a prisoner of war at Stalag 17 in Germany. He served as president of B'nai Brith and was a member of the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El for many years.
Survivors include his wife, Betty; sons, Benjamin Cann of Mexico City and Samuel Levine of South Point Island; his daughters, Rebecca Raven of Brownsville and Sharon Huerta of San Antonio; a brother, Louis Levine of the McAllen; seven grandchildren and other surviving relatives.
Graveside services will be held at 10 am Friday at the Hebrew Cemetery in Brownsville.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple Beth El, 24 Coveway Dr. or charity of one's choice.
Funeral Arrangements are under direction of Darling Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd.
---------------------------------------------------
Bernard Levin was born in Beaumont, Texas, in March 1921, and died January 2001. With the advent of World War II, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was accepted in spite of poor eyesight. Some say he cheated on the eye exam.
His airplane was shot down over Brennan, Germany, and Bernie was captured and taken to Austria, Stalag 17, where he remained for 2 years until the prison camp was liberated. He returned to Texas and lived in Baytown at the Y and got a job as a salesman.
It was on a sales trip to the Valley that he came to Brownsville and saw opportunity. In 1949, he moved here and established his Amigo Store in downtown Brownsville and started attending services at the old building of Temple Beth-El, and the Brownsville Jewish community was never the same.
He started coming early to Shul to make sure the coffee was made for the oneg. If he saw a lightbulb out, he changed it. He rarely missed services, but he sure knew who was not there - and during the following week he could pass out guilt better than any Jewish Mother.
In 1969, with the help of match-maker Ester Moskowitz, he met and married his beloved Betty and they raised 4 children.
Later, his brother, Louis Levin, joined him in the business which expanded valley-wide. In his office at the Amigo Store, Bernie paid homage to Judaism and Israel, which he loved, with photos, decorations and plaques on every wall and on his desk. His efforts for Israel Bonds were recognized by the State of Israel with the awarding of the “David Ben-Gurion” and “Jerusalem 3000” awards at dinners in his honor at Temple Beth-El.
He organized the B’nai B’rith, a men’s organization, and enticed the membership by providing the lox, bagels and eggs served at the old Holiday Inn.
Here is a question for all who knew him. Can you look at a Latke without thinking of Bernie? He organized, superintended, legislated, dominated and was the executioner for the cooking of Latkes by the men of the congregation for the annual Temple Hanukkah party. Some of us still carry the scars.
Bernard Levin was important to Temple Beth-El and Temple Beth-El was very important to Bernard. The newest Temple Yahrzeit board was donated by his family in his memory. His legacy continues with Sharon and Javier Huerta who are members of the congregation. Javier is on the Board of Directors.
Bernie and Betty Levin are buried in the Hebrew Cemetery.
Contributed by Larry Holtzman
Bernard L. Levine died Wednesday, January 17, 2001 in San Antonio.
He was born in Beaumont, Texas, March 16, 1921 and lived in Brownsville since 1949.
He was the owner of La Tienda Amigo Stores. He enlisted in the Air Force during World War II and served as a radio operator on a bomber plane. He was a prisoner of war at Stalag 17 in Germany. He served as president of B'nai Brith and was a member of the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El for many years.
Survivors include his wife, Betty; sons, Benjamin Cann of Mexico City and Samuel Levine of South Point Island; his daughters, Rebecca Raven of Brownsville and Sharon Huerta of San Antonio; a brother, Louis Levine of the McAllen; seven grandchildren and other surviving relatives.
Graveside services will be held at 10 am Friday at the Hebrew Cemetery in Brownsville.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple Beth El, 24 Coveway Dr. or charity of one's choice.
Funeral Arrangements are under direction of Darling Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd.
---------------------------------------------------
Bernard Levin was born in Beaumont, Texas, in March 1921, and died January 2001. With the advent of World War II, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was accepted in spite of poor eyesight. Some say he cheated on the eye exam.
His airplane was shot down over Brennan, Germany, and Bernie was captured and taken to Austria, Stalag 17, where he remained for 2 years until the prison camp was liberated. He returned to Texas and lived in Baytown at the Y and got a job as a salesman.
It was on a sales trip to the Valley that he came to Brownsville and saw opportunity. In 1949, he moved here and established his Amigo Store in downtown Brownsville and started attending services at the old building of Temple Beth-El, and the Brownsville Jewish community was never the same.
He started coming early to Shul to make sure the coffee was made for the oneg. If he saw a lightbulb out, he changed it. He rarely missed services, but he sure knew who was not there - and during the following week he could pass out guilt better than any Jewish Mother.
In 1969, with the help of match-maker Ester Moskowitz, he met and married his beloved Betty and they raised 4 children.
Later, his brother, Louis Levin, joined him in the business which expanded valley-wide. In his office at the Amigo Store, Bernie paid homage to Judaism and Israel, which he loved, with photos, decorations and plaques on every wall and on his desk. His efforts for Israel Bonds were recognized by the State of Israel with the awarding of the “David Ben-Gurion” and “Jerusalem 3000” awards at dinners in his honor at Temple Beth-El.
He organized the B’nai B’rith, a men’s organization, and enticed the membership by providing the lox, bagels and eggs served at the old Holiday Inn.
Here is a question for all who knew him. Can you look at a Latke without thinking of Bernie? He organized, superintended, legislated, dominated and was the executioner for the cooking of Latkes by the men of the congregation for the annual Temple Hanukkah party. Some of us still carry the scars.
Bernard Levin was important to Temple Beth-El and Temple Beth-El was very important to Bernard. The newest Temple Yahrzeit board was donated by his family in his memory. His legacy continues with Sharon and Javier Huerta who are members of the congregation. Javier is on the Board of Directors.
Bernie and Betty Levin are buried in the Hebrew Cemetery.
Contributed by Larry Holtzman
Published in the Brownsville Herald, Thursday, January 18, 2001 pg 6
Bernard L. Levine died Wednesday, January 17, 2001 in San Antonio.
He was born in Beaumont, Texas, March 16, 1921 and lived in Brownsville since 1949.
He was the owner of La Tienda Amigo Stores. He enlisted in the Air Force during World War II and served as a radio operator on a bomber plane. He was a prisoner of war at Stalag 17 in Germany. He served as president of B'nai Brith and was a member of the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El for many years.
Survivors include his wife, Betty; sons, Benjamin Cann of Mexico City and Samuel Levine of South Point Island; his daughters, Rebecca Raven of Brownsville and Sharon Huerta of San Antonio; a brother, Louis Levine of the McAllen; seven grandchildren and other surviving relatives.
Graveside services will be held at 10 am Friday at the Hebrew Cemetery in Brownsville.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple Beth El, 24 Coveway Dr. or charity of one's choice.
Funeral Arrangements are under direction of Darling Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd.
---------------------------------------------------
Bernard Levin was born in Beaumont, Texas, in March 1921, and died January 2001. With the advent of World War II, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was accepted in spite of poor eyesight. Some say he cheated on the eye exam.
His airplane was shot down over Brennan, Germany, and Bernie was captured and taken to Austria, Stalag 17, where he remained for 2 years until the prison camp was liberated. He returned to Texas and lived in Baytown at the Y and got a job as a salesman.
It was on a sales trip to the Valley that he came to Brownsville and saw opportunity. In 1949, he moved here and established his Amigo Store in downtown Brownsville and started attending services at the old building of Temple Beth-El, and the Brownsville Jewish community was never the same.
He started coming early to Shul to make sure the coffee was made for the oneg. If he saw a lightbulb out, he changed it. He rarely missed services, but he sure knew who was not there - and during the following week he could pass out guilt better than any Jewish Mother.
In 1969, with the help of match-maker Ester Moskowitz, he met and married his beloved Betty and they raised 4 children.
Later, his brother, Louis Levin, joined him in the business which expanded valley-wide. In his office at the Amigo Store, Bernie paid homage to Judaism and Israel, which he loved, with photos, decorations and plaques on every wall and on his desk. His efforts for Israel Bonds were recognized by the State of Israel with the awarding of the “David Ben-Gurion” and “Jerusalem 3000” awards at dinners in his honor at Temple Beth-El.
He organized the B’nai B’rith, a men’s organization, and enticed the membership by providing the lox, bagels and eggs served at the old Holiday Inn.
Here is a question for all who knew him. Can you look at a Latke without thinking of Bernie? He organized, superintended, legislated, dominated and was the executioner for the cooking of Latkes by the men of the congregation for the annual Temple Hanukkah party. Some of us still carry the scars.
Bernard Levin was important to Temple Beth-El and Temple Beth-El was very important to Bernard. The newest Temple Yahrzeit board was donated by his family in his memory. His legacy continues with Sharon and Javier Huerta who are members of the congregation. Javier is on the Board of Directors.
Bernie and Betty Levin are buried in the Hebrew Cemetery.
Contributed by Larry Holtzman
Bernard L. Levine died Wednesday, January 17, 2001 in San Antonio.
He was born in Beaumont, Texas, March 16, 1921 and lived in Brownsville since 1949.
He was the owner of La Tienda Amigo Stores. He enlisted in the Air Force during World War II and served as a radio operator on a bomber plane. He was a prisoner of war at Stalag 17 in Germany. He served as president of B'nai Brith and was a member of the Board of Directors of Temple Beth El for many years.
Survivors include his wife, Betty; sons, Benjamin Cann of Mexico City and Samuel Levine of South Point Island; his daughters, Rebecca Raven of Brownsville and Sharon Huerta of San Antonio; a brother, Louis Levine of the McAllen; seven grandchildren and other surviving relatives.
Graveside services will be held at 10 am Friday at the Hebrew Cemetery in Brownsville.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Temple Beth El, 24 Coveway Dr. or charity of one's choice.
Funeral Arrangements are under direction of Darling Mouser Funeral Home, 945 Palm Blvd.
---------------------------------------------------
Bernard Levin was born in Beaumont, Texas, in March 1921, and died January 2001. With the advent of World War II, he joined the U.S. Air Force and was accepted in spite of poor eyesight. Some say he cheated on the eye exam.
His airplane was shot down over Brennan, Germany, and Bernie was captured and taken to Austria, Stalag 17, where he remained for 2 years until the prison camp was liberated. He returned to Texas and lived in Baytown at the Y and got a job as a salesman.
It was on a sales trip to the Valley that he came to Brownsville and saw opportunity. In 1949, he moved here and established his Amigo Store in downtown Brownsville and started attending services at the old building of Temple Beth-El, and the Brownsville Jewish community was never the same.
He started coming early to Shul to make sure the coffee was made for the oneg. If he saw a lightbulb out, he changed it. He rarely missed services, but he sure knew who was not there - and during the following week he could pass out guilt better than any Jewish Mother.
In 1969, with the help of match-maker Ester Moskowitz, he met and married his beloved Betty and they raised 4 children.
Later, his brother, Louis Levin, joined him in the business which expanded valley-wide. In his office at the Amigo Store, Bernie paid homage to Judaism and Israel, which he loved, with photos, decorations and plaques on every wall and on his desk. His efforts for Israel Bonds were recognized by the State of Israel with the awarding of the “David Ben-Gurion” and “Jerusalem 3000” awards at dinners in his honor at Temple Beth-El.
He organized the B’nai B’rith, a men’s organization, and enticed the membership by providing the lox, bagels and eggs served at the old Holiday Inn.
Here is a question for all who knew him. Can you look at a Latke without thinking of Bernie? He organized, superintended, legislated, dominated and was the executioner for the cooking of Latkes by the men of the congregation for the annual Temple Hanukkah party. Some of us still carry the scars.
Bernard Levin was important to Temple Beth-El and Temple Beth-El was very important to Bernard. The newest Temple Yahrzeit board was donated by his family in his memory. His legacy continues with Sharon and Javier Huerta who are members of the congregation. Javier is on the Board of Directors.
Bernie and Betty Levin are buried in the Hebrew Cemetery.
Contributed by Larry Holtzman
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