Levinsohn, Hessel, a brother of the next named, who together with his parents had anathematized Isaac on account of his supposed apostasy, was in the first place influenced by him through correspondence, not to pass such a harsh judgment upon himself. Then, when he came to England, he was gradually won by him and other Hebrew Christians to read the New Testament, and to search the Scriptures earnestly, until he too could publicly confess that Jesus was his own Redeemer. He afterward became a missionary of the British Society for the Propagation of the Gospel amongst the Jews.
Levinson, Rev. Isaac, was born in Kovno (Russia), in 1855. His father was a pious man, and used to fast every Monday and Thursday. When Isaac was five years old, his father himself taught him Hebrew, and then sent him to school, where he made rapid progress in learning, so that at the age of eight he could read the Pentateuch with the Targum and Rashi's commentary. Henceforth he studied mostly the Talmud, in which he felt no delight nor even satisfaction, especially when at thirteen years of age he became bar mitsvah (confirmed), and began to realize responsibility for his sins. This caused him to lay aside the doctrines of men, and to study more diligently the Word of God. In 1871 he took leave of his parents, and after much hardship and God's loving care on the journey, arrived in London, September 19th, with the intention to go from there to America or Australia. But just as he landed he was robbed of the little baggage he possessed, and a kind Jew took him to his house, with whom he spent the Day of Atonement. Subsequently he once passed by the L.J.S. Chapel at Palestine Place, and noticed a Hebrew inscription on the front. Thinking it was a synagogue he entered, and was surprised to find that it was a Christian place of worship, where the prayers were said in Hebrew. He listened to the service, and after it was over, a Hebrew Christian spoke to him, and told him that he had found peace in believing in Jesus as the Messiah. This was exactly what Isaac was searching for. He then made the acquaintance of Dr. Stern, was instructed and baptized by him, and entered the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution. After a time Levinson was for some years a clerk in the R.T.S., where he made good use of his time in preparing himself for studying in Spurgeon's College. He was then ordained to the Baptist ministry, and was engaged by the British Society as deputational secretary, in which capacity he laboured zealously and ably for some years, until he was called to succeed the late Rev. John Dunlop, as chief secretary of the same Society.
Levy, Benjamin, was the son of Moses Levy, one of a well-known firm of shipowners in London. When he was quite a young man he set up in business as a clothier and draper in Holborn. Subsequently he removed to Sunderland, where he spent the last forty-two years of his life; and so greatly did he prosper that he opened branches of his business in Shields, Stockton, Middlesborough, West Hartlepool and Barrow in Furness. His admission by baptism into the Church of Christ took place when he was twenty-six years old. Before then he had drifted away from the moorings of the synagogue, and then soon followed his total neglect of all religious observance, and all belief in the Bible. It was at this crisis in his religious life that he was brought under decidedly Christian influences. He came in contact with a clergyman of the Church of England, who led him to accept Christ and Him crucified; after which he ever remained a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus, and a promoter of Christian work. He became Warden of St. Thomas', Sunderland, for which Church he did a great deal. He was elected member of the Town Council of Bishopwearmouth in 1861, and in 1871 he was made Alderman of the Sunderland Ward; had he lived longer, he would have attained the chief civil dignity there. His funeral was attended by the whole Town Council in its official capacity. He left a family of four sons and five daughters, all of whom were doing well at that time.
Levy, Philip, was converted in England, at the beginning of the eighteenth century. He published an English, Hebrew, and Chaldee Grammar in 1705, at Oxford.
Lewald, Fanny, daughter of a Jewish banker at Königsberg, and born 1811, became a member of the Evangelical Church by baptism in 1828. She is distinguished as a great authoress. Her works comprise twelve vols., six of them under the title, "Meine Lebens Geschichte" (Autobiography), Berlin, 1871-75. She died at the age of 78, in 1889.
Lewis, Dr. de Leno, was editor of "Israel's Watchman," at Baltimore, 1888.
Lichtenstein, George Philipp (Susskind Mayer), was born at Frankfort in 1606, and became a Christian through intercourse with pious Christians, and through hearing Christian hymns.
Lichtenstein, Jacob, the brother of the above, born in 1826, became a more famous pastor and theologian. He published "Das Leben unsers Herrn," Erlangen, 1855; "Prüfet alles und das Gute behaltet," 1870. He died in 1875.
Lichtenstein, Jehiel Zebi (Hershensohn), was born at Jassy, in 1831, and brought up in Bessarabia, among the Chassidim and Kabbalists. Having received a New Testament at Jassy, he studied it diligently, and being convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, he baptized himself in a river in 1855. In 1868, he published a Kabbalistic book, entitled, "Limude hanebiim," in which he tried to show that the teaching of the Kabbalah and of the New Testament are identical. In 1872, he came to London and was baptized by Dr. Stern. He then assisted for a short time Mr. Dworkowicz in Warsaw and Pastor Weber in Neudeklslau. From 1874 to 1879 he laboured as a missionary of the Berlin Society in Berlin. He then was for a time in Russia, whence he went to Leipzig in 1885, where he was afterwards appointed to be one of the tutors at the Institutum Delitzschianum. He is the author, besides the above-mentioned, of the following Hebrew works:—"Chizzuk Emunah Emeth" (A defence of Christianity against the Jewish book "Chizzuk Emunah,") 1879; "Toldoth Jeshua," a refutation of the book under that name, 1883; "A Short Rabbinic Commentary on the whole of the New Testament," published gradually. Lichtenstein also translated the whole of the Old Testament into Yiddish for the British and Foreign Bible Society, of which parts have appeared.
Lichtenstein, Johann Daniel, son of the above, who was baptized in his youth, became afterwards a very devoted Pastor in Frankfort. It is recorded that he displayed self-sacrificing activity, especially among the sick and the prisoners. He died in 1862, and in allusion to his name "Lightstone," the people said of him that "he was a light which consumed itself."