Jerry Levin

Jeremy Isadore "Jerry" Levin (March 20, 1932 – February 6, 2020) was an American television journalist. He wrote on nonviolence, with an emphasis on the Middle East and in particular Palestine and Israel.

Life and career In 1984, while working for CNN, he was kidnapped and held hostage by Hezbollah. Of Jewish birth, Levin converted to Christianity during his captivity.

In 1991, his story was made into the television film Held Hostage.

In April 2009 he and his wife were recognized by the Dalai Lama as one of 2009's "Unsung Heroes of Compassion".

Personal life Levin was born in Detroit in 1932. He attended Northwestern University and was in the United States Navy. He and his wife, Lucile "Sis" Levin (née Hare) had six children. Levin lived in Birmingham, Alabama at the end of his life, and died on February 6, 2020, at the age of 87.

Books Jerry Levin. Reflections on My First Noël. (Pasadena: Hope Publishing, 2002). . Jerry Levin. West Bank Diary: Middle East Violence as Reported by a Former American Hostage. (Pasadena: Hope Publishing, 2005). .