(continuing...)

Strasbourg, 1984-1995

In 1984, Lévy moved to Strasbourg to study first at the Yeshiva of Students, then at the Eshel Yeshiva. He studied full-time, except for the time he devoted to the weekly courses he gave at the University of Paris and their preparation.

Strasbourg was to mark a long period of initiation, disconnection, and difficult, painful effort to emerge from the Cartesian cogito triumphant in solitary intelligence – “No one can understand for me. Ultimately, one must decide by oneself what is true for all the universe,” (Sartre, Situations I, “Cartesian Freedom”) – into a world where meaning is always discovered through the confrontation of two or several opinions, and through the analogy of situations that are distant in time and space, without according relevance to historical chronology.

When Lévy’s main study partner, who had been trained in Lithuanian yeshivot, returned to Jerusalem, the idea of moving to Jerusalem took shape in his mind.

Jerusalem, 1995-2003

Lévy felt the immediate impact of Jerusalem’s light and stone: after Strasbourg’s massive stone, that of Jerusalem seemed imbued with light.

In the course of his first year in Jerusalem, Lévy found a master: Rav Moshe Shapira, “beside whom Sartre seemed a tiny figure.” Beginning, at first, simply as a mere listener of the Rav’s weekly class, Lévy then became a member of his Kollel (a study house for married men) and attended all his classes.

It proved more difficult to create a French teaching institute in Jerusalem.

In 1995-96, Lévy  held the post of visiting lecturer for six months at Bar Ilan University and taught the rest of the year at the University of Paris VII.        

In 1996, he established the Paris VII doctoral school of Jerusalem, which offered courses and seminars in philosophy and literature on the premises of the Alliance Française. In the first year, the philosophy course covered the work of Emanuel Lévinas, who had just passed away. Lévy’s expanded lectures were published later under the title Visage continue. La pensée du retour chez Emmanuel Lévinas (Verdier, 1998).

When elections at Paris VII led to the entry of a new, more politicized (pro-Palestinian) management, a decision was passed by the Administrative Council, with the exception of the students’ representatives, to dissolve the Jerusalem doctoral school – for the very reason of its success. Lévy continued to represent Paris VII at the Alliance Française and to supervise work in progress. In 1998, he gave a seminar on Sartre and contingency, and, in 1999, a cycle of lectures on politics, which would lead to the publication of Meurtre du Pasteur. Critique de la vision politique du monde (Grasset/Verdier, 2002). In December 1999, the Alliance Française closed and Lévy was ordered to return immediately to France and give his courses at Paris VII. Since the decision was legally questionable, it was rejected by Lévy, who proceeded to hold his seminars in the basement of a building – it was the catacombs period.

When Lévy’s connections proved of no avail, he turned for help to Alain Finkielkraut, whom he had met in 1980 and to Bernard Henri-Lévy, who had just published Le siècle de Sartre (The Century of Sartre).  The two philosophers drew the attention of the press and the French authorities to Lévy’s case and in the Spring of 2000, together with Lévy, they founded the Institute of Lévinassian Studies. “The encounter [between the three founders] represents the possibility of a place and a language where Jews, torn in their choice of existence, can co-exist, argue, quarrel and try to save the role of the word which  is absolute.” (first pamphlet published by the Institute).

Once established, the Institute could welcome Lévy as its Director, delegated by Paris VII. The courses, seminars and debates held by the Institute were an immediate success. Every event represented a special occasion for the French-speaking community of Jerusalem and elsewhere. The first volume of Cahiers d’Etudes Lévinassiennes (Journal of Lévinassian Studies) was published.

But Lévy’s enemies were not disarmed so quickly. Each renewal of his contract involved further conflict with the Paris VII administration until he, finally, won his case in July 2003.

In September, Lévy completed his book Etre juif (Being Jewish). It was the accomplishment of his life’s goal. The book came out in October, 2003, a few days after his death.  

Benny Lévy Foundation

The Benny Lévy Foundation was established in June 2004 in Jerusalem. Its aim is to assemble the Benny Lévy Archives, part of which will be made available to the public, to publish a large number of unpublished works (seminars, articles, lectures) – two posthumous volumes have already come out:  La  confusion des temps (Verdier 2004) and La cérémonie de la naissance (Verdier, 2005) – and to promote research on Benny Lévy’s work. Internet site: http://www.bennylevy.co.il E-mail: fondation@bennylevy.co.il