Fiszel Lewkowicz (Ephraim Lahav)
| Born: |
05-29-1916 |
| Faculty: |
Philosophical School |
| Category: |
Expelled student |
Fiszel LEWKOWICZ, born on May 29
th, 1916 in Warsaw/Poland (entitled residency ("heimatberechtigt") for Warsaw/Poland, citizenship 1039: Poland), youngest of children of Josef Lewkowicz (1880-1971, merchant in Vienna) and Chaya Lewkowicz, geb. Kozlowski/Koslowsky (1878-1942), lived in Vienna's 2
nd district, Grosse Sperlgasse 33, was enrolled finally in the spring term 1938 at the Philosophical School in the 3
rd year of his studies and took courses in Chemistry and Botany.
In 1938, after the takeover of power of National-Socialism he was forced to quit his studies for racist reason and to leave the University of Vienna.
He had to flee Vienna and Austria. After being arrested in the course of the November Pogroms he was able to leave Austria at the end of 1938 and enter Palestine [Israel] in January 1939. There he was able to continue and complete his studies in chemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and to earn a PhD. He changed his name to Ephraim Lahav and married in Palestine Paula Gottlieb (Pnina פנינה Lahav להב), who had also emigrated from Vienna, but had already left Austria for Palestine with her family in 1936.
Later he was active in diplomatic missions: From 1956 to 1962 he was a scientific advisor at the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C./USA, and after the establishment of political relations with the Federal Republic of Germany in 1968 he worked for several years at the Israeli Embassy in Bonn. He and his wife then spent about 20 years in Frankfurt am Main, where he worked for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In 1992, he and his wife moved back to Israel.
Dr. Ephraim Lahav, née Fiszel Lewkowicz, passed away on June 9
th, 2009 at the age of 93 in Petah Tikva, Center District, Israel.
Lit.: Archive of the University of Vienna/enrollment forms ("Nationale") PHIL 1937-1938, PHIL GZ 1 ex 1937/38; POSCH/INGRISCH/DRESSEL 2008, 429; information from his granddaughter Dr. Michal Entin-Meer, Israel 11/2021; www.geni.com.
Herbert Posch
