Yehuda Levin

Yehuda Levin (born 1954) is the Rabbi and founder of Congregation Mevakshei Hashem (Those Who Seek the Lord) Synagogue in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

Levin is a vocal religious conservative and opposes gay rights and abortion.

Levin is also a member of the advisory committee of the organization Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation. Yehuda Levin tends to be in alliance with Christian Evangelicals on efforts opposed to homosexual rights and other social issues. This led to his 1996 support for Pat Buchanan.

Levin has run for public office numerous times. He ran for Congress in 1984 on the Republican ticket, for mayor of New York City in 1985 on the Right to Life ticket, and for New York City Council in 1991 and 1993 on the Conservative ticket. He was unsuccessful in each of these elections.

Levin was involved in stopping a gay pride event from taking place in Jerusalem.

In October 2010, Levin worked with Carl Paladino and prepared an anti-gay statement which Paladino read in part in the Orthodox Jewish community, which made national news. Paladino later apologized for that statement, causing Levin to withdraw his support from Paladino.

Levin is often noted in popular culture for his strong anti-gay statements, most notably his statement blaming the 2010 Haiti earthquake on the presence of homosexuals in the military.

Endorsements

Levin supported Randall Terry's bid to run as a Democrat in 2012 for President of the United States.

Yehuda Levin, a student of Rabbi Avigdor Miller, has received praise by Orthodox rabbis for defending tradition. Nevertheless, some Orthodox rabbis and community leaders from Ashkenazic and Hasidic communities have responded negatively to Levin. Levin has also received support from some conservative Catholics for causes relevant to the World Congress of Families.