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{{short description|Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Panama}}
{{Infobox Jewish leader
| honorific-prefix = Rabbi
| name = Zion Rajamim Levy<br>ציון רחמים לוי
| honorific-suffix =
| title = Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Panama
| image = R. Sion R Levy "ztl.jpg
| caption =
| denomination = Orthodox
| synagogue = Shevet Ahim Congregation
| synagogueposition =
| yeshiva = [[Porat Yosef Yeshiva]]
| yeshivaposition =
| organization =
| organizationposition =
| began = 1951
| ended = 2008
| predecessor = Rabbi Simon Abadi
| successor = Rabbi Haim Levy
| semicha =
| rabbi =
| rank =
| other_post =
| birth_name = Zion Levy
| birth_date = 8 September 1922
| birth_place = Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine
| death_date = 23 November 2008
| death_place = Tel Aviv, Israel
| buried = [[Har HaMenuchot]]
| nationality = Israeli, Panamanian
| residence =
| parents =
| spouse = Rubissa Sarah Levy
| children = David Levy, Haim Levy, Yaacov Levy (deceased).
| occupation =
| profession =
| employer =
| alma_mater =
| signature =
| website =
}}
'''Zion (Sion) Rajamim Levy''' ({{langx|he|ציון רחמים לוי}}, pronounced ''Ṣiyyon Raḥamim Levi'') (1925–2008) was the [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardic]] [[Chief Rabbi]] of [[Panama]] for 57 years. His tenure is thought to be the longest of any religious leader in the region.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://washingtonjewishweek.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=17&ArticleID=9746&TM=28170.78 |title="Zion Levy, Panama's Grand Rabbi, 83". Washington Jewish Week, 3 December 2008 |publisher=Washingtonjewishweek.com |date=2008-12-03 |access-date=2010-12-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721012109/http://washingtonjewishweek.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=17&ArticleID=9746&TM=28170.78 |archive-date=21 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He built up a Jewish community of 6,000-7,000 [[Torah]]-observant Jews in a country of 3 million.<ref name="Mishpacha">{{cite web|url=http://www.vosizneias.com/24876/2008/12/28/panama-on-the-shloshim-of-cheif-rabbi-rav-tzion-levy-ztl-a-towering-figure-who-build-torah-and-juadism-in-panama/ |title="Lessons in Leadership: Insights and wisdom from Panama's Chief Rabbi, Tzion Levi, zt"l". ''Mishpacha'' Magazine, 24 December 2008, pp. 44-50 |date=28 December 2008 |publisher=Vosizneias.com |access-date=2010-12-29}}</ref>

== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
Levy was born in [[Jerusalem]] shortly after his parents immigrated to [[Palestine (region)|Israel]] from [[Morocco]]. His father was Rabbi Yaakov Levy, a noted [[Kabbalah|kabbalist]] at [[Beit El Yeshiva]].<ref>[http://www.matzav.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=86&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=4004&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2222&hn=matzav&he=.com "News from the Torah World: Rav Tzion (Bentzion Rachamim) Levy, Rov of Panama" (24 November 2008).]{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> Levy studied at [[Porat Yosef Yeshiva]].

=== Career ===
Levy arrived in Panama in 1951 at the urging of the Jerusalem [[beth din]].<ref name="Mishpacha" /> In his later years, Levy oversaw the construction of new synagogues in [[Panama City]] and worked to smooth relations with the country’s Arab and Muslim communities. He frequently phoned the country’s [[imam]] for a talk.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite web|url=http://jta.org/news/article/2008/11/28/1001235/panamas-grand-rabbi-zion-levy-dies |title="Panama's grand rabbi, Zion Levy, dies." Jewish Telegraph Agency, 28 November 2008 |publisher=Jta.org |date=2008-11-28 |access-date=2010-12-29}}</ref>

=== Death ===
[[File:Mikveh in Lod 2020.jpg|thumb|[[Mikveh]] in [[Lod]], Israel, named after Zion Levy and his wife.]]
Levy suffered from ill health for several years. In October 2008, he felt unwell and was visited by two physicians from Israel's [[Tel Hashomer Hospital]]. The doctors found him in critical condition and recommended that he be flown to Israel to Tel Hashomer. His condition improved initially, but on the evening of 23 November 2008 he succumbed to his illness at the age of 83. He was eulogized at Porat Yosef Yeshiva.

Levy was survived by his sons, David and Haim Levy.<ref name="Telegraph" /> His wife, Rubissa Sarah Levy, died shortly after Zion Levy's Death. Haim Levy, a resident of Jerusalem, took over his father's post in Panama as Chief Rabbi. He later resigned the post, and returned to Israel.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Porat Yosef Yeshiva}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Zion}}
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century rabbis]]
[[Category:21st-century rabbis]]
[[Category:Panamanian Sephardi Jews]]
[[Category:Clergy from Jerusalem]]
[[Category:Burials at Har HaMenuchot]]
[[Category:Israeli people of Moroccan-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Panamanian people of Israeli descent]]
[[Category:Panamanian people of Moroccan-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Israeli Sephardi Jews]]
[[Category:Panamanian religious leaders]]
[[Category:Mohalim]]
[[Category:Chief rabbis]]

Zion Levy - Revision history

imported>Qualiesin: added Category:Chief rabbis using HotCat