Lee J. (Lee Joseph) Levinger

Born in 1890 and known as Lee J. or Lee Joseph Levinger, he was a rabbi and author whose papers are now held by the University of Oregon Libraries. Archival records there describe a long writing life that included book manuscripts, published articles, and correspondence spanning much of the twentieth century.

Levinger is especially remembered for A History of the Jews in the United States, a substantial survey that was published by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and reissued in later editions. The book reflects the blend of scholarship and public education that shaped much of his career.

He also wrote essays for general readers, including pieces on American Jewish community life, showing an interest not just in the past but in the everyday social changes of his own time. He died in 1966.