Leon Bernstein — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

Dr. Leon Bernstein was born in Skuodas, Lithuania in 1914. He grew up in a Zionist family steeped in Germanic culture. He served as an officer in the Lithuanian army. In 1940 he was awarded a Ph. D. in mathematics and philosophy. He lectured in mathematics and physics at the Vilna Open University until the Germans invaded the city in June, 1941

He was in the Vilna Ghetto from 1941-1943.  While there, he founded Youth club and then headed the cultural committee of the Judenrat. In this capacity he promoted the study of Hebrew and Zionism in the schools and youth clubs in the ghetto. He was one of the leaders of the underground organization kvutzat hama'avak shel Yehiel (Yehiel's Combat Unit) under the command of Yehiel Sheinbaum. He advocated leaving the ghetto and fighting in the forests: before the ghetto was liquidated he moved to the Rudninkai forest near Vilna and fought as a partisan until the city was liberated in 1944

From 1945-49 Dr. Bernstein was head of the Refugee Center in Italy. From 1949-67 he headed the World Jewish Congress in Israel and lectured in mathematics at Tel Aviv University, and from 1968-79, was a professor at the Technological Institute of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Bernstein was a founder of the association of "Partisans, Fighters and Rebels of the Ghettos" in Israel. He wrote dozens of articles and mathematics books. He also composed a book of poetry in German which was highly praised by Thomas Mann. In addition, he wrote philosophical treatises and plays in English and Yiddish that were staged in London

Dr. Bernstein was a world-renowned mathematician; he cut an impressive figure, was very warm-hearted, had the soul of a poet and was extremely talented

He passed away in 1984

Written by Dr. Aharon Einat in the review of Dr. Bernstein's book Haderekh Ha'aharonah (The Last Way) in 1990