Dr. Baruch S. Levin

Dr. Baruch Shmuel (Boris) Levin was born in Russia in 1904. In 1906, due to the political upheavals, he moved to Germany, together with his father, the Zionistic leader Shmaryahu Levin. In 1924, due to his involvement in the "Blue Weiss" movement, he moved to Israel, and opened a chicken coop and hatchery in Nachalat Yitzchak, which was a big innovation in those days.

Between the years 1930 and 1937, he learned bacteriology in France.

Baruch Levin was one of the pharmaceutical industry pioneers in Israel, and of penicillin throughout the world. In 1937, he started working in research in the Hebrew University at Har Hatzofim. In the beginning, he worked on the development of animal vaccines, and later on, on human vaccines and even a small amount of antibiotics: penicillin and tyrothricin.

After the founding of the State, he began industrial manufacturing of antibiotics for export, and in 1949, started the pharmaceutical company Rafa Laboratories, which was the pioneer in research, manufacturing and marketing of penicillin, tyrothricin and streptomycin medication groups in Israel.

Shmaryahu Levin

Shmaryahu Levin was born in Israel in 1937. Son of Baruch Shmuel (Boris) Levin, one of the pharmaceutical industry pioneers in Israel and of penicillin throughout the world, and Shlomit, a special education teacher and supervisor in the Ministry of Education, and the grandson of the Zionist leader Shmaryahu Levin.

Shmarya learned in the Beit Hakerem high school (later known as "Near the University"). During his IDF service, served in the Nachal unit, and afterwards in teaching and instructing volunteers from abroad. Learnt economics in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and was active as a leader in a youth group.

In 1959, joined the close-knit Rafa Laboratories company, where he worked for 47 years. Shmarya begin his activities in the company as a distributor and for 30 years served as the General Manager. In his last years, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

During his tenure in Rafa, the company led a number of programs to improve the quality of life of Israeli patients, and foremost, in the treatment of pain.