August 14, 2014(2014-08-14) (aged 80) Manhattan, New York, United States
Occupation
Writer, professor, publisher
Leonard J. Fein (July 1, 1934 – August 14, 2014), also known as Leibel Fein, was an American activist, writer, and teacher specializing in Jewish social themes.[1]
Fein taught Political Science at MIT in the 1960s. He was then also the Deputy Director of the MIT/Harvard Joint Center for Urban Studies. He joined the Brandeis University faculty in 1970 as a Professor of Politics and Social Policy and the Klutznick Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies.
Jewish community leader
He founded the National Jewish Coalition for Literacy and was co-founder and for 12 years editor of Moment Magazine.[2] He was characterized by Daniel Sokatch of the New Israel Fund as "the father of our Jewish social justice movement."[3]
He was the author of four books and the editor of two, and he wrote extensively for newspapers, magazines, and journals. From 1990, he wrote a syndicated weekly opinion column for The Forward newspaper.
He was the brother of Rashi Fein, Litt. D., Ph.D., a famed health economist termed "a father of Medicare"[6] and Professor of Economics of Medicine, Emeritus, in the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School.[7]
He was married twice and had three daughters, Rachel, Nomi, and Jessie.
National Foundation for Jewish Culture award for achievement in Jewish scholarship, 1994.
Jewish Council on Public Affairs, Chernin Award for lifetime contributions to social justice, 1999.
University of Chicago Alumni Award for "creative leadership in public service that has benefited society and reflected credit on the University", 2000.