Shabtai Levi

Shabtai Levi was born in 1933 in Haifa

Shabtai Levi was born in Haifa on March 22, 1933, to Rachamim Levi and Rachel Cohen, a rabbi's daughter from Safed. He was the third generation of his family in the country. From age 13 he was a member of the Zevulun sea youth movement.

He studied at the Alliance school and at a vocational high school near the Technion in Haifa. He completed his high school studies externally by correspondence and later as a soldier.

Levi joined the IDF in 1950 and served in the navy, first as a sailor and then as an officer after a naval officers course. He served in gunnery roles, worked on the missile that became the Gabriel, and helped plan the navy's missile boats. In 1966 he rebuilt the naval officers course at the navy school.

In 1971 he became commander of the missile boat flotilla. In July 1973 he went to the US Naval War College, the first Israeli officer accepted to its senior command course. During the Yom Kippur War he served as aide for operations to the navy commander.

He later served as director of the Shipping and Ports Authority and as president of the Zevulun seafarers association.