Michael (Mishe) Lev was born in 1917 in the Ukraine, in Pohrebysche.[1] He studied Yiddish language and literature in Moscow, and worked at a Yiddish publishing house, where his first publications appeared. During World War II Lev fought in the Russian army, was taken prisoner, escaped, and joined the partisans.[1] His wartime experiences became the main theme of his writings. He has published 17 books in Yiddish, Russian and Hebrew.