Benjamin Fain - Biography

Benjamin Fain (Вениамин Моисеевич Файн, ) (February 17, 1930) is a known physicist, professor-emeritus, former refusenik.

Fain was born on 17 of February 1930 in a Jewish family in Kiev. His father was a mathematician, he instilled in the child a love to science as well as a strong national sentiment.

Benjamin Fain was named after his grandfather, murdered in Proskurov pogrom. During the Second World War the family was evacuated and changed several places. After the end of the war the family stayed in Dushanbe, where Fain graduated from school. He became a student in Moscow Institute of Energetics. During the first year in Moscow he visited synagogue and attempted to learn Hebrew and Yiddish languages. Fain was strongly impressed by historical visit of the first Israeli ambassador in USSR Golda Meir. Fain managed to pass in 1950 to a Phaculty of Physics in Gorky University. He graduated there with summa cum laude, his instructor was a future Nobel prize winner Vitaly Ginzburg.

Fain successfully started his scientific career, and already in 1965 became a professor in his alma mater. He wrote several scientific books translated into English and German. In 1966 he moved to Moscow and started successful work in Institute of Solid State Physics in Chernogolovka.

Starting from 1972 Fain gradually starts to participate in a Zionist movement. He takes part in refusenik scientific seminar, also in Samizdat. Applies for exit visa to Israel in 1974 and turns to be refusenik, also unemployed after dismissal from his work on political grounds.

In 1976 Fain initiates a sociological research on Soviet Jewry, an attempt to organize an international symposium on the subject was foiled by KGB, which closely watches all his steps from now on. At the same period Fain gradually starts practicing Judaism. After several arrests, searches, interrogations and a hunger strike Fain finally arrives to Israel in 1977.

He contunues to struggle to improve life of Soviet Jews and also continues scientific work in Tel Aviv University in the fields of quantum electronics, lasers, condensed matter.

Starting from 1998 field of his interests moved to the philosophy of science and Judaism and interrelation between them. After retirement Fain writes in Hebrew his first philosophic book "Creation Ex Nihilo", where he analyzes relationship between religion and science. It is published in Hebrew as well as in to English and Russian translations. The Russian version of the book also has an autobiographic part. In 2008 Fain completed another book in Hebrew "Laws of Nature and the Providence". It will soon (in 2011) be published in English by Urim Publications. In January 2011 Fain's third book has been published by .

He is father of two sons and one daughter.

Footnotes

Bibliography

• "Creation Ex Nihilo : Thoughts on Science, Divine Providence, Free Will, and Faith in the Perspective of My Own Experiences", Benjamin Fain
• "Laws of Nature and the Providence", Benjamin Fain (in print)
• "Quantum Electronics" by Benjamin Fain and Ya. I. Khanin, The MIT Press (15 Sep 1969), in English, ISBN 0262060302, ISBN 978-0262060301