Chaim (Chaika) Levin, [of Amador]

Rav Chaim (ben Shmuel) Cheikel (Chaikel) of Amdur (Indura) (1787). A disciple of the Vilna Gaon, he later became a student of Rav Dov Ber, the Maggid of Mazerich. Rav Chaim became one of the first Chassidic Admorim in 1772-73. He authored Chaim VaChesed. Amdur is about 25 miles south of Grodno (Hrodno). Amdur and Grodno are located in the northwest corner of what is now the independent country of Belarus, close to the Lithuanian and Polish borders. During the Cossack revolt of 1648 against Polish landowners and gentry, over 100,000 Jews, mostly in Ukraine and southern Belarus, were murdered. However, the marauders did not advance north to the Grodno region. Jews comprised 80% of the population in Grodno at that time. Rav Chaim was succeeded by his son, Rav Shmuel of Amdur.