Benjamin Fain was born in Kiev. He obtained his Ph.D..D. from the Gorky University (USSR) and acquired a worldwide reputation in the field of laser physics. His activism as a Soviet refusenik, working to bring a cultural, spiritual dimension to the
Jewish national movement in the Soviet Union, earned him a thick file with the KGB.

After suffering Soviet repression, in 1977 he was finally allowed to fulfill his lifelong dream to move to Israel, where he has been living and working ever since. He is currently Professor Emeritus of the School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University.