[3][4] His parents separated and his father traveled much for his advocacy in politics, so Lelyveld was raised by other relatives, primarily in New York City.
[3] He earned a BA degree in English and an MA in American history from Harvard University in 1958 and 1959.
[8] Lelyveld's book Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle with India was banned in the Indian state of Gujarat from publication for allegedly insinuating that the subject, Mahatma Gandhi, was in a homosexual or homophilic relationship.
[9] Lelyveld criticized the ban and rejected the allegations that his work claimed Gandhi to be homosexual or homophilic.
[11] Lelyvald died from complications of Parkinson's disease at his home in Manhattan, on January 5, 2024, at the age of 86.