Lisa Levine

Cantor LISA LEVINE has been building bridges among faith communities for more than three decades. An internationally known cantor, composer, author , yoga teacher and worship artist she is best known for her healing compositions and worship music. Born and raised in Bakersfield, CA her love for music came from her teacher and mentor Debbie Friedman, who inspired her to be a URJ camp song leader and become active in the Reform Jewish youth movement. Lisa earned her Bachelors Degree in Music from University California Irvine, where she studied under the baton of Joseph Huzsti and spent her junior year in Israel, studying at the Reuben Conservatory and singing with the Israeli Opera Workshop and Israeli National Choir.

Lisa went on to attend Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music in New York where she completed her Masters Degree in Sacred Music and was ordained Cantor in 1989. Over the next three decades she served many prestigious congregations including Temple Shalom in Dallas, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Des Moines, IA, Temple B’nai Jehudah in Kansas City, Temple Oheb Shalom in Baltimore, MD and Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase, MD. Her work with interfaith and diverse communities led her to continue writing songs and prayers, bringing people together for peace.

Lisa’s catalogue includes 10 acclaimed CD’s and a dozen songbooks which comprise her compositions of worship, healing, yoga and Jewish Gospel. Her musical compositions appear in over two dozen complications and her 10 song choral series is published by Transcontinental Music Publications.

Lisa’s poetry is included in the WRJ’s Women’s Torah Commentary, two volumes of the WRJ Centennial Book, Lombardi Voices Publications and many more. Her recent collection of poetry “Heart of Light: Poems of Longing, Loss and Life” with artwork by Julie Silver is currently available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

Since 2005 Lisa has led 6 Jewish Humanitarian Missions to Cuba, performed many concerts and delivered much needed aid to the Jewish Community all over the island. She also works tirelessly on behalf of the village of Namatumba, Uganda to bring food, education and much needed basic needs to the faithful Jewish Community.

Lisa was Ordained as Rabbinic Pastor in 2018 by Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal and her recent collection “Bridge To Peace” was inspired by her work in healing and chaplaincy. More recent projects including “Jospel Jam” and “Sound of Your Soul” continue to inspire and inform the vision for world healing and peace.

Lisa is a 500 hr Registered Yoga Teacher and teaches yoga practices online via zoom as well as in various communities locally and around the world. Her book “Yoga Shalom” was published in 2011 by URJ Press and Yoga Shalom Leaders Guide just released on Amazon Kindle. Both continue to pioneer the topic of Jewish embodiment of prayer.

She has been a featured artist at NewCAJE, ACC/GTM Conventions as well as URJ Biennial, CCAR, WRJ OHALAH, Hava Nashira, SLBC, ROUTES and Aleph Kallah Conferences.

Lisa serves as Artist-in-Residence as well as Rabbinic Chaplain for JSSA and the Riderwood Jewish Community in Montgomery County, MD. Reb Cantor Lisa shares her music, yoga, chant and prose with those who seek healing of mind, body and spirit.