RABBI NAOMI LEVY
Rabbi Naomi Levy is the founder and spiritual leader of Nashuva, a groundbreaking Jewish community, based in Los Angeles.
A unique and passionate voice in the contemporary Jewish world, Rabbi Levy was raised in a traditional home in Brooklyn and educated at Cornell University, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude.
Following her lifelong passion, Rabbi Levy became a member of the first class of women to attend The Jewish Theological Seminary’s Rabbinical School in New York City. At the Seminary, Rabbi Levy was honored as an outstanding student and later became the first female Conservative Rabbi to head a pulpit on the West Coast.
In the course of her work, Rabbi Levy identified a pressing need in the Jewish community… a desire for joy, spirituality, belonging and a relationship with God. Through the creation of Nashuva, Rabbi Levy has drawn thousands of unaffiliated Jews back to Judaism with a soulful, relevant and fun spiritual experience. High Holiday services, which are broadcast on-line each year, gives hundreds of thousands of viewers across the globe a chance to connect, rejoice and find deep meaning in their Jewish tradition.
Rabbi Levy is also a best-selling author and nationally noted speaker on revitalizing faith, spirituality, healing and prayer. Lectures have included “healing the violence in our society,” “revitalizing synagogue life” and “breathing new life into High Holy Days " Rabbi Levy has appeared on NBC’s Today Show and Oprah and been featured in Parade, Redbook, Self, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and Los Angeles magazine.
In recognition of the impact she has made, the Jewish Forward identified Rabbi Levy as one of the nation’s 50 most influential Jewish leaders and Newsweek included Rabbi Levy in its list of “Top 50 Rabbis in America.”
Books authored by Rabbi Naomi Levy:
• To Begin Again : The Journey Toward Comfort, Strength, and Faith in Difficult Times (1999): This national bestseller provides an inspirational account of finding resiliency in life’s darkest moments.
• Talking to God: Personal Prayers for Times of Joy, Sadness, Struggle, and Celebration (2002): Rabbi Levy teaches us how personal prayer can transform our lives.
• Hope Will Find You: My Search for the Wisdom to Stop Waiting and Start Living (2010): This book is an intimate account of Rabbi Levy ’s personal journey and the wisdom gained. With humor and honesty, she describes how she came through a time of uncertainty and fear and learned to stop waiting for life to begin.
• Einstein and the Rabbi: Searching for the Soul (2017): Rabbi Levi’s exploration of the meaning and purpose of the soul, inspired by the famous correspondence between Albert Einstein and a grieving rabbi.
“I started making kameas, or amulets, many years ago. At first I made them for myself and my family. Then I started making them for friends. I saw how wearing these blessings helped calm, center and focus people. I saw how carrying these ancient words close to the heart, along with a personal blessing from me, made a difference in people's lives."
"I also noticed how many people asked me about the kameas I wore, and how many wondered where they could get one. That's when I decided to start making kameas and the power of blessing available to everyone.”