Cantor Lisa Levine was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, where she began singing and playing the guitar at the age of 8. Influenced by Jewish songwriter Debbie Friedman at an early age, she was inspired to be a URJ camp song leader and active in the Reform Jewish youth movement. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Music from University California Irvine, where she studied under the baton of Joseph Huzsti and participated in two international tours with the UCI Concert Choir. Lisa spent her junior year in Israel and studied at the Reuben Conservatory and sang with the Operan Workshop and Israeli National Choir under the direction of Stanley Sperber. After graduating U.C.I. she went on to Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, where she completed her Masters Degree in Sacred Music. There she studied voice with Irene Gubrud of the Julliard School. She was invested Cantor in 1989 and began her career as Cantor / Music Director of Temple Shalom in Dallas, Texas.
From 1996 until July 2000, Lisa served as the Cantor / Music Director of Temple B'nai Jeshurun in Des Moines, Iowa. She was a co-founder and guest conductor of the "Des Moines Diversity Chorus," an interfaith community choir dedicated to promoting diversity and understanding. Her solo CD "Gems of the High Holy Days" was recorded live for Iowa Public Radio at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Des Moines. While in Iowa Lisa studied voice with Janet Alcorn. From 2000 to 2003 Lisa served as Cantor of Temple B'nai Jehudah in Kansas City.
Lisa has recorded two CD's of original music entitled "Keep The Spirit" and "In The Light" with duo group "Lisa & Lynn." In 2004 she published her self titled songbook which contains 22 original songs for healing, prayer and unity. Her original musical compositions are part of the Transcontinental Music Publications Choral Series and appear in "The Complete Shireinu", "The Complete Chanukah Songbook," Synagogue 2000's "Songs of Healing" the CCAR's "Open Door Haggadah," "American Conference of Cantors Lifecycle Manual," Soundwrites' "Sounds of Torah" as well as "Complete Jewish Songbook II", "Shabbat Anthology II", "Shabbat Anthology IV", "Manginot II", "Torah Alive!" and "K'lei Zemer". Lisa's songs were featured and performed at the URJ Biennial in Boston, Minneapolis, Houston and San Diego. Several of her poems were published in the new Women's Torah Commentary.
Lisa's solo album of original songs entitled "Reaching For Peace" was released in 2005. Her Friday Evening Service and CD "Soulful Shabbat," written for interfaith and outreach was published in summer 2006. The collection is unique because of it's range of accessable musical styles written for youth, teen and adult choirs and band.
Lisa's most recent project is entitled "Mis Canciones Para Los Judios De Cuba" My Songs for the Jews of Cuba. It features favorite Ladino, Yiddish, Hebrew and Cantorial gems that Lisa performed in her two concerts in Havana in 2006 and 2007. All of the proceeds from the CD go directly to the B'nai Brith Cuban Jewish Relief Fund.
Lisa's concert of original music entitled "The Jewish Gospel Experience" has recieved rave reviews at CAJE, in performance with the Heartland Choral and Des Moines Diversity Chorus as well as part of her scholar-in-residence weekends in congregations around the country. The program brings people of all ages, abilities, faiths and backgrounds together through music and fellowship. Her other solos concerts "Jewish Folksongs from Around the World" and "Broadway Bound" continue to be favorites among audiences around the country.
Lisa teaches yoga and is the creator and co-author of "Yoga Shalom" a unique Jewish spiritual worship experience. It has met with great success at CAJE and ACC/GTM and URJ Biennial and URJ MAC Regional Conferences as well in congregations where Lisa shares "Yoga Shalom" with enthusiastic yoga practitioners. Yoga Shalom is soon to be published by the URJ Press.
Lisa is the Cantor of Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase Maryland. She shares her life with husband Andy and their two teenage children, Emily & Louis and a very feisty West Highland Terrier named Duncan.
