Naomi Levy

Naomi Levy is the founder and leader of Nashuva, a groundbreaking Jewish spiritual outreach movement based in Los Angeles. Levy was named one of the top-fifty rabbis in America by Newsweek and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the Today Show, and NPR.

She was in the first class of women to enter the Jewish Theological Seminary’s rabbinical school and the first woman in her movement to head a congregation on the West Coast.

Through Nashuva, Naomi has been involved in drawing hundreds of disaffected Jews back to a Judaism that is soulful, committed to social justice, meaningful, relevant and fun. The Jewish Forward just listed Rabbi Levy as one of the 50 most influential Jewish leaders in the nation.

Naomi attended Cornell University where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. She was in the first class of women to enter The Jewish Theological Seminary's rabbinical school. At the seminary, Naomi received honors as outstanding underclass student of Talmud and outstanding underclass rabbinical student. She became the first female Conservative rabbi to head a pulpit on the West Coast. She helped revive Congregation Mishkon Tephilo and transform it into a center of life and learning.

Naomi left her pulpit to begin work on her book, To Begin Again, which became a national bestseller. Naomi's second book, Talking to God, teaches readers how prayer can transform all our days. Her most recent book, Einstein and the Rabbi, was published in 2017.

Naomi serves on the faculties of the Wexner Heritage Foundation and the Academy of Jewish Religion. She lectures widely on the topics of the strength of the human spirit, revitalizing faith, spirituality, healing and prayer.

Naomi has been keynote speaker at the Harvard School of Public Health on healing the violence in our society. She has been a repeat keynote speaker for the American Cancer Society on the issue of healing and resiliency. Naomi has also been keynote speaker to rabbis and cantors both Reform and Conservative on the issue of revitalizing synagogue life, prayer, sermons and ritual.

Naomi was chosen by her movement to teach Conservative rabbis nationwide how to breathe life into the High Holidays. Naomi was selected by the Los Angeles Times Outlook as one of the 100 most influential people in LA. Her writings and prayers have been excerpted by numerous organizations including the American Jewish World Service, which recently distributed her Prayer for Overcoming Indifference encouraging people to recite it at their Passover Seders.

Naomi has served on the boards of the Rabbinical Assembly (Pacific Southwest Region), Westside Interfaith Council, The National Conference for Community and Justice (LA Chapter), and The Publications Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly.