Mis Canciones Para Los Judios de Cuba FREE

About Mis Canciones Para Los Judios de Cuba

In 1996 Lisa traveled to Havana a performed a concert for the Cuban Jewish Community with a B’nai B’rith International Humanitarian Mission. The response to her music was so powerful and positive, that she decided to record a CD of the songs she performed there, including some traditional favorites in her Cantorial repertoire. The style is mainly folk, guitar and percussion with flute, violin and piano. If you love traditional folk songs, you’ll love this album. There are also gems of the Cantorial repertoire and if you love traditional Jewish music, you'll love these songs. Of special note are the Yiddish folk songs, which when sung in Havana brought forth a great deal of emotion among those in attendance. The Jewish Community of Havana is made up of many families who settled there from Poland escaping from the Nazi Holocaust. These songs are melancholy and reminiscent of the old country. They tell the stories of the Jewish people who have lived and thrived in many lands around the world. All proceeds from the sale of this CD goes to the B’nai B’rith Cuban Jewish Relief Project.

Cantor Lisa Levine was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, where she began singing and playing the guitar at the age of 8. She was a URJ camp song leader and active in the Reform Jewish youth movement. After earning her Bachelors Degree in Music from University California Irvine, she went on to Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, where she completed her Masters Degree in Sacred Music. She was invested Cantor in 1989 and served as Cantor/Music Director of Temple Shalom in Dallas, TX until 1996.
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. 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 her duo group “Lisa & Lynn.” She recently published her self titled songbook which contains 22 original songs for healing, prayer and unity. Her original musical compositions are published and distributed by Transcontinental Music 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, ”Soundswrites’ “Sounds of Torah” as well as Complete Jewish Songbook II, Shabbat Anthology II and Torah Alive! Lisa’s songs were featured and performed at the URJ Biennial in Boston, Minneapolis and Houston. Her long anticipated solo album titled “Reaching For Peace” was released and received rave reviews. Her Friday Evening Service for outreach called “Soulful Shabbat” has just been released. Lisa teaches “Yoga Shalom” a worship service for mind, body and spirit and is a trendsetter in Yoga worship. She is a scholar-in-residence around the country.
In July of 2003 Lisa was elected the fifth Cantor of historic Temple Oheb Shalom in Baltimore, Maryland. She shares her life with her husband Andy and their two children, Emily & Louis and a very feisty West Highland Terrier named Duncan.