Reaching For Peace $0.15

About Reaching For Peace

Lisa Levine brings her 20 years of worship experience and social activism to the eleven original songs on "Reaching For Peace." Lisa has spent her career building bridges and tolerance between diverse communities through music. The title song from the album was written for two different choirs, Jewish and African American: the sound is a melding of traditions and styles.

What people are saying about "Reaching For Peace"

Review from the Jerusalem Post: (by Ben Jacobson)
The opening "Behold How Good" is a tour de force of gospel pop, one which includes a rock steady clapping interlude, bent bass note flourishes, a soaring melody, and children singing in a round. "Ruach Elohim" ventures into nineties Sting-esque adult rock ballad territory, while "Shelter of Your Peace" uses the various vocal parts in a call-and-answer structure to evoke congregational singing. "Spirits Rising" takes the pop holy Americana concept a step further, and borrows from Native American rhythm chants for a primordial feel that offsets the rest of the slick disc.
"From the first song, the CD really flowed, and was upbeat and powerful. Definitely one fo the best collections I've heard in awhile" - recording artist Julie Silver

"Reaching for Peace is very inspirational... a delight to my soul and my ears!" - Leslie Lutsky, Jewish Digest, Montreal Canada

"A great upbeat message and sound" - Mike Sherman KAMU College Station, TX

"A great legacy" - Joel Eglash, Transcontinental Music Publications

"Your songwriting is fantastic and I know your music is going to resonate with so many people in the Jewish and non-Jewish world." - Rick Recht

"Reaching For Peace" is a blend of gospel and Jewish liturgical music which grows out of Lisa's 20 years working with interfaith, gospel and Jewish choirs. It also contains the healing songs "MiSheberach" and "Ruach Elohim" which have become popular in congregations around the world.

The lush arrangements include the voices of four choirs: adult, teen, youth and gospel and were written to be used in worship and interfaith settings.

People of all faiths and backgrounds will find inspiration in this beautifully crafted CD. Lisa's message is one of faith, unity and peace.

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." She recently published her self titled songbook which contains 22 original songs for healing, prayer and unity. Her original musical compositions are published 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," Soundwrites' "Sounds of Torah" as well as "Complete Jewish Songbook II" and "Shabbat Anthology II". Lisa's songs were featured and performed at the URJ Biennial in Boston and Minneapolis.In July of 2003, Lisa was elected the fifth Cantor of historic Temple Oheb Shalom in Baltimore, Maryland. Her long anticipated solo album titled "Reaching For Peace" was released in March 2005 to rave reviews.