Biography

Batya uses song as a tool for cultivating healing and resilience, and centers this in their work as a communal song leader, musician, shaliach tzibur (Jewish prayer leader) and cultural organizer. They believe in the liberatory power of song to untie what is bound within us, and sustain us as we build a more just and beautiful world. Rooted in the ruach (spirit) of her traditional upbringing, Batya supports people to access the ancestral wisdom and tools of Jewish song, ritual and prayer. This work is particularly important for those of us who have felt disempowered, alienated or marginalized from Jewish tradition and within Jewish community. Batya is dedicated to building a vibrant Judaism that simultaneously reaches backward and forward in time, and is wide enough for our whole selves. Batya leads song and prayer in a variety of communities and is a co-founder and organizer of Let My People Sing!, a project that seeks to uplift the diversity of Jewish singing traditions and provide a transformative space for learning, leading and sharing in communal song. Batya composes original music, and her songs have made their way to prayer spaces, living rooms and protests across the Jewish diaspora. They are giddy and utterly humbled to be sharing their first album of original songs with you! www.batyalevine.com