Lauren B. Lev, at The Blogs

Sep 30, 2024, 9:48 PM

Although there is always the joy and the solemn coming of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that jogs my memories early in late August, I have gravitated to the month of Elul because of its purpose in preparing us...

Aug 16, 2024, 12:31 AM

Tikkun Olam—Repairing the World—A Win-Win for All

“If the garment or accessory is right for prom, it’s right for this donation.” So said the flyer I wrote that was sent out to Temple B’nai Torah, Wantagh, NY congregants in anticipation of the yearly Mitzvah Day, held...

May 14, 2024, 7:07 PM

Return to ‘The Barn’- a Holocaust Story

The writer, James Baldwin has been quoted in a 1962 essay for the New York Times, “Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” James Baldwin's Fire: Throughline. So, what does...

Mar 20, 2024, 7:44 PM

Purim for beginners

When the Hadassah Al Galgalim Training Wheels Program, a development program for families with young children, became our community’s “go-to” for holiday celebrations, Purim was especially sweet. It was a celebration complete with pre-school crafts such as elbow macaroni...

Mar 1, 2024, 8:55 AM

For March Women’s History / Empowerment Month – The Empowering Annette

When I first met my husband, he had many stories to share. Third generation in his Brooklyn, New York apartment, a rich history of studying and working in theatre including backstage adventures on Broadway and most importantly the legacy...

Feb 2, 2024, 8:05 PM

Shabbat as Our Refuge

When we first moved into our new home, we found that “fifteen-or-twenty-minutes-away” temple to put down roots for both spirituality and community. Each Friday night my family met familiar congregants, made new friends, and slowly established our role in...

Nov 29, 2023, 1:15 AM

The Mitzvah of the Mikvah

I was chronically early that Sunday morning, circling the unassuming office building for a parking space. Pulling up to a spot on the street, I noticed the nearby telephone pole with two “Kidnapped” posters on it -- further proof...

Oct 27, 2023, 1:14 AM

The Start of Learning

It’s a joyful ceremony, masquerading as a chaotic frenzy. Parents “bookending” the seats of their school age kids in the pews. Klezmer musicians warning up with their musical scales. Ritual committee volunteers work the sanctuary to corral twenty-eight different...

Jul 6, 2023, 8:01 AM

The Learning Collaboration

It was pew déjà vu – back-to-back Shabbat services that focused on the relationship between teacher and student. And it wasn’t examined only in the present tense, but rather in the past, present and future tenses. First, the “Teacher Recognition...

May 5, 2023, 8:16 PM

The Teaching Power of ‘Never Forget’ and ‘Never Again’

On the evening of Monday, April 17, our temple and our community joined many around the world to commemorate Yom Hashoah, the day of remembrance of the Holocaust and the heroism of those who fought against it. For our memorial...

About Me

Lauren B. Lev is a Life Member of Hadassah Nassau (Long Island, NY) and a member of the Hadassah Writers' Circle. She is a New York-based writer and advertising executive who teaches marketing communications at the State University of New York/Fashion Institute of Technology as well as SUNY Old Westbury. Lauren writes personal essays and features that have appeared in New York Newsday, Patch.com and the East Meadow Herald under the weekly column "eLEVate the Conversation". She has written for the book, “Real Stories of Hadassah Life Changing Moments” and is the honored recipient of the Hadassah Nassau Region Woman of the Year Award for her work in developing the Special Needs version of the Hadassah Al Galgalim/Training Wheels program. This hands-on, inclusive program helps to ensure that young children nationwide can learn about the richness of their Jewish heritage.

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