Rabbi Yael Levy

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
When I learned I was going to be losing my hair permanently, I never asked, “Why me?” In many ways, the decision to be a bald woman in public has felt like a natural extension of my spiritual practice, a theory-meets-practice litmus test. “Owning” my baldness feels true and authentic. In my studies with Rabbi Yael Levy, I have both learned and experienced that Jewish mindfulness practice connects me to lessons and messages given through our ancestors. I’ve experienced firsthand the power of compassion, love, strength, gratitude and grace expressed toward me and, in turn, from me. I am certain that my ability to draw strength to accept the twists and turns of my own story so far has been eased by Rabbi Yael’s teachings. I am so grateful.
— Bea Leopold and three others
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
