Yamin Levy, Rabbi
My Story
Nearly forty years ago, I stood at the beginning of a journey that would take me deep into the heart of the Sephardic tradition: into its communities, its wisdom, and its enduring spirit. From the moment I first stepped onto the pulpit, I felt an unshakable calling not only to serve but to teach, to write, and to help preserve a heritage that has shaped my soul.
My work has taken many forms: rabbi, educator, administrator, academic, and author. At its core has always been a deep love for Jewish learning and communal life. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of writing seven books, editing two volumes, and contributing articles in multiple languages, including English, Hebrew, Catalan, and French. But it has never been about the number of publications. It has been about trying to give voice to the timeless wisdom of our tradition and share it in a way that resonates with today’s seekers.
Among all the subjects I’ve explored, including Biblical interpretation, Jewish law, and Sephardic history, my heart has continually returned to Maimonides. His teachings and the luminous world of Andalusian Jewish thought from which they emerged have been a lifelong anchor. In my recent books The Mysticism of Andalusia, The Founding Fathers of Sephardic Jewry, and Jewish Mysticism: Essays on Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed, I have tried to trace the spiritual lineage that begins with towering figures like Rav Saadia Gaon and flows through the great thinkers of medieval Sepharad. Their ideas continue to shape the Jewish soul.
Throughout my rabbinic life, I have been blessed to serve communities across the United States, from Highland Park, New Jersey, to Seattle, Washington. Today, I make my home in Kings Point, New York, where I serve as the senior rabbi of the Iranian Jewish Center. Each community has left an imprint on me, teaching me in return even as I tried to guide.
My academic journey led me to Yeshiva University, where I served as Vice President of Sephardic Studies and taught at both Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women. I was also part of the founding administration of the Long Island Hebrew Academy, a project rooted in the belief that education is the beating heart of a vibrant Jewish future.
Perhaps the most personally meaningful endeavor has been founding and directing the Maimonides Heritage Center in Tiberias, Israel, just steps away from the final resting place of the "Great Eagle" himself. There, in that ancient city, I feel the living pulse of our tradition: its brilliance, its depth, its resilience.
Looking back, I see not a career but a life woven together by devotion to the Sephardic legacy, a desire to teach, and a commitment to nurturing the sacred connection between past and present. And through it all, I remain a student, still learning, still listening, still inspired.
— Rabbi Yamin Levy
