Amy E. Levy has been cantor of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel since 2004 and will soon be celebrating her 20th year. Originally from Sioux City, Iowa, she grew up in a close-knit Jewish community and was actively involved in Jewish leadership roles from a young age. Her passion for singing and acting led her to study Vocal Performance at the University of Kansas. After graduating, she pursued her ordination at the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College, where she was ordained as a Cantor in May 2000. She is a proud member of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC).

Before joining Keneseth Israel, Cantor Levy served at Temple Israel in Tulsa, Oklahoma, until 2004. She has also been an active member of the ACC board and played a key role in planning the 2003 ACC Convention in New Orleans.

Cantor Levy met her talented husband, Ross M. Levy, when she joined Keneseth Israel in 2004. Ross was a student at Gratz College and was working at the synagogue at the time. The couple married in 2007 and settled in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. They have two amazing teenage daughters, Aria and Kira, as well as two adorable Shelties, Dolly and Ivy.

Over the past two decades, Cantor Levy has enriched the congregation with her musical programming and educational initiatives. She pioneered our Visual Tefillah, and she is known to “wear her heart on the screens.”  Through the visuals, she has brought congregational participation, engaging and beauty to the meaning of the prayers, and taught our B’nai Mitzvah to include this visual aspect in their ceremonies.  She heads up our rich, diverse Sacred Music Program. She has introduced both traditional and contemporary Shabbat services, including the recent Judas Maccabaeus Shabbat and Shabbat Illuminated. She actively engages the congregation's musical members by offering a variety of opportunities to participate in choirs and bands. 

Cantor Levy is the Director of KI’s B’nai Mitzvah program. She has also been instrumental in developing and supporting Keneseth Israel's Social Action Program, which focuses on inclusivity, community outreach, and social justice. She helped establish the Inclusion Committee, Caring Community, Champions for Cheltenham, and the current Tzedek Center.

In 2022, she received the Ricky Godorov Key Day Award from AADD, recognizing her dedication and commitment to adults with developmental differences. In 2023, she was elected to the board of the Montgomery County Women’s Center, advocating for survivors of domestic abuse.

Cantor Levy has performed across North America and has a particular love for Opera and Broadway music. In addition to her musical pursuits, she is passionate about cooking and views food as medicine. She is a certified Hatha Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Practitioner. She is expanding her healing efforts and interest through our new initiative “The KItchen” a space to explore wellness with programs to explore mind-body connections, food as medicine and food for the soul. 

Email Cantor Levy.