Connecting Music and Message: Meet Peter Levinson, Lead Guitarist, Co-Founder, and Leader of The Ruach

By Peter Levinson

Weaving music with spirituality is at the heart of my passion and purpose to have an impact in the Jewish community. Music, and playing it, has always been important to me. I have been in all sorts of bands: garage, college, bar, even my high school marching band, playing all kinds of music, from rock and pop to soul, jazz, and funk.

I grew up about three hours east of Charlotte in the tiny town of Fairmont, North Carolina, right in the buckle of the Bible Belt. Mom, Dad, my brother, and I were the only Jews in town. The nearest synagogue was 12 miles away.

My parents gave me an electric guitar for my bar mitzvah, and I taught myself to play. I had many influences, including Pete Townshend. You can hear The Who in The Ruach’s version of “Mi Chamocha — Who Is Like You?”

In high school, I was a disc jockey at the local radio station. On Sundays, I would run the control board for a gospel program featuring “The Tobacco Troubadours.” I remember how they smiled and laughed as they played. Their palpable and contagious joy inspired me and, in many ways, influenced my Jewish musical journey.

Although I had never pursued Judaism from an observance standpoint, my parents instilled me with strong Jewish values. My dad was president of our little synagogue and raised funds for the United Jewish Appeal. My parents were highly active in the community and great role models. When I moved to Charlotte after law school, I felt it was my obligation to join a temple to connect with the Jewish community. Since then, I have served on the boards of the JCC and two temples and currently serve as the board chair of North Carolina Hillel.

As each of my daughters studied for their Bat Mitzvahs, I attended services with them. Being able to read Hebrew phonetically, prayers were familiar but, admittedly, I did not fully understand or appreciate them. There had to be more.

Thirteen years ago, just before my daughter Jill’s Bat Mitzvah, Temple Israel’s rabbi called to ask if Jill and I would be interested in joining him and Nancy Good, The Ruach’s lead singer, and her son, Josh, in heading up a Saturday morning alternative service. He cautioned not to expect more than a handful of people to be there. Much to all our surprise, nearly 50 showed up. Playing in front of others for the first time in several years felt good. I loved seeing their smiling faces enjoying our music and, just as importantly, the service. It brought me back to those smiling faces of “The Tobacco Troubadours.”

As time went by, others joined us to form what has become known as The Ruach. At Temple Israel, we helped lead Friday night services and “Rock” Hashanah on Rosh Hashanah. Even though we were playing new Jewish music, I still did not give much thought to the meaning of the musical prayers. I just enjoyed playing.

In 2017, The Ruach became independent and started offering alternative worship experiences in nontraditional settings. This led me to delve into the meanings of the services and prayers. By my gaining a deeper awareness, The Ruach and I have been able to lead uplifting and relatable Shabbat and High Holy Day experiences that provide hope, healing, and connection.

Judaism has always been about community, family, and tradition. For me, it is now much more. It is about inspiring and engaging people to experience the joy of Judaism. The Ruach has grown a new community, and I have gained a fresh and richer appreciation for Judaism.

Join The Ruach on the 4th Friday of each month at 6:45 p.m. for The Shabbat Experience, the modern Friday night service built on Jewish tradition on YouTube.com/theruachband.

The Ruach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to spread the joy of Judaism through The Shabbat Experience and other new Jewish musical expressions that are meant to create and maintain personal connections and, to inspire and engage people to embrace Judaism and all that it has to offer. The Ruach is supported primarily through voluntary contributions together with a small grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte.