Yehudah Katz
Yehudah is the founder and leader of the popular Israeli Jewish rock and soul band Reva L'sheva (www.revalsheva.com). In hundreds of worldwide concerts over the past 9 years, the band has been painting a picture of joy, optimism and unity. It has been enthusiastically received at universities, large music festivals, Jewish community centers and synagogues, and by organizations such as the General Assembly of Jewish Federations, the Limmud Conference, International Hillel on campus, Israel Bonds and The Israel Festival. In Israel, Reva L'sheva has also shared the stage with many of Israel's most popular artists such as Ehud Banai, Shlomo Gronich, Ariel Zilber and Meir Banai.
As a solo artist, Yehudah has been blessed with the opportunity to touch many lives with his own unique approach to Jewish spirituality, music and story. Reb Shlomo Carlebach was a critical influence, given the 23 years during which Katz watched the master open hearts through music, story and personal connection. For the past eight years Yehudah has helped continue his legacy by directing the annual Reb Shlomo Carlebach Memorial Concerts at the Binyanei Haumah Convention Center in Jerusalem.
Katz offers workshops and seminars in Hebrew and English on themes such as "The Power of Music and Melody," "Music Composition: Roots and Influences," "Music and Spirituality: An Individual and Communal Journey," and "Jewish Folk Culture- Tracing Roots from Temple Times to the Modern Era." On his own quest to connect with Jews in the four corners of the earth, he has performed and taught in communities large and small in the U.S., Canada, England, Germany, the former Soviet Union, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Croatia, The Czech Republic and Africa.
Beyond his soulful musicianship, Katz brings to his Jewish educational projects his Yeshiva University education, an M.A. in guidance and counseling, and coursework completed towards a doctorate in clinical psychology. He served the community for 12 years in the field of informal Jewish education, working for the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Jewish Community Centers Association, and the National Conference of Synagogue Youth, specializing as a pioneer in outreach to unaffiliated young people.
