Poetry
Date Published: May 23, 2024
Publisher: Mindstir Media
With an unmistakable voice and a depth of presence, Leventhal’s work zooms
out and back inward, taking stock of it all. His poems survey the
surrounding landscapes: be it historical, natural, political, or emotional.
They reflect on love and loss with vulnerability, and on the prospect of
aging with optimism and gratitude. They travel centuries back in time and
simultaneously ask the question of what it means to be alive in the world
today. Years of leadership in the Jewish community provides him access to
Biblical language and wisdom. The artwork that accompanies the poems creates
and elegant conversation between visual art and poetry. There is a deep
reverence within many of these works that is balanced out by Leventhal’s
refusal to take himself too seriously, his zest for life, beaming in words
and brushstrokes from these pages. (Dakota Read- Editor)
About the Author
Bob Leventhal served as sales and marketing executive for cleaning products
company O-Cedar Brands for 19 years. For more than 15 years Bob was a Jewish
communal lay leader in Dayton, Ohio. He was a day school president, a JCC
membership chair and federation campaign leader. He even taught seventh
graders in his temple’s religious school.
In 2001 he chose to combine his MBA and his Masters in Jewish Education to
create a unique synagogue consulting practice at the Alban Institute in
Washington, D.C. In January 2012 he became the Director of Leadership at
United Synagogue. He led the team which created the Sulam Leadership
Curriculum.
As he approached 65 he began to develop his interests in writing and
painting. He took painting classes in NYC. He wrote a memoir Swept Away
(2022) about his transition from business to consulting. He wrote the Memory
Chest (2024), a conversation between painting and poetry. He has
intentionally sought out colleagues and mentors to support these new
learning journeys. Walk with Bob.
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