Category Archives: About Deborah Levine

About our Founder/Editor-in-Chief

DL Opinion columns

Time to join the autism activists – by Deborah Levine 

 (column originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press)

I was hypnotized by the obituary of The Rev. Lamar Hardwick, pastor at Tri-Cities Church in Georgia. It wasn’t his degrees that caught my attention, although they were certainly impressive: Master of Divinity (Emory U. Candler School of Theology), Doctorate of Ministry (Liberty U. School of Divinity). It was his nickname, “The Autism Pastor”, that got me.  At age 36, he’d been diagnosed with autism and became an activist, helping autistic church members. He then wrote about how all churches could better prioritize people with disabilities. That’s when memories of my younger brother Johnny bubbled up inside me.

Johnny was brilliant, but his autism affected basic skills such as reading. And his people skills were non-existent. I loved and comforted him however I could. We’d sit together in the TV room watching science fiction shows. They were fascinating to me, but vital for him. He hoped to find another world where he’d be welcomed. This one was solitary and cruel! Fellow students from elementary school, high school, and college insulted him, harassed him and even attacked him. Horrifying! 

Continue reading Time to join the autism activists – by Deborah Levine  →

DL Opinion columns

Instruct and Inspire – by Deborah Levine

Originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

The drive from Chattanooga to the Nashville area is a long haul. I wasn’t looking forward to the more almost 5 hour round trip in the car as I prepared to speak at an Interfaith Conference sponsored by the TN Holocaust Commission. Fortunately, a friend offered to drive and I ended up loving the trip for its incredible beauty. I’ve always felt a spiritual presence in trees and there we were surrounded by plenty of them. It’s always emotionally difficult speaking about my dad, a World War II Liberator, but I could feel his spirit encouraging me. I was reminded that I’d been invited to speak about dad’s legacy for good reason. So by the time we arrived at the conference location in Hermitage, the Emanuel Lutheran Church, I was ready to do my presentation, “Lessons of a Liberator Assigned to Interrogate Nazi POWs”. 

Continue reading Instruct and Inspire – by Deborah Levine →

DL Opinion columns

Corruption weaponized with tax dollars – by Deborah Levine

 Originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

Trump’s proposed Anti-Weaponization Fund of $1.776 dollars is shaking up a lot of folks. Reports of corruption that would have been denied or minimized are now dramatically public including: 1) Insider Trading: Trump made money from stocks whose prices were affected by his influence, 2) Immunity: The Internal Revenue Service won’t  scrutinize any past or present alleged tax irregularities by the president and his family. 3) Bribery: The Food and Drug Administration allow flavored e-cigarettes after a $5 million PAC (Political Action Committee) tobacco company donation. What accounts for this visibility? It’s that Anti-Weaponization Fund using our tax dollars.  

Continue reading Corruption weaponized with tax dollars – by Deborah Levine →

DL Opinion columns, Tech & AI

Conversational AI comes to Chattanooga, again – by Deborah Levine

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

Project Voice 2026 marks a decade of Conversational AI and it was a pleasure to attend at its conference at the Chattanooga Convention Center. I’m in total agreement with the organizer, Bradley Metrock, (General Partner, Project Voice Capital Partners) and his explanation of the celebration. “We’ve been very pleased to host Project Voice for the last ten years here in Chattanooga. Every time I get asked “Why Chattanooga?” I respond “Why not?” The city is growing, vibrant, and hungry, and those working with voice AI and conversational AI from around the world that have attended over the years have witnessed that energy first-hand. The conference itself moves the voice AI world forward, and quietly has established a reputation as a central event for this young but growing technological domain.”

There were more than 160 attendees for amazing sessions like: Alexa, What’s Next For Voice AI?, Security Reimagined in an Age of AI, Hiring In The Age Of AI, Conversational AI in Modern Healthcare, and Measuring AI’s Effectiveness in Customer Service.

Continue reading Conversational AI comes to Chattanooga, again – by Deborah Levine →

DL Opinion columns

These women are making history around the world – by Deborah Levine

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

When I got the invitation from the annual virtual Women’s Empowerment Expo to be featured among the 40 organizations from around the world, I thought it was a joke. Maybe that’s because the Expo is organized by Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment (GlobalWE) and includes CEOs, ambassadors, inventors, I’ve always addressed the challenges that women face, my Radcliffe/Harvard time was more than a half century ago. Overwhelmed by their incredible attempts to build a better world, I’ll let others from the Zoom conference comment.

Continue reading These women are making history around the world – by Deborah Levine →

DL Opinion columns, The Arts

4 Bridges Arts Festival a wonderful gift – by Deborah Levine

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

Thousands of folks join me in thinking that the 4 Bridges Arts Festival is, as a Bishop friend in Bermuda used to say, “wonderful, marvelous, glorious.” The Festival is presented annually by the Association for Visual Arts (AVA) and has been with us for 26 years.  AVA’s tag line is “ Connecting Art with Community’ and it’s supported by the TN Arts Commission, Lyndhurst Foundation, and ArtsBuild as well as dozens of sponsoring organizations and individual patrons.  While 4 Bridges grows bigger as the city expands, its home continues to be the First Horizon Pavilion near the Southside district of downtown Chattanooga. That’s where I went.

Continue reading 4 Bridges Arts Festival a wonderful gift – by Deborah Levine →

DL Opinion columns, Levine articles, War

Creative souls needed in war zones – by Deborah Levine

 ( based on column for The Chattanooga Times Free. Press)

When my hubby and I saw that Iran had bombed Bet Shemesh, a community outside of Jerusalem, we were horrified. That’s where our daughter Elana and 4 grandsons live. Photos of the decimated village and stories of nine dead in the bombing filled the news. It was 24 hours before we heard from Elana. You can imagine what a relief it was to see her post this on 

Facebook: “War has started again. Thank G-d we are all ok…” 

Continue reading Creative souls needed in war zones – by Deborah Levine →

DL Opinion columns, Music, theater, TV, dance

‘Gimme a Break’ and get along with Music –  by Deborah Levine

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Can we bring diverse folks together in these crazy times? It seems like an impossible dream, one that requires an incredible amount of research, work, time and energy. Yes, I did create a neuroscience-based process years ago called the Matrix Model Management System. And it’s a been a great success for team building. But something simpler and faster is needed these days. What might that be?

I discovered an amazing answer to that question when grocery shopping. I was standing by the candy section, not far from two salesmen whom I’d seen there often. They were discussing sales issues when I realized that I was in front of the KitKat section. I turned to them and asked if they knew the song to the Kit Kat commercial. They grinned like twins although one was African American, the other was country-style White. Together they started to sing and dance to the “Gimme a Break” music from the 1986 KitKat ad. And I joined in. 

Continue reading ‘Gimme a Break’ and get along with Music –  by Deborah Levine →

DL Opinion columns

Using the power of Interfaith – by Deborah Levine

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

As we celebrate Passover and Easter in our Jewish and Christian homes here in Chattanooga, I had the opportunity to dialogue virtually with the Bermuda Christian Jewish Alliance (BCJA). You may already know that I grew up on the island of Bermuda, part of the British Commonwealth. My grandfather was one of the island’s Founding 400 and we’re the only Jewish family to have lived on the island for 4 generations – going back to the early 1900s. So given the holidays, it wasn’t entirely surprising to get a request from BCJA to speak about my family’s history, especially our experience regarding the Holocaust. 

Continue reading Using the power of Interfaith – by Deborah Levine →

DL Opinion columns

Women Storytelling for Women’s History Month – by Deborah Levine

originally published in The Chattanooga Times Free Press

Folks often cite famous women in history as their inspiration during Women’s History Month. The stories about Marie Curie, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt and Ruth Bader Ginsburg are good examples. But here in Chattanooga, we have our own inspirational women who have spoken about Women’s History Month and its meaning. Let’s learn from the stories that they share.

Continue reading Women Storytelling for Women’s History Month – by Deborah Levine →