About Deborah Levine, Levine articles

Top 25 Restorative People Leaders Watchlist

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 Deborah Levine:  Meet the Leader

Deborah is an award-winning author of 20 books, founder/editor of the American Diversity Report, and a Forbes Trailblazer. Her passion for the Arts began in her Bermuda childhood inspiring her to teach ballet at a school for the deaf, institute a Youth Cultural Video Contest, and create the documentary: Untold, Stories of a World War II Liberator.

DeborahRestorative Leadership Interview Questions:

Question 1: What helps you stay creatively courageous when the world feels threatened/like it’s on fire?

There have been times recently when the world feels so chaotic and the progress made over decades is being not just halted, but smashed and destroyed. I considered giving up and ceasing my usual efforts to create a better world. But the number of people who look to me for inspiration and instruction in times like these has overwhelmed my desire to simply opt out. Some of them have made comments on my opinion columns for the local newspaper that have motivated me to actually write more often. Experts locally, nationally and internationally are contacting me to speak at virtual conferences. A former co-author asked that I work with him to produce a sequel to our book, When Hate Groups March Down Main Street.
The persistence of my friends and colleagues was a large part of my determination to persevere. But there was also a spiritual sense of purpose that had risen up inside me during difficult times in the past. Over the years, I’ve come to recognize that there is a connection between myself and The Divine and giving up is not in the playbook. A friend explained to me that The divine would not let go of me until I had completed the work assigned to me in this life. When that was complete, I would disappear into the The Divine Spirit, but until then, I should be prepared to keep working on “Tikkun Olam” (Hebrew meaning Repair of the World). My dad was working as the CFO of the American Jewish Archives on his death bed at age 85, and I am prepared to do no less. 

Question 2: Describe a time when your imagination helped you move from fear into action.

 I became deathly ill on a mission to Israel after a stopover in Uzbekistan. Parasites had invaded my brain and I was close to dying. I could feel my soul leaving me as I lay in a hotel room in Uzbekistan. But then, my mother’s spirit came to me (she had died 10 years earlier). She said that it wasn’t my time yet. I told her that life was too hard and I was done. She said that I had much of life ahead of me and that I was to turn around and get back into my body. And I did, but uncertain of what to do with whatever life I had because I could no longer hold down a job. Isolated and afraid, I decided to create a support group of women. My vision was to bring together diverse women from the community and we would demonstrate how diversity could work. I called it the Women’s Council on Diversity and the first meeting was right after 9/11 attack. We needed each other more than we had anticipated and the vision was needed by the entire community in order to come together in that dangerous time. My creativity kicked in and I invented a process to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries (Matrix Model Management System: Guide to Cross-cultural Wisdom). And the System helped me step forward ever since. 

 Question 3: What does growth and holding space look like for you after a loss or rupture? 

 ‘Success in the South’. The book got national attention and CSPAN-BookTV came to my home and interviewed me. I began to see myself as having a much larger footprint than I’d ever imagined.

  Question 4: How do you protect space for imagination in your team or community? 

 My work bringing people together for dialogue began in the 1980s in Chicago when I was made director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee. Whether local interfaith dialogues or national conferences, I led multiple projects, was mentored and mentored others. My career in nonprofits led to collaborations with other creative souls including The Council Against Hate in Tulsa after the Oklahoma City Bombing. I came here to Chattanooga to bring together the Jewish community with a dream of building a new cultural center.
Despite health issues, I have continued to create collaborative projects and I recently shared how I structured my work to instruct and inspire. My latest book, “The Art of Resilience: From Pain to Promise”, includes ‘Resilience Insights’ at the end of each chapter. I talk about strategies for inspiration and the power of grit, gratitude, and faith. I share the need for leading with empathy and overcoming fear.  We live in a time that can be depressing, but we have the capacity for resilience. Transformation is possible and writing is an excellent tool for that. I encourage writers of all ages and nationalities to submit articles to my online magazine, AmericanDiversityReport.com, which will help heal themselves and the world. 

Question 5: What rituals or practices help you (and/or your team/community) name what hurts while still holding on to what’s possible? 

 Storytelling has always been part of my life. I learned to read at age 3 and I have a photo of myself in diapers writing on a notepad with a no. 2 pencil. Given the divisiveness of today’s world and the anger, grief and depression so frequently generated, I have developed my storytelling into a “Restore our Humanity” project.

My video stories are mini-documentary episodes that provide the inspiration and instruction for humane interaction so needed in today’s tumultuous world. The series is resonating with viewers for its heartfelt and thought-provoking storytelling about intense emotional issues including:

    1. Ditch the N-Word: Bridge Racial Divide – #1

    2. Bridge Racial Divide – #2

    3. Immigrant Kid Struggles to Fit In – #1

    4.  Immigrant: Teach and Learn –#2 

    5. Jewish Factor and the Holocaust- #1

    6. Jewish and Holocaust- #2

    7. A Story of Autism by a Grieving Sister – #1     

    8. Autism Lessons – #2

    9. Humanity, Mortality and Moms – #1

    10. Mortality and Moms – #2

I’m in the beginning stages of sharing these video stories but they are already praised by academia, high tech experts, artists and HR professionals, as well as the general public.
        “Viewers will not only witness, but feel — and reflect.” ~ Lee Webster, Former Rehabilitation Services Bureau Chief
       “Stories like this are essential to open hearts and foster empathy.” ~ Papa Ball Ndong, Human Migration Expert Founder AICOSMO         
       “Beautiful and heart moving…something a good mother would do!” ~ John Lemon/ Deepsong Productions
       “These stories touch the heart and soul, reminding us of the critical importance of humanity at a time where it is too often forgotten.” ~ David B. Grinberg, former E.E.O.C. spokesman and White House political appointee.

Deb QuoteI am encouraged and inspired to double the number of video stories and share them widely so viewers can both grieve and hope.

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