Hanniel Levenson: Threading Art & Spirituality 

Hanniel Levenson doesn’t allow his professions or passions to define him — rather, he defines how he moves within those avenues. The 41-year-old is not merely a rabbi, artist, designer, yoga teacher or surfer — rather, these are threads in the bright, multi-colored fabric of Hanniel (pronounced honey-EL) Levenson.

“If all of life is a practice, I’m putting being playful right now as the centerpiece,” Levenson says, confidently. “I find that expression in experimenting with art, in teaching and practicing yoga, and in childlike play in the ocean, surfing.”

When Levenson was 30 years old, he moved out to the East End to work as an associate rabbi at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons. Living there, he learned to surf and developed a reputation, according to the New York Times, as the “freewheeling rabbi of the East End.” Levenson chuckles affectionately at the mention of that title. While he no longer works at the Center, or in the Hamptons, nor in any official capacity as a rabbi for that matter, it is still at the core of what he does.

“By training, I’m a rabbi, and I bring all these tools into my practice, into my teaching, an all-inclusive approach to what it means to be a human being,” he says, adding, “I’m constantly exploring how to share my gifts, and the wisdom and the tools that I have learned over the years, especially when it comes to religion.”

Levenson often hears people say they are “spiritual, but not religious,” and says he’s often wondered what the difference is. He’s come to this conclusion: “Being spiritual is breathing deeply while being religious is doing it together.”

These days, Levenson facilitates the intersection of people and his passions in different ways, whether that be in a gallery to view his art, in a studio to practice yoga, or before family and friends as they say “I do” (he also officiates weddings). He sculpts Kabbalah bears (adorable sculptures with spiritual meaning), designs yoga attire patterned with his art, and creates ketubot (traditional life bond documents) for wedding ceremonies.

“Post-pandemic, I’ve really been focused on private life cycle events, giving myself the freedom to be a ritual architect, connected to religion, making time holy,” he says. Last November, Levenson hosted his first solo art show at Triangle Loft in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Since then, he’s leaned into his artwork. Earlier in July, he had his work featured in the Jumper Maybach booth at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair. Currently, he is a finalist in the Sixpoint Brewery art competition and is hopeful his design will end up on one of their craft beer cans. One of his aspirations is to make it to Art Basel in Miami later this year.

It was during the pandemic that Levenson added designer to his list of skills — he learned to sew so he could start to put his art onto fabric. He’s hosting a pop-up shop at Artists & Fleas in Williamsburg, on August 5th and 6th, featuring some of his artwork and clothing designs. Of course, Dan’s readers may recognize his work on another piece of fabric: his November 2022 cover art “Felines and Flowers,” is one of the two designs available as a Dan’s Papers beach towel. “It’s so exciting, it’s a real fun one,” says Levenson of the cover art towel.

Levenson is all about fun. “Besides making a bigger mess,” he says, looking around his home studio, his mission is to “Spread more love, increase joy, and reduce suffering … for myself, and others.”

To keep up with Hanniel Levenson visit his honeylevs.com or follow him on Instagram @honeylevs.