CSUN alumna Lucy Levinsohn Berman recently was one of 13 Southern Californians named “Woman of the Year” by Rep. Adam Schiff for California’s 28th congressional district. She was honored for her extensive volunteer work in the Sunland-Tujunga area.

Photo courtesy of Lucy Levinsohn Berman.

Levinsohn Berman ’02 (Music Industry Studies – Voice) founded the area’s “Hanukkah in the Foothills” program in 2016, and she serves as a volunteer for Sunland-Tujunga’s “Love the Neighborhood” beautification program and its Neighborhood Council Art, Recreation and Culture Committee.

The congressional district’s “Woman of the Year” award recognizes local women’s contributions to education, health, housing, homelessness and arts initiatives in their communities.

Levinsohn Berman is a professional composer and recording artist whose compositions have been featured in films, television series and reality TV shows such as “Mother’s Day,” “Pit Bulls and Parolees” and “Pretty Little Liars.”

She enjoys volunteering and giving back to the community — values that were emphasized throughout her childhood, Levinsohn Berman said.

“My parents [were] very into helping communit[ies] and service, so from a young age I was already taught about community service,” she said.

Levinsohn Berman created Hanukkah in the Foothills shortly after moving to the Sunland-Tujunga area. She wanted to share with her new community the traditions of the annual Jewish festival of Hanukkah — including traditional food and music — and she hoped to connect with other Jewish residents, she said. 

“I was driving down the road, and I noticed during Hanukkah, one person had a menorah in the window and I was like, ‘Okay, I’m not the only one,’” Levinsohn Berman said.

The event became popular and quickly outgrew its first venue, a local cafe. It now takes place every year at the New Hope Community Church.

To help spread the word about the Hanukkah celebration, Levinsohn Berman joined the Neighborhood Council’s Arts, Recreation and Culture Committee. Then, she got involved in the Love the Neighborhood program.

CSUN helped her prepare for her future and career by teaching her the importance of fostering relationships, which are key within the music industry, she said. She also values the friendships she still maintains from her time as an undergraduate.

Levinsohn Berman is currently writing a musical comedy. 

Alumni, Arts and Culture, Awards, Mike Curb College of Arts Media and Communication, Music