From American Celebrity Dancer to Haredi Jew: The Inspiring Conversion Journey of Akiva Lev

It is an ordinary day in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel. The busy Haredi neighborhood is filled with parents and children, yeshiva students, strollers, teachers, and shoppers.

Or perhaps it is not quite an ordinary day.

Shavuot is approaching. Supermarket shelves are packed with dairy promotions, advertisements for Turkish coffee, and special deals on energy drinks for those planning to stay awake throughout the holiday night.

Amid the bustle walks a Haredi family. The father wears a black hat and suit. The mother is dressed modestly with her hair covered. Around them are their six children — four walking alongside their parents and two riding in strollers.

To local residents, they seem like any other family in the neighborhood.

Yet just the day before, while visiting Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda Market, strangers stopped them repeatedly.

Most approached them in English.

"Are you Daryl Hart?"

"Yes," the man would reply. "I'm Akiva Lev, and this is Chava. We converted to Judaism a year ago, made aliyah to Israel, and now live in a Haredi neighborhood."

For many supporters and followers, the encounter comes as a shock.

After all, it is not every day that you meet a well-known American dancer with nearly one hundred thousand social media followers and discover that he has become a full-fledged Haredi Torah scholar and family man.

A Life-Changing Visit to Israel

In 2009, Daryl Hart, an African American Christian performer, traveled to Israel for a visit and a performance.

Israel impressed him as a fascinating destination, but something far deeper captured his attention. He discovered that Judaism offered a profound way of understanding the world.

Together with his wife, Eva, he became increasingly fascinated by Jewish teachings. The couple began studying Judaism independently through books, videos, and online resources.

At the time, they never imagined that conversion was even an option.

"We thought only white people could convert to Judaism," they later recalled.

Discovering a Different Possibility

Years into their journey of learning, the couple came across the story of Nissim Black, the African American rapper and singer who converted to Judaism and later became a Breslov Hasid.

Black's journey opened a door they had never considered. He showed them that anyone who sincerely wished to become Jewish could pursue that path.

It would not be easy. It would require commitment, sacrifice, study, and transformation. But it was possible.

Two and a Half Years of Preparation

For two and a half years, the Harts prepared themselves for conversion.

The process involved intensive learning, self-examination, and spiritual growth.

Eventually, they completed their conversion and emerged with new names and new lives.

Daryl became Akiva Nachman Lev. Eva became Chava Emunah Lev.

Shortly after the events of Simchat Torah 5784 (2023), they found themselves living not in America but in Beit Shemesh as a Haredi Jewish family.

Bringing Their Talents Into a New World

Although they chose a Torah-centered lifestyle, they did not abandon their mission of inspiring others.

Tens of thousands of followers continue to watch their journey online.

When the family visits places such as Mahane Yehuda Market, cameras emerge and videos are recorded.

Akiva's remarkable dancing abilities remain very much part of his life.

His choice of the name "Nachman" requires little explanation, especially after producing a well-known podcast based on Likutei Etzot, the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

As for the name Akiva, he explains simply: "I began learning seriously at the age of forty, just like Rabbi Akiva."

Dancing as a Form of Spiritual Expression

Today, Akiva teaches unique dance classes in a studio in Beit Shemesh.

His message is very different from the one often associated with modern entertainment culture.

He teaches young people how movement can become a way of drawing closer to God, how joy can be expressed through the body, and how artistic expression can be elevated through modesty and holiness.

Rather than focusing on self-display, physical appearance, or celebrity culture, he views dance as a way of lifting oneself spiritually. In his words, dance becomes a movement toward the Creator, a moment of rising above the ordinary.

As a teenager, he sang in a church choir as part of his deeply Christian upbringing. Today, he channels those same talents into Jewish songs, dances, and expressions of longing for God.

From Hollywood Makeup to Building a Jewish Home

Chava's journey is equally remarkable.

She once worked as a makeup artist for many well-known Hollywood celebrities.

Today, she continues working in the beauty field within the framework of Jewish modesty and halachic values.

Yet her primary focus is building her family and raising her children. The priorities that now guide her life stand in sharp contrast to many of the values she encountered in the entertainment world.

Sharing Judaism With the World

Together, Akiva and Chava continue producing their online program, "Beit HaLev" ("The House of the Heart").

Their goal is to teach people about Judaism and demonstrate that Jewish wisdom can speak to people from every background and every corner of the globe.

At the same time, they emphasize that joining the Jewish people requires sincerity, commitment, and the proper process.

Their story carries a particularly powerful message as Shavuot approaches. Like Ruth the Moabite, the mother of Jewish royalty, they chose a path that transformed their lives completely.

And like Ruth, their journey reminds us that spiritual truth can touch the human heart in the most unexpected places.