The Jew Spot

Singer, songwriter, Jewess empowerer extroardinaire, Naomi Less will not stop at her record's release. She is taking her music to the streets (and camps) encouraging girls to raise their voices as loud or louder as she has through her initiative Jewish Chicks Rock.


Dumbfounded by the music industry today in its treatment of female artists and lack there of as instrumentalists, Naomi has taken it upon herself to push girls to speak up through song or otherwise. Read more on Naomi’s music and ambitions here.

Naomi, you are starting a program called Jewish Chicks Rock. What is this all about? And what makes Jewish chicks rock?

Jewish Chicks Rock is about message, music and movement.

The music that I write is targeted towards Jewish girls (though applicable to all girls) to celebrate themselves, to be their own person, to love themselves and treat themselves with respect.

Enough with the negative stereotypes and self-deprecating language – we’re above and beyond it! All of the Jewish women I know are powerful, energized agents of change who want to make the world a better place. But, the battle scars of adolescence are apparent. So are we changing it for our next generation of girls? Are they navigating through adolescence with tools that empower them? And are we giving them those messages consistently? Music can help!

But does there really need to be a program to tell Jewish girls they are awesome? Aren't we conceited enough? (Joking, kind of).

Well – there it is - stereotype number one. We do it all the time. We need to have a NO TOLERANCE policy of perpetuating these messages that become ingrained in our DNA. It’s OK for a girl to state her opinion without having to give a disclaimer; to step up without being called a “show-off” or to be on stage and not be referred to as a diva.

The music that our society is putting out there for young girls, adolescents and emerging adults really degrades women with so many self-deprecating references to body, to sex to how we refer to each other. So let’s CELEBRATE where we’ve come, fight against the industry trends and demand that we talk about something that matters!

Not to mention, the music performance industry in general is pretty male dominated. We see a lot of female front-women, but not so many instrumentalists on the circuit. And multiply that exponentially when you look at our little niche of Jewish music.

We want to inspire more girls to tackle that void, try on instruments that aren’t typically female instruments and break the mold. We want to tip the scale and flood the market with so many up-and-coming female instrumentalists that this becomes an egalitarian field in our Jewish world and beyond.

What is it about singing and songwriting that you found valuable in your own life?
It was so critical in my youth. All through high school and college, music helped me move through good times and bad. Songs are often stories. And stories, my teacher Amichai Lau-Lavie tells me all the time, have the power to heal.

I see my songwriting consistently evolving . It’s a form of expression that can be used for self-healing as well as for inspiring. It’s a marker of a time. And the added benefit is, if it’s catchy, it sticks. There, the message stays with you and, hopefully, has an impact.

You live, you learn…(Alanis), Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…(Joni)… You know what I’m saying??

How does singing/songwriting and being Jewish connect?

It’s inextricably linked. One flows out of another. I’m a Jewish educator, I’m an artist, I’m a feminist. Each intersects, bounces off of and resolves the others.

I see the world through all of these lenses and so it comes to follow that the material that I engage in day to day flows into the material I write musically. I’m often in settings with girls of all ages where Judaism and music are linked. I’m often in musical and Jewish educational settings where attention to feminism needs to surface. And I’m often in musical settings where my Jewish identity and feminism come to light.

I wear it all on my sleeve at all times, hoping that maybe there’s some girl out there who will take note, understand and choose to live an open life of self-strength through transparency as well.

Your song Responsibility is a bit unusual in that it is a rock song about being responsible. What’s the idea behind the song and do you feel girls will relate to it?

The concept is really from a Jewish textual source that states all of Israel is responsible for one another. Well, I’d like to broaden that – less exclusive – and say that’s we are all responsible for one another to take on injustice in whatever way we can in our lives.

There are a lot of silent girls who don’t feel the power to speak up for a variety of reasons. It’s time to call upon that inner strength and not be afraid to stand up.

What message would you like to send girls out there about rockin' out?

Please don’t be afraid to ask questions!

That’s where most girls get stuck. They think, ‘Well, I don’t know how to use all that equipment – it’s intimidating.’ Or,’ I’ve never played live before and don’t have a band.’ So, go find a place – a friend’s house, a coffee shop – set a date and invite people over to listen. And hey, case in point - I’m just transitioning myself from the acoustic guitar music world to the electronic rock world – not as many women here. But it’s never too late to learn.

Most people are willing to help. So just start. Do it. Go into a music store and ask someone if they can spend some time with you trying some gear out. Have them explain it to you. Write that song and go record it – yourself or otherwise. Say what you need to say, say it proudly – no apologies. I’m here if you want to talk…naomiless@gmail.com.


Incredible. This is why The Jew Spot loves Naomi. Girls, please take Naomi up on her offer. She’s serious. Please visit http://www.naomiless.com/ and http://www.jewishchicksrock.org/ for more goodness.

Much love to Naomi.