Bio Sonya Loya
Sonya started selling Judaica in her 350 sq. ft. glass gallery/studio in 1999, after attending a conference where she met her first Israeli mentor, Dr. Danny Ben-Gigi, which later grew into Bat-Tzion Hebrew Learning Center. In 2004-2010, she started the Anousim conference in 2004.
After her first trip to Israel, she began organizing Anousim tours and did the first Anousim conference in Israel in 2011.
Sonya’s love of glass started as a child. She was able to learn stained glass, fusing and working with dichroic glass in 1993 which was a big part of her transition in her journey back to Judaism. Sonya’s discoveries have seemed to link her to both her Jewish and glass history.
She has worked with many rabbis who are currently working with anousim communities to facilitate the anousim return fully to Judaism. She has lectured for Road Scholars for the Meet a Converso program in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Sonya’s story has been featured in the Fractured Faith Museum exhibit at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, along with several newspaper articles, magazines, Jewish television, radio programs, documentaries, academic conferences, books, NPR, and fund raisers.
She is certified in aroma medicine and Zokoshindo, (the art of Japanese reflexology). and has been in the healing arts since 2005, with continuing education.
As an advocate it seemed to be a natural transition for her to go back to school achieving her master’s in social work, and is now a LMSW, LSAA, EMDR working in the four corners of NM, primarily with the Navajo population.