Shlomo Carlebach
Encyclopedia
Shlomo Carlebach known as Reb Shlomo to his followers, (14 January 1925, Berlin — 20 October 1994, Canada) was a Jewish
rabbi
, religious teacher, composer, and singer who was known as "The Singing Rabbi" during his lifetime. Although his roots lay in traditional Orthodox
yeshivot
, he branched out to create his own style combining Hasidic Judaism
, warmth and personal interaction, public concerts, and song-filled synagogue
services. At various times he lived in Manhattan
, San Francisco, Toronto
and Moshav
Mevo Modi'im, Israel
.
Carlebach is considered by many to be the foremost Jewish religious songwriter of the 20th century. In a career that spanned 40 years, he recorded more than 25 albums that continue to have widespread popularity and appeal. His influence also continues to this day in "Carlebach minyan
im" and Jewish religious gatherings in many cities around the globe.
Carlebach was also considered a pioneer of the Baal teshuva movement
("returnees to Judaism"), encouraging disenchanted Jewish youth to re-embrace their heritage, using his special brand of music, songs, and inspiring story telling.
Germany. He was born in 1925 in Berlin, where his father, Rabbi Hartwig Naftali Carlebach (1889–1967), was an Orthodox rabbi. The family left Germany in 1931 and lived in Baden bei Wien
, Austria and by 1933 in Switzerland.
Carlebach emigrated to Lithuania
in 1938 where he studied at a yeshiva
. In 1938 his father became the rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jacob, a small synagogue on West 79th Street in New York City's Upper West Side
. Carlebach came to New York in 1939 via Great Britain. He and his twin brother Eli Chaim took over the rabbinate of the synagogue after their father's death in 1967.
Carlebach studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
and Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
in Brooklyn, New York, and Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. His aptitude for Torah study was recognized by great Torah scholars and teachers, among them Rabbi Shlomo Heiman
, and the Rosh Yeshiva of Bais Medrash Gevoha, Rabbi Aharon Kotler
. He was considered one of the top students of Rabbi Kotler. Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner
, who gave Carlebach Semikha, considered it a loss to the Torah world that he chose a career in musical Jewish outreach over one as a scholar and teacher . During his yeshiva studies he was often asked to lead the services
as a hazzan
.
Carlebach became a disciple of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the sixth Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch
movement. From 1951-1954, he worked as one of the first emissaries (shluchim) of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe who urged him to use his special skills and go to college campuses to reconnect Jews to Judaism.
In 1972, he married Elaine Neila Glick, a teacher. They had two daughters, Nedara (Dari) and Neshama. Neshama Carlebach
is a songwriter and singer in her own right, basing herself on her father's style and name.
or the Siddur
set to his own music. Although he composed thousands of songs, he could not read musical notes. Many of his soulful renderings of Torah verses became standards in the wider Jewish community, including Am Yisrael Chai ("[The] Nation [of] Israel Lives"—composed on behalf of the plight of Soviet Jewry
in the mid-1960s), Pischu Li ("Open [for] Me [the Gates of Righteousness]") and Borchi Nafshi ("[May] My Soul Bless [God]"). His public singing career began in Greenwich Village
, where he met Bob Dylan
, Pete Seeger
and other folk singers.
He moved to Berkeley
for the 1966 Folk Festival. After his appearance, he decided to remain in the San Francisco Bay Area
to reach out to what he called "lost Jewish souls"—runaways and drug-addicted youth. His local followers opened a center called the House of Love and Prayer in the Inner Richmond district of San Francisco, to reach out to disaffected youth with song and dance and communal gatherings. He became known as "The Singing Rabbi." Through his infectious music and his innate caring many Jews feel that he inspired and reconnected thousands of Jewish youngsters and adults, otherwise lost to Judaism.
Some Carlebach melodies were entered in Israel's annual Hasidic Song Festival.
In 1969, his song Ve'haer Enenu, sung by the Shlosharim won first prize. The Hasidic festivals were a yearly event that helped to popularize his music. He also produced albums with a more liturgical sound. Some of the musicians he worked with during this period added a psychedelic tinge and a wider range of backup instrumentation. Carlebach now spent much of his time in Israel, living in Moshav
Me'or Modi'im.
Carlebach's songs were characterized by relatively short melodies and traditional lyrics. His catchy new tunes were easy to learn and became part of the prayer services in many synagogues around the world.
Returning to New York City Carlebach also became known for his stories and Hasidic teachings. As part of his performances he spoke of inspirational subjects, rooted in Hasidism
and Kabbalah
. Some of his teachings have been published by his students and appear alongside his recorded songs. Carlebach spread the teachings of Chabad
, Breslov
, and popularized the writings of, among others, the Rebbe Mordechai Yosef Leiner
of Ishbitz and Rebbe Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piasetzno.
on a flight to Canada. His body was flown to Israel for burial at Har HaMenuchot
. During the funeral the mourners sang Carlebach's songs, including Chasdei Hashem Ki Lo Samnu. Israel's Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau
gave a eulogy
. An annual memorial service is held on the 17th of Cheshvan
at Carlebach's grave site. Additional memorial events take place throughout Israel and around the world.
, Carlebach "changed the expectations of the prayer experience from decorous and sombre to uplifting and ecstatic as he captivated generations with elemental melodies and stories of miraculous human saintliness, modesty and unselfishness."
During his lifetime, Carlebach was often regaled a pariah status, marginalized by many of his peers. Being that in his yeshiva
years he had excelled in Talmud
studies, many had hoped that he would later become a Rosh Yeshiva
or a simaliar figure, many harbored ill will toward his chosen path in music and outreach.
In the years since his death Carlebach's music has been embraced by many faiths as spiritual music. His music can be heard today in synagogues, Carlebach minyan
im, churches, gospel choirs and temples worldwide. Many musical groups state that they draw inspiration from Carlebach and his music including Matisyahu
, Chaim-Dovid Saracik
, Benyamin Steinberg, Moshav Band
, Soulfarm
, Reva l'sheva
, Naftali Abramson, Shlomo Katz
, Eitan Katz, Yehuda Green, Aharon Razel, Kol Yaakov and others. Various community leaders and rabbis were influenced by him; these include Rabbis Meir Fund
, Naftali Citron, Nosson Schafer, Avraham Arieh Trugman and others.
A musical written about his life "Soul Doctor", by Daniel Wise
was presented as a limited engagement off-Broadway in 2008 and in New Orleans in 2010, and was received with critical acclaim. The musical will open on Broadway in 2012 after a six-week engagement in Florida and stars multi-Grammy and Platinum artist India.Arie
portraying Nina Simone
. A documentary film about Carlebach directed by Boaz Shahak, "You Never Know," was released at the Jerusalem Film Festival
that same year in 2008.
) was often tinged with controversy. Put most favorably, "He operated outside traditional Jewish structures in style and substance, and spoke about God and His love in a way that could make other rabbis uncomfortable."
After his death, Lilith
magazine, a Jewish feminist publication, catalogued allegations of sexual impropriety against him. Specific, named accusers are quoted in this article, as well as unnamed sources and Jewish communal leaders with knowledge of the allegations. The publication of these allegations was controversial, lodged, as they were, at a time Carlebach could not respond to his accusers.
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
, religious teacher, composer, and singer who was known as "The Singing Rabbi" during his lifetime. Although his roots lay in traditional Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
yeshivot
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
, he branched out to create his own style combining Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
, warmth and personal interaction, public concerts, and song-filled synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
services. At various times he lived in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, San Francisco, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Moshav
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
Mevo Modi'im, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Carlebach is considered by many to be the foremost Jewish religious songwriter of the 20th century. In a career that spanned 40 years, he recorded more than 25 albums that continue to have widespread popularity and appeal. His influence also continues to this day in "Carlebach minyan
Carlebach minyan
A Carlebach Minyan is a Jewish prayer service that follows the style of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and uses the melodies he composed for many prayers.These minyanim are distinctive for their emphasis on singing the liturgy, often using Carlebach's original nigunim...
im" and Jewish religious gatherings in many cities around the globe.
Carlebach was also considered a pioneer of the Baal teshuva movement
Baal teshuva movement
The Baal Teshuva movement is description of the return of secular Jews to religious Judaism. The term "baal teshuva" is a term from the Talmud literally meaning "master of repentance". The term is used to refer to a worldwide phenomenon among the Jewish people...
("returnees to Judaism"), encouraging disenchanted Jewish youth to re-embrace their heritage, using his special brand of music, songs, and inspiring story telling.
Biography
Shlomo Carlebach was descended from old rabbinical dynasties in pre-HolocaustThe Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
Germany. He was born in 1925 in Berlin, where his father, Rabbi Hartwig Naftali Carlebach (1889–1967), was an Orthodox rabbi. The family left Germany in 1931 and lived in Baden bei Wien
Baden bei Wien
-Points of interest:The town offers several parks and a picturesque surrounding, of which the most frequented is the Helenental valley. Not far from Baden, the valley is crossed by a widespread aqueduct of the Vienna waterworks...
, Austria and by 1933 in Switzerland.
Carlebach emigrated to Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
in 1938 where he studied at a yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
. In 1938 his father became the rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jacob, a small synagogue on West 79th Street in New York City's Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
. Carlebach came to New York in 1939 via Great Britain. He and his twin brother Eli Chaim took over the rabbinate of the synagogue after their father's death in 1967.
Carlebach studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
Yeshiva Torah Vodaas
Yeshiva Torah Vodaas is a yeshiva located in the Kensington neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.- History :...
and Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin
Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin or Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, is a Haredi Lithuanian-type yeshiva located in Brooklyn, New York. Established in 1904 as Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim, it is the oldest yeshiva in Kings County...
in Brooklyn, New York, and Beth Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. His aptitude for Torah study was recognized by great Torah scholars and teachers, among them Rabbi Shlomo Heiman
Shlomo Heiman
Shlomo Heiman was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Rosh Yeshiva of the most prominent yeshivas in Europe and America.-In Europe:In 1892, Reb Shlomo was born in Paritsh, Minsk in Belarus. His father was Rabbi Michel Heiman. When he was 12 years old, he went to Kaminetz yeshiva to study under R' Baruch Ber...
, and the Rosh Yeshiva of Bais Medrash Gevoha, Rabbi Aharon Kotler
Aharon Kotler
Aharon Kotler was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and a prominent leader of Orthodox Judaism in Lithuania, and later the United States, where he built Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.- Early life :...
. He was considered one of the top students of Rabbi Kotler. Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner
Yitzchok Hutner
Yitzchok Hutner was an Orthodox rabbi and American rosh yeshiva.-Early years:Yitchok Hutner was born in Warsaw, Poland, to a family with both Ger Hasidic and non-Hasidic Lithuanian Jewish roots. As a child he received private instruction in Torah and Talmud...
, who gave Carlebach Semikha, considered it a loss to the Torah world that he chose a career in musical Jewish outreach over one as a scholar and teacher . During his yeshiva studies he was often asked to lead the services
Jewish services
Jewish prayer are the prayer recitations that form part of the observance of Judaism. These prayers, often with instructions and commentary, are found in the siddur, the traditional Jewish prayer book....
as a hazzan
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
.
Carlebach became a disciple of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, the sixth Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
movement. From 1951-1954, he worked as one of the first emissaries (shluchim) of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson
Menachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe among his followers, was a prominent Hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. He was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Menachem Mendel...
, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe who urged him to use his special skills and go to college campuses to reconnect Jews to Judaism.
In 1972, he married Elaine Neila Glick, a teacher. They had two daughters, Nedara (Dari) and Neshama. Neshama Carlebach
Neshama Carlebach
Neshama Carlebach , daughter of the Jewish singer-songwriter Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach is a singer, the protege of her late father.-Biography:...
is a songwriter and singer in her own right, basing herself on her father's style and name.
Music career
Carlebach began writing songs at the end of the 1950s, primarily based on verses from the TanakhTanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
or the Siddur
Siddur
A siddur is a Jewish prayer book, containing a set order of daily prayers. This article discusses how some of these prayers evolved, and how the siddur, as it is known today has developed...
set to his own music. Although he composed thousands of songs, he could not read musical notes. Many of his soulful renderings of Torah verses became standards in the wider Jewish community, including Am Yisrael Chai ("[The] Nation [of] Israel Lives"—composed on behalf of the plight of Soviet Jewry
History of the Jews in the Soviet Union
The history of the Jews in the Soviet Union is discussed in the following articles relating to specific regions of the former Soviet Union:*History of the Jews in Armenia*History of the Jews in Azerbaijan*History of the Jews in Belarus...
in the mid-1960s), Pischu Li ("Open [for] Me [the Gates of Righteousness]") and Borchi Nafshi ("[May] My Soul Bless [God]"). His public singing career began in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, where he met Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
and other folk singers.
He moved to Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
for the 1966 Folk Festival. After his appearance, he decided to remain in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
to reach out to what he called "lost Jewish souls"—runaways and drug-addicted youth. His local followers opened a center called the House of Love and Prayer in the Inner Richmond district of San Francisco, to reach out to disaffected youth with song and dance and communal gatherings. He became known as "The Singing Rabbi." Through his infectious music and his innate caring many Jews feel that he inspired and reconnected thousands of Jewish youngsters and adults, otherwise lost to Judaism.
Some Carlebach melodies were entered in Israel's annual Hasidic Song Festival.
In 1969, his song Ve'haer Enenu, sung by the Shlosharim won first prize. The Hasidic festivals were a yearly event that helped to popularize his music. He also produced albums with a more liturgical sound. Some of the musicians he worked with during this period added a psychedelic tinge and a wider range of backup instrumentation. Carlebach now spent much of his time in Israel, living in Moshav
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
Me'or Modi'im.
Carlebach's songs were characterized by relatively short melodies and traditional lyrics. His catchy new tunes were easy to learn and became part of the prayer services in many synagogues around the world.
Returning to New York City Carlebach also became known for his stories and Hasidic teachings. As part of his performances he spoke of inspirational subjects, rooted in Hasidism
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
and Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
. Some of his teachings have been published by his students and appear alongside his recorded songs. Carlebach spread the teachings of Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
, Breslov
Breslov (Hasidic dynasty)
Breslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism...
, and popularized the writings of, among others, the Rebbe Mordechai Yosef Leiner
Mordechai Yosef Leiner
Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica was a rabbinic Hasidic thinker and founder of the Izhbitza-Radzyn dynasty of Hasidic Judaism.Rabbi Mordechai Yosef was born in Tomashov in 1801 to his father Reb Yaakov the son of Reb Mordechai of Sekul, a descendant of Rabbi Shoul Wahl. At the age two he became...
of Ishbitz and Rebbe Kalonymus Kalman Shapira of Piasetzno.
Death
Carlebach died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on a flight to Canada. His body was flown to Israel for burial at Har HaMenuchot
Har HaMenuchot
Har HaMenuchot is the largest cemetery in Jerusalem, Israel. It is located at the western edge of the city adjacent to the neighborhood of Givat Shaul, with commanding views of Mevaseret Zion to the north, Motza to the west, and Har Nof to the south.-History:...
. During the funeral the mourners sang Carlebach's songs, including Chasdei Hashem Ki Lo Samnu. Israel's Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau
Yisrael Meir Lau
Yisrael Meir Lau is the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Israel, and Chairman of Yad Vashem. He previously served as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel from 1993 to 2003.-Biography:...
gave a eulogy
Eulogy
A eulogy is a speech or writing in praise of a person or thing, especially one recently deceased or retired. Eulogies may be given as part of funeral services. However, some denominations either discourage or do not permit eulogies at services to maintain respect for traditions...
. An annual memorial service is held on the 17th of Cheshvan
Cheshvan
Marcheshvan , sometimes shortened to Cheshvan , is the second month of the civil year and the eighth month of the ecclesiastical year on the Hebrew...
at Carlebach's grave site. Additional memorial events take place throughout Israel and around the world.
Legacy and influence
According to Rabbi Jonathan RosenblattJonathan Rosenblatt
Jonathan Rosenblatt is an American Rabbi.Rabbi Dr. Rosenblatt was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the great-grandson of Yossele Rosenblatt. Rabbi Dr. Rosenblatt earned the BA and an MA from the Johns Hopkins University in Comparative Literature. He has a PhD from Columbia University in the...
, Carlebach "changed the expectations of the prayer experience from decorous and sombre to uplifting and ecstatic as he captivated generations with elemental melodies and stories of miraculous human saintliness, modesty and unselfishness."
During his lifetime, Carlebach was often regaled a pariah status, marginalized by many of his peers. Being that in his yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
years he had excelled in Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
studies, many had hoped that he would later become a Rosh Yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
or a simaliar figure, many harbored ill will toward his chosen path in music and outreach.
In the years since his death Carlebach's music has been embraced by many faiths as spiritual music. His music can be heard today in synagogues, Carlebach minyan
Carlebach minyan
A Carlebach Minyan is a Jewish prayer service that follows the style of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and uses the melodies he composed for many prayers.These minyanim are distinctive for their emphasis on singing the liturgy, often using Carlebach's original nigunim...
im, churches, gospel choirs and temples worldwide. Many musical groups state that they draw inspiration from Carlebach and his music including Matisyahu
Matisyahu
Matthew Paul Miller , better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician....
, Chaim-Dovid Saracik
Chaim-Dovid Saracik
Chaim Dovid is an Orthodox Jewish musician who lives in the Old City of Jerusalem. He has produced more than eleven albums and has played for thousands of people over the past couple of decades.-Background:...
, Benyamin Steinberg, Moshav Band
Moshav Band
The Moshav Band is now simply known as "Moshav."The Israel-born Moshav Band grew up on Moshav Mevo Modiim, a musical village located in the hills between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Their home, founded by the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, was and continues to be the birthplace of many Jewish songs...
, Soulfarm
Soulfarm
Soulfarm is a New York City based Jam band founded in 1991. Their music is a mix of Jewish/Middle Eastern, rock, bluegrass, and celtic influences .The current lineup is*C Lanzbom - Lead Guitar, Vocals...
, Reva l'sheva
Reva l'sheva
Reva L'Sheva is a post-Carlebach rock band formed in 1994. Yehuda Katz is the frontman. The name means "a quarter to seven", i.e. 6:45 o'clock.-Members:...
, Naftali Abramson, Shlomo Katz
Shlomo Katz
Shlomo Katz is a contemporary religious Jewish musician in Israel.- Biography :Shlomo Katz was born in New Jersey, son of Cantor Avsholom Katz. His family moved to Israel when he was nine years old and he has subsequently moved back and forth between Los Angeles and Israel...
, Eitan Katz, Yehuda Green, Aharon Razel, Kol Yaakov and others. Various community leaders and rabbis were influenced by him; these include Rabbis Meir Fund
Meir Fund
Meir Fund is a renowned American Orthodox rabbi, Kabbalist, and spiritual leader of Congregation Sheves Achim in Brooklyn, New York. He comes from a long line of rabbis in Europe and was close with both Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik during his student days and with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach...
, Naftali Citron, Nosson Schafer, Avraham Arieh Trugman and others.
A musical written about his life "Soul Doctor", by Daniel Wise
Daniel Wise (playwright)
Daniel Jeffrey Wise is an American playwright, producer and author.-Professional life:As a writer/producer his plays and musical productions have been presented New York, on and off Broadway, as well as in Japan, Russia, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Britain and South Africa.He pioneered...
was presented as a limited engagement off-Broadway in 2008 and in New Orleans in 2010, and was received with critical acclaim. The musical will open on Broadway in 2012 after a six-week engagement in Florida and stars multi-Grammy and Platinum artist India.Arie
India.Arie
India.Arie is a Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and record producer . She has sold over 3.3 million records in the U.S. and 10 million worldwide. She has won four Grammy Awards from her 21 nominations, including Best R&B Album.-Background:Simpson was born in Denver, Colorado...
portraying Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
. A documentary film about Carlebach directed by Boaz Shahak, "You Never Know," was released at the Jerusalem Film Festival
Jerusalem Film Festival
The Jerusalem Film Festival is an international film festival held annually in Jerusalem, Israel. The festival was the brainchild of Lia van Leer, who inaugurated it on May 17, 1984...
that same year in 2008.
Controversy
Carlebach's approach towards kiruv (the popular Hebrew term for Orthodox Judaism outreachOrthodox Judaism outreach
Orthodox Jewish outreach commonly referred to as Kiruv or Keruv , is the collective work or movement of Orthodox Judaism that reaches out to non-Orthodox Jews to believe in God, engage in Torah study, and practice the Mitzvot in the hope that they will live according to Orthodox Jewish law...
) was often tinged with controversy. Put most favorably, "He operated outside traditional Jewish structures in style and substance, and spoke about God and His love in a way that could make other rabbis uncomfortable."
After his death, Lilith
Lilith (magazine)
Lilith magazine is an independent, Jewish-American, feminist non-profit publication that has been issued quarterly since 1976. The magazine features award-winning investigative reports, first-person accounts both contemporary and historical, entertainment reviews, fiction and poetry, art and...
magazine, a Jewish feminist publication, catalogued allegations of sexual impropriety against him. Specific, named accusers are quoted in this article, as well as unnamed sources and Jewish communal leaders with knowledge of the allegations. The publication of these allegations was controversial, lodged, as they were, at a time Carlebach could not respond to his accusers.
Discography
- Haneshama Lach [Songs of My Soul] - 1959
- Borchi Nafshi [Sing My Heart] - 1960
- Shlomo Carlebach Live - Melech Rachmon - 1961
- Wake Up World - 1962
- At The Village Gate - 1963
- In The Palace Of The King - 1965
- B'neh Bescho - Rebuild Thy House (Rare) - 1967
- I Heard the Wall Singing [2 vol.] - 1968
- Days Are Coming - 1978
- Uvnei Yerushalayim [6 Million in Heaven - 3 Million in Hell] - 1974
- Am Yisrael Chai - 1967
- Let There Be Peace [Live in Vienna] (Rare) - 1973
- V'Ha'eir Eineinu - 1969
- Yisrael B'tach BaShem - 1974
- Ani Maamin (Hisoriri) - 1976
- Live in Tel-Aviv [Heichal HaTarbut] - 1976
- Even Ma'asu HaBonim - 1981
- Nachamu Ami - 1983
- Shvochin Asader - 1988
- Carlebach in Jerusalem [Al Eileh] - 1991
- Live in Concert for the Jews of Russia - 1988
- Shlomo Sings with the Children Of Israel - 1989
- Shabbos with Shlomo - 1992
- Shlomo's Greatest Stories [2 vol] - 1993
- Shabbos in Shomayim - The Last Album - 1994
- Songs of Peace - 2009
Videos
- Od Yishamah - Hallel Hoshana Raba
- Shlomo Carlebach: Interview Part 1
- Shlomo Carlebach: Interview Part 2
- Havdalah: We are living on two levels
- Hamavdil Bein Kodesh L’chol
- Mimkomcha
- Niggun
- For All of My Brothers and Friends
- Saying Bad about others
- Eliyahu Hanavi
- Am Yisrael Chai
- Od Yishama
Audios
- Layehudim hayta ora: For the Jews there was great light
- Purim: Shlomo and the Egged Bus Drivers
- Shoshanas Yaakov
- Purim: Nothing Else Matters
- Purim Blessings
- Purim: Tears as shelach manos
External links
- Jewish Sheet Music Archive, free Carlebach sheet music and other Jewish artists
- Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Foundation
- Kol Chevra - a journal of memoirs and recollections on Reb Shlomo
- The Moshav - a place where you can visit and be, for tours programs and shabbatonShabbatonThe Hebrew term Shabbaton, , may be translated into English to mean sabbatical year. In Israel, when one takes a sabbatical year, one takes the year off in search of other pursuits. It is a rest from work, a hiatus, typically 2 months plus...
s Reb Shlomo Carlebach style - The New York Carlebach Shul
- Reb Shlomo Carlebach at Find-a-Grave
- "Soul Doctor", A musical about the life of Shlomo Carlebach