Jerusalem – A top line-up of Jewish musicians, including Israeli pop star, Shlomo Bar, marked the 17th anniversary of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’s passing at Binyanei Ha’Uma, the Jerusalem International Convention Center this Saturday evening.
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More than 5,000 people attended the annual event, including Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv/ Jaffa. The crowd predominantly made up of English-speakers and olim who were influenced by Carlebach and his music during his lifetime and after his passing.
Carlebach was sent out into the world with his guitar in the Sixties by the late Lubavitcher Rebbe in order to “save souls.” A graduate of Lakewood yeshiva, he ventured where no other Orthodox rabbi would go, such as bars and discotheques. His movement began in 1968 after he founded the House of Love in San Francisco. Carlebach brought thousands of non-affiliated Jews back to their heritage during his lifetime and continues to touch thousands more after his passing. “Carlebach tunes” are now among the most well known in the Jewish world.
As in past years, the concert combined performances by those who knew Carlebach well with younger talent who are simply inspired by his music and legacy. All of the music is original Shlomo Carlebach arranged by musical director, Eran Klein and presented in varying styles by each of the performers.
A special 1 1/2 hour video tribute to Reb Shlomo put together for VIN News, by Dovid Reich.
Dovid has the largest online archive of music from Reb Shlomo here
Veteran performers include Chaim Dovid Saracik, Yehuda Katz and Ben Zion Solomon, who performed with his sons of Soulfarm, Moshav Band and Hamakor fame. The younger musicians included Yitzchak Meir and Chizki Sofer as well as Shlomo Katz and Aaron Razel, two of the leaders in a new generation of Carlebach-inspired rock and soul. “My family became religious when I was growing up, but it wasn’t until my own personal search after the army, when I encountered the Carlebach way of music and Chassidut that I really returned to Judaism,” says Aaron. “Shlomo changed the way I relate to my music and infused it with purpose – Avodat Hashem (serving G-d), spreading a message and connecting to people”.
It is evident that Carlebach continues to bring Jews together. “The event on Saturday night was not a regular concert where you have to relate to the audience anew,” says Aaron. “The audience is made up of so many people who have come together over the years, all connecting to Carlebach. It is a gathering of chevra, friends. We have become family”.
Videos below from the concert. Credit: YouTube Sylvainsb
Video below, several hundred people attending today the ‘Kever’ of Reb Shlomo singing his Music.
Its amazing the koiach of negina, here you have a man that all proffesional singer’s will tell you had a hard time carrying a tune, yet he sang so warm that all the power his songs have is because he sang from the heart, I just wish he would have been more ehrlich so I would feel more comfterable hearing his songs.
May his neshama bring salvation and hope to klal yisroel
No disrespect intended but it’s important to point out that although the Lubavitcher Rebbe did originally send him out, he strongly opposed Carlebach’s method of Kiruv and totally disassociated himself and Lubavitch from Carlebach’s movement.
#1 he was ehrlich, but was a little crim .but had a heart & neshama like no one ever. i love him for ever
#1 , having been at the concert in manhattan last night, I can tell you that no-one creates the achdus among yidden the way his music does. And it was from his ehrlichkeit. Just look at the videos and see the mix of all forms of yidden. Sadly, there is no-one today that creates this kind of achdus. on the contrary, they create the opposite.
In my opinion
You have to work to receive a Tahor neshama
I saw a lot of tzadikim who had pure neshamas
Moreinu reb yonason shteiff z”l
Reb Moshe Feinstein z”l
Rabeinu Yoel teitelbaum of satmar z”l
Reb Moshe of sighet z”l
All of these people were pure neshomos
and it came by working on it
I never understood how someone keeps his soul pure
With out working on it
The KIRUV WORLD INCLUDING Aish Hatorah, Ohr Samayach,Chabad, Carlebach, Breslov and followers of Harav Avraham Yitzchok HaCohen Kook, (and others) are leading the way for the salvation of all Torah Jewry precisely because of their commitment to Shlaymus (the root word of Shalom). That is :Toras Yisroel, Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael. This is what Reb Shlomo Carlebach represented – even if many focused on his flaws. B’ezrat Hashem even the false Keenaim
( who some Meforshim liken to the Eirav rav) like the Neturei Karta -in the next generation or two – will come to see the truth in this concept of Shlaymus and that will pave the way for Mashiach – Bimhayrah B’Karov
Next year, his yahrtzeit should be the day of an event about awareness of harassment in the Jewish community. I also saw him in action, and I have spoken to many whom he approached indecently. Some were teenagers at the time.
Yesterday, I did not eat until chatzois, nor did I eat meat at all. That is also how I mark the yahrtzeit of Rabin.
The Rebbe was very right about Carlebach. Carlebach was responsible only for lowering Judaism to another counter-culture movement. The people he “brought back” remained confused and never adopted real Torah ways or any sort of standards, and their children are a big part of today’s OTD problem.