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Revision as of 21:16, 23 February 2006 by Jon513 (talk | contribs) (→Biography)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Shlomo Carlebach (שלמה קרליבך) (known as Reb Shlomo to his followers) (1925 - October 22, 1994), was an Orthodox rabbi. He is considered by many as the foremost Jewish religious songwriter in the second half of the 20th century. At various times he lived in Manhattan, New York, San Francisco, Toronto and Moshav Mevo Me'or Modi'im in Israel.
He used his music and his manner of vocal delivery to inspire Jews around the world and was a pioneer of the Baal teshuva ("returnees ")movement. In a career that stretched over 30 years, Reb Shlomo recorded more than 25 music albums that still have wide popularity and appeal.
Biography
The Carlebach family was one of the oldest rabbinical dynasties in pre-Holocaust Germany.
Shlomo Carlebach was born in Berlin, where his father, Rabbi Naftali Carlebach, was an Orthodox leader. The family, which fled the Nazis in 1933, lived in Austria (in the city of Baden bei Wien) before coming to New York City in 1939. His father became the rabbi of Congregation Kehilath Jacob, a small synagogue on West 79th Street in New York's Upper West Side; Shlomo and his twin brother Eli Chaim took over the rabbinate of the synagogue after their father's death in 1967.
He studied at several yeshivas including the Yeshiva Torah Vodaas and Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, New York and at the Bais Medrash Gevoha in Lakewood, New Jersey. His voice and musical talents were recognized quite early during his days in yeshiva, when he was often chosen to lead the services as a popular Hazzan ("cantor") for Jewish holidays.
He became a devoted Hasid of Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn (1880-1950) the sixth Rebbe of Chabad Lubavitch (as is engraved on his gravestone) and from 1951 to 1954, he subsequently worked as one of the first emissaries (shluchim) of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe.
He later left Lubavitch after some of his outreach tactics were seen to be too extreme and not in line with Halakha.
His daughter Neshama Carlebach is a songwriter and singer who has written and sung many songs of her own following her father's style.
Carlebach died suddenly of a heart attack while travelling on an airplane on his way to relatives in Canada.
Works
His public singing career began in Greenwich Village, where he met Bob Dylan and other folk singers, and moved to Berkeley for the 1966 Folk Festival. After his appearance, he decided to remain in the Bay Area to reach out to what he called "lost Jewish souls", runaways and drug addicted youths. Through his music and his special gifts many Jews feel that he "saved" thousands of Jewish youngsters and adults.
As part of his performances he also spoke of inspirational subjects, many rooted in Hasidism and Kabbalah. Some of his teachings have been published by his students.