Photoessay #2830 - Remembering Shlomo Carlebach

I remember Shlomo Carlebach. How could I, as a teenager (15? 16?) forget him?   It was before my Camp Swig experience (because I saw him there) so maybe 1967?  That would be during his time he ran the "House of Love and Prayer" in San Francisco leading the 'holy Jewish brothers and sisters who were lost.'

A rabbi, the same age of my parents, he came to Temple B'nai Israel in Sacramento for a special program.  I knew what rabbis looked like.  I had seen them all my life, they were serious grown-ups.  Responsible men.  In charge.

So I didn't know what to expect.  Probably just another boring rabbi saying Hebrew prayers, maybe I could understand some of them but likely not.  The adults and the young people, the youth group people would all come.  It wasn't in the sanctuary though, maybe not preaching.

I went in with an open mind, I prided myself on that, open to everything in the world.  Yearning to be free, to come into the world.  I remember walking in and saw this old bearded guy (actually in his early 40s) dressed casually with a guitar.  Maybe some other musicians.


I don't know what to expect, probably few in the room do. But Shlomo quickly takes control of the event. He starts soft and slow, humming, whistling. Singing, chanting playing the guitar.

"The whole world is waiting to sing this song of shabbos" We listen.

He repeats with a little louder with some more guitar and other instruments and, with a little more emphasis...

"And I am also waiting to sing this song of shabbos"

The charismatic leader soon has the attention of everyone in the room. I felt completely drawn in, swaying with him, joining in, like a trance, just Shlomo singing.  He repeats the verses with variations maybe just chanting or humming along. We start to sing along, sway and swing to Shlomo's song of shabbos. 

 He encouraged us; get up and dance.  We loved to dance; I loved to dance.  The dances perfectly fit his song "And I am also dancing to this song of shabbos."  We danced faster and faster lost in that Hasidic state.
 

And the parents got up and danced.  I am not kidding; I could not believe my eyes, the parents, the adults they got up and danced.  Just like us.  Whirling to Shlomo's rhythms.  My parents, holding tight to their proper conservative ways.  They danced to Shlomo's song of shabbos.  Everybody danced!  He talked, then we danced.  I don't remember how many times.

I had never seen such a rabbi as this.  Or done anything like this dancing and swaying and release.

I went home with my head whirling.

Shlomo Carlebach carried on; he died in 1994; became more orthodox, made aliyah (went to Israel).  But those of us that danced with him; I know I never forgot it.

I was surprised that Jonathan Sarna devoted quite a number of pages to Shlomo Carlebach in his book "American Judaism."  I encountered him as a young person, an experience.

I've included two links.  The second one is clearer, better quality but he does this long intro.  That's likely how he started that night in Sacramento.  So you have to wait 3 minutes to get the song proper.  The first one is scratchier, just that magic song of shabbos.

I wrote about this about three years ago.  I almost like my earlier version better.