BMG: ‘We Never Kicked Reb Shlomo Carlebach Out Of Our Yeshiva’ [VIDEO]

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Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. (photo credit: JERUSALEM REPORT ARCHIVES)

Lakewood, NJ – In an interview conducted with the president of Lakewood Yeshiva, Rabbi Aharon Kotler, a myth and legend that has been well-entrenched in the haredi world about famous Jewish composer and singer, Shlomo Carlebach being expelled from the Lakewood Yeshiva, was shattered.

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After the supposed expulsion, Shlomo Carlebach is said to have then immediately composed the song, “Lulaei Torascha” while sitting on the steps outside the yeshiva. Kotler, who is named after his grandfather, Rabbi Aharon Kotler who founded the campus, stressed that in fact “Shlomo Carlebach was never kicked out of Lakewood. Rav Aharon loved him. He was, as we all know, exceptionally musically inclined… I can imagine that at some point in his life, his musical interests and drive exceeded his desire to learn in Yeshiva.”

In the interview, Rabbi Kotler reveals the special connection that existed between his grandfather and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and also explains the difference in norms between the yeshiva world in the United States and the yeshiva world in Israel.

“He played guitar in my parents’ Sheva Brochos. They made a Kumzits. They closed the lights in the room, he sat on the floor. I do not know how studious he was. I was not there back then… Also, one of the important things to remember is that Lakewood is not a life system. Neither is Collel a life system for everybody, and certainly in Rav Aharon’s days, people were in Yeshiva for a number of years and then they eventually left. That was the norm. So I have never checked the enrollment records of Shlomo Carlebach, whether he stayed longer than the norm or shorter than the norm, but he certainly was not kicked out of Lakewood.”

The Lakewood Yeshiva, also formerly known as “Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG),” is an accredited institution of Higher Education in the US state of New Jersey. The academy has approximately 7,000 students and 13,000 alumni, many of whom are leaders and builders of Jewish communities all over the world.

The yeshiva is the engine for growth in the local Jewish community. As Lakewood has grown, Rabbi Kotler has been active in matters of public policy, serving on various membership boards devoted to the expansion of regional health care, transportation, housing, education and economic development.

The interview with Rabbi Kotler was conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt, assistant Rabbi of Park East Synagogue in Manhattan and as a part of the “Kikar Global” project of the haredi news website, ‘Kikar HaShabbat’.

Kikar Hashabbat explained: “This project was established with the aim of introducing the Jewish diaspora to the Israeli haredi sector. Religious Jews are symbols of mutual responsibility and of a desire to help each other, which is wonderful. However, Diaspora Jewry has been stigmatized as not really being Jewish. Of course, the truth is that Diaspora Jewry is a part of us. They are our brothers and sisters, and we have to know the challenges they are facing.”

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(Kikar Global project)


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9 Comments
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Fake news
Fake news
4 years ago

Such rubbish you link he was Kicked out of Lakewood. Never happened.

Mark Levin
Mark Levin
4 years ago

“The Lakewood Yeshiva, also formerly known as “Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG),” is an accredited institution of Higher Education in the US state of New Jersey. The academy has approximately 7,000 students and 13,000 alumni, many of whom are leaders and builders of Jewish communities all over the world.”

No, its NOT “Formerly.” THAT IS THE NAME OF THE YESHIVA!

Former Lakewooder
Former Lakewooder
4 years ago

I think they meant “formally”.

Avi
Avi
4 years ago

Actually that song he authored before he left the yeshiva. R’ Aron loved it. Some like to his songs that he composed after leaving the Yeshivah & is definitely not one them.

Dovid
Dovid
4 years ago

Reb Shlomo was not kicked out of Lakewood. He left due to his attachment to the Rebbe Yosef Yitzchok of Lubavitch. He wanted to be at a Yeshivah both geographically and spiritually closer to Chassidus.

Chaim
Chaim
4 years ago

Never heard that myth. The interviewer needs to do his homework. R’ Shlomo left Lakewood to go learn in Lubavitcher Yeshiva.

Despite what crooked Ahron says, Lakewood held a grudge at Carelabach for leaving.

commonsense99
commonsense99
4 years ago

todays Ahron Kutler is too busy skiing biking and trying to make a quick buck to know the facts, yes Sholmo Carlebach was asked to leave, I spoke to people how ever there at that time