Heiress to the Throne

Neshama Carlebach considers her father to be her biggest musical influence. What a surprise. She claims that despite possible bias, she genuinely is drawn to the simplicity of Reb Shlomo's music. One cannot forget to mention, however, that Neshama was raised on her father's simplistic music and therefore has an affinity for it.

Everyone associated with the field of Jewish music is familiar with the late Reb Shlomo Carlebach. His daughter, Neshama, currently pursues a singing career, continuing his legacy. He took her "onto stage with him for five years and really wanted [her] to sing." Though he never told her outright that he intended for her to maintain his legacy, it was something self-understood. When Reb Shlomo passed away, she had pressure from people around to continue singing. Neshama said, "I was sort of thrown into it, almost from a place of mourning. But then I realized that it really was my greatest dream." She remembers her father saying that "the world was created with music; the whole world is full of music." I asked her about her career in Jewish music:

Commentator: What inspires you and motivates you to sing and perform?

Neshama: Feeling like I am accomplishing something beautiful in the world. Thank G-d I get letters every day from people telling me that I am doing good things and that really gives me a lot of strength.

Commentator: What kind of hopes and expectations do you have for the future of Jewish music?

Neshama: I think that it would be great for the world to appreciate Jewish music without Jewish music having to become like every other kind of music.

Commentator: Can you help me define what constitutes Jewish Music?

Neshama: I feel that music is beyond category. It's like what Jews say: "Well I'm not Reform, I'm not Orthodox, I'm just Jewish. [Music] is all an expression of where we come from. In general I don't like to categorize and say, "Well I belong here and you belong there, because I think that's not ever really accurate, it's like we have to put everyone in a box. Categories are limiting."

Unlike other performers who might be influenced by others in their genre, Neshama has little professional interaction with other Jewish performers because of the issue of kol isha. Her musical influences after her father, are mainly the members of her band: David Morgan, Ben Butler and various drummers. She feels privileged to play together with Noah Solomon of "Soul Farm" quite often and they are even putting out an album together. Neshama does not play any musical instruments herself, but is constantly involved with professional voice training.

I can't even remember how I phrased the question, or maybe I didn't even need to ask why Neshama makes the choice to perform for mixed audiences. She sort of brought it up herself. The issue of kol isha is something that Neshama confronts everyday and really wanted to tell me about. So here begins her rant on society and their attitudes and reactions to her music.

Neshama: I sing for men. I sing for everybody because that's what my father wanted. My father never raised me to think that, 'you are a woman and only sing for women.' He raised me to sing to the world; taking me on stage with him. I had many conversations with him, but in one particular conversation he said that, 'If there is one Jewish woman who wouldn't go to 'all women' concerts who comes to your concert with her boyfriend and she doesn't light shabbos candles, but after hearing you sing, she lights shabbos candles, then it's worth it.' In general women don't go out by themselves; that is a very orthodox thing to do. The truth is, in terms of my mission of bringing things together and bringing yiddishkeit (Judaism) to the world, I am sort of preaching to the choir when I do an all women's concert. When I do those concerts I feel personally uplifted because I feel the ruach (energy) in the room; it's incredible. But do I feel like, 'is that really what my life's work is?' I feel more connected when I sing for Jews who are not affiliated. When I can bring them something, then that's when I can really accomplish what my goal is, what my father asked me to do.

Commentator: I am curious about your attitudes towards kol isha and I am sure that others are questioning as well. Can you tell me a little more about that?

Neshama: There are people who criticize, but they have no idea how many people there are who wouldn't come if it were a concert for only women who after the performance come over to tell me, 'I never before thought I had a place in Judaism." If it were a world of complete segregation and women had separate lives and we didn't have racy commercials on the radio, [then maybe the idea of kol isha ervah would apply.] But the truth is, [in today's world] a woman's voice isn't really ervah (private, intimate).

Commentator: Do you know what halacha (Jewish law) says about this?

Neshama: I have received many heterim (allowances), the biggest one in my opinion from my father, to do what I do. The truth is, there is a lot of interpretation of the halacha and it really depends on where you want to look. The truth is, I know what my intentions are, I mean my kavanot (intentions) are never anything other but to give. To give light and holiness to my father's music into the world and that translates. I don't think there is any person that comes to my concerts and says that they felt something different. If they felt something different, then it's their ervah, not me. That's something that I really thought about, like 'wow, am I really committed for the right reasons?' I think about it a lot because I spend a lot of time thinking about what I really want in the world. I'm very in touch with myself and I don't have a lot of secrets from myself. When I am very honest with myself, I don't feel ashamed for doing it.

At some point, I stopped asking questions and just sort of listened intently to Neshama's explanation of her actions. She told me, "Somebody has to break down those walls for women who feel like they need to sing. I don't know if I am breaking them down, but I am definitely standing on the edge with a little pick." I asked her about other female performers such as Julia Blum and Kineret. Of them she said, "They are limiting because that's who they want to give it to. But I think that for me, I realize that it's such an unbelievable gift to be able to give your heart and your voice to the world. And I just thank G-d for that." This sort of prompted her to open up about criticism that she receives from the orthodox world. She wondered, "What kind of person would call me and tell me 'your life choices are all wrong.' She told me, "I would never get on the phone and tell a stranger or even someone that I know personally or even a public figure and tell them they are making the wrong choices. I mean is that Hashem's way? I don't think so. I don't think that's the way to look at it either. I feel like it's bigger than that. I think we need to embrace each other and everyone's life choices. Everyone's standing, like orthodox say of the reform that people are not real Jews, give me a break. It's not like that anymore. People are more expansive, more personal with their choices."

Neshama Carlebach told me about one call received from an all girls' school which was particularly shocking. They told her, "We want to hire you, but we're not going to. But we wanted to tell you that though we think you have a beautiful voice, you are a terrible influence on our girls." She couldn't believe her ears. Was this a Jewish person who had just said such a thing to her? She thought, "I mean, do you think that you're going to call me and make me feel terrible and suddenly ill change my life because of you? And is that what I want to give to a child, that this person is a bad influence because of their choices or do I want to say something different? Take every person at the benefit they can give you."

Neshama is so genuine. She realizes that "there's no one in the world who loved G-d more than my father and there's no one I think that could give over what my father gave more than me. And more real than I can. That's not coming from a place of pride, that's just my heritage that I'm given." She is working to continue what Reb Shlomo began. The 60s were a time of radical change and even now, that change goes on more than ever. Reb Shlomo Carlebach used to quote the Baal Shem Tov who said that, "it's the women who will bring moshiach." So on that note, Neshama feels that "if we're bringing moshiach, it's not going to be because we're singing to each other. We need to give it to the world. We need to give our gift, everything that we have in a beautiful, kosher way, to the entire world."

Neshama's next show in NYC will be on November 17th and she plans to perform with YU Alumni, Blue Fringe on November 26th. For complete information for the November Tour schedule, please visit http://www.NeshamaCarlebach.com. Shabbat Shalom, Holy Brothers and Sisters.