Carlebach movement

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The Carlebach movement is an Orthodox Jewish movement inspired by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. It promotes a unique style of Jewish worship called nusach Carlebach. One center is Mevo Modi'im in Israel, often called the Carlebach Moshav.

The movement began with The House of Love and Prayer, started by Rabbi Carlebach in the 1960s counterculture. He called his followers “holy hippielech” (holy hippies). Many of them later practiced Orthodox Judaism. Carlebach also helped establish the Mevo Modi'im community, and some followers still live there today.

After Carlebach’s death, followers held memorial events that mixed traditional mourning rituals (Shiva, Shloshim, Yahrtzeit) with concerts and Friday night services featuring his songs. His music helped inspire works like The House of Love and Prayer, produced by the National Yiddish Theatre, with collaboration from his daughter Neshama Carlebach. A Broadway musical, Soul Doctor: Journey of a Rockstar Rabbi, has been shown in several cities.

There is no central leadership or single legal entity for the movement, and it is not a uniform group. Early followers came from non-Orthodox backgrounds, but today people from many Orthodox communities, including ultra-Orthodox ones, follow Carlebach. His followers live around the world, often near existing Orthodox communities. Many synagogues have adopted Carlebach tunes and customs, and some have formed specifically to focus on his style. There are believed to be over 100 Carlebach synagogues worldwide.