2—THE BULLET!^4—Thursday, January 13, 1977
//Iterview. . .
Carlebach—So what I want to do, what we need desperately is new Yeshivas, absolutely new Yeshivas. We can hang ourselves. Kaplan—Do we have the material. Would a Shlomo Carlebach be available to hifluence, and to have some input into these Yeshivas? Carlebach—Sure we have. I myself, I would sit day and night with those kids. I will tell you something else without making myself big. The level of the depth of learning is very shvach. The level of depth in Yeshivas, even the higher learning is very weak. I talk to kids who are really big learners in Israel or in Yeshivas. They are heartbroken, they are hungry because the depth is not the way it should be. Even mammesh learning in top Yeshivas. Their study of Yiddishkeit is not deep, it's sweet, I am not knocking it. Kaplan—Getting back to the question of *'retail'' and '^wholesale." Carlebach—Okay what we have to do **wholesale," if I will have my say and if the Jewish community would support me—you know what I would do? I would travel from city to city, from college to college and mammesh make propaganda like mad. Get the kids and talk to them and be with them, then send them to this Yeshiva or to this place, to centres, where they fit, which have to be receptive. These centres have to be made for them.
You see the way I see it right now, if I would have the support, I could within a year bring back maybe 100,000 or 200,000 Jewish kids!
- Let's take last night at the Conference. I am sure there were 400 or 500 Jewish kids who would give it a try. They would have given it a try. If I came up to them and told them, "Listen, I am taking you to this place and there you can be a Jew on the highest level,'* they would come.
I can not take them to Shul here, with all due respect. I cannot send them to Yeshiva in New York. Okay, maybe five or six would stay, mainly second rate kids might. The majority would be turned off.
The question is, do yoii know what the Jewish establishment is not aware of? We are living in a state of emergency. They always think the emergency is the Arabs. But that is not the emergency, that is G-d's emergency. Because G-d has to take care of Israel. Our emergency is our children. This is our real emergency. And unless we are aware of that, >ve are just going to go to the dogs.
And you see what it is? All the Rabbis at their conventions talk about eversrthmg. Okay, they talk about young people also. But not on the level of an emergency.
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Thursday, Januaiy 13,1977 .
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The numbers we are losing are tremendous. They are astronomical. You see, what we are doing, we are happy with selling two bagels. Imagine if I have two million bagels and sell ten. lam bankrupt.
You know what it is? Israel—with all due respect, spiritually, religiously, we are bankrupt. The Jewish religion—unless we do something, we are bankrupt. And I will tell you something, if we haven't gone bankrupt yet, it is because G-d in His infinite mercy is just helping along, you know, shtilerhade, covering up.
You see what it is, let me tell you something, from my heart to your heart. G-d is opening gates for us in the most unbelievable way. During the Six Day War, do you think it was just a victory, Israel over the Arabs? G-d was opening gates for us^ a most unbelievable way.
I mean in depths of Yiddishkeit, G-d opened gates for us. G-d needs a new Jew now, a new Jew. So the religious leaders said the same thing they said the year before, nothing.
I asked kids^, "Did the Rabbis say anything?*'And soldiers who came back from the war wanted to hear something. The Rabbis didn't say anything.
In 1973, the Yom Kippur war occurred. So what did the Rabbis say? "Be frum, be this."
Rosh Yeshivas, what did they say? The same thing. Goomisht.
You know what that means? They are not in touch. G-d is opening gates'of mammesh the deepest depths of Torah, the deepest depths of learning, of understanding, of "G-d knowledge," of Jew knowledge, of world knowle(ige. And there has to be a place where it is. Theire's got to be a "placele." Kaplan--D6 yon have any contact with the Hippie movement that was in Israel on the beaches at that time? Carleb^h—In Eilat, a little bit. Kaplan—Did yon meet them? Carlebach—A lot of kids were with me for Shabbos-. A lot of kids came to Yerushalayim to be with me again . . . and how much can you do? You are only one person.
This is the last of three excerpts from an' exclusive Interview in wiiich Rabbi Slilomo Carlebach tells Bnlletfai readers of the straggle he has waged for more than a decade to try to save Jewish children. That straggle has often brought the famous Jewish composer and folk-slnger into headlong conflict with the establishment. For eveiyone wondering why Jewish children opt out of Judaism, it is "mast readbig."
Kaplan—Tell me about the Moshav. Are yon getting any support for it from the government?
Carlebach—You see this Moshav could bring hundreds of kids back to Israel. The first thing'they did when they opened the Moishav was they covered up my^ name completely. My name wasn't mentioned, you know, G-d forbid. Because one shaliach already said to some of the kids, "We don't want a Carlebach village." Kaplan—Why not?
Carlebach^—Why do we need it? You know, they need a Communist Moshav where the kids come out and spy on Israel and give it over to the Arabs. This they need. Kaplan—Who said this, a shaliach from .where? . ..■;.".;V...:^f "
Carlebach--^A frum shaiiach from Eretz Yis-roel who said it over here. Because, you see if my kids want to go to Israel, he wants to talk them out of coming to niy Moshav.
Aliyah of young people is in its lowest. And do you know how often I was talking to the establishment in Israel about Aliyah of youth? I said, "I want to travel for you. Let me turn on the kids to Israel because you are sending out people who are not spiritual. They don't tell the kids what you have to tell them. Thiey sit and cry like dogs, but it doesn't help."
You know v/hat it is? They mammesh don't want it. Let liie tell you something. You think they love Israel? They hate it. Kaplan—Who?
Carlebach—All the people of the establishment. I am telling you, straight word. If they tell you they love Israel, they are lying. Because if they would, they would bring our kifSs back. They tell you they love Israel! They love themselves, their own little koved. I don't know what it is unless G-d should have rachmones upon Jews.
Let's take Aliyah of youth. They are sending out messengers all over the world and they are not bringing anybody back. They are not bjg enough to admit "we have not produced people who can bring young people back to Israel."
(Continued on page 6)
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Social Calendar
CZF-PAD—Youth Seaii. .Jan. 23
Brandeis speaker.......Jan. 24
Jofait Sisterhood Evenhig
at S.T...............Jan. 25
Women's Role hi Judaism - 3
day seminar (Rabbi Y.
Wfaieberg....... ...Jan. 30
CZF-PAD—Youth Sem.. .Jan. 30
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Sabbath beghis, light candles
Friday, Januasy !4, 4:21
Sedra Shmot, Exodus Sabbath ends, Havdallah Jssnaiy IS, 5:21
Friday, January 21, 4:31
Sedra Vaera^ Exodus Sabbath ends, Havdallah Januaiy 22, 5:31
JEWISH CALENDAR (LUACH) 5737:1977
Rosh Chodesh Shevat... Jan. 20 Tu B'Shevat...... .. .Feb. 3
Rosh Chodesh Adar ... .Feb. 18
Fastof Esther .......Mar. 3
Rosh Chodesh Nlsah .. .Mar. 20
Passover............. .April 3
Pnrim J..... .Mar. 4
All holidays begin the preceeding eve at sundown