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The Real Shlomo

Was Shlomo, or as some called him affectionately, Shloimele, arguably the last
centurys greatest Jewish singer and composer, a Habad Hasid?
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How was he
influenced by Habad? What was his relationship with Rabbi Yosef Yitha!
Schneersohn, the Raayat? "id he depart from Habad and if so, how did that
manifest itself?


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# inter$iewed one of Shlomos nieces on "ecember %&, %&1'( She answered my )uestion this way*
+,ne could not describe Reb Shlomo as a Hasid of the Rebbe( -ut he often came to the Rebbes
.arbrengens throughout the years, though more so in the early years( He would arri$e some time
when the .arbrengen was already underway /late, as was his wont0( He would come with a small
he$rah, group of his followers, and soon could be heard the whispering /#d hear it all the way in the
ladies section0, 1Shloimele is here, Shloimele is here(2 3on$ersely, Shlomos younger twin brother, 4li
3haim was a Hasid of the Rebbe, at least until the mid5167&s as a relati$e told me* +Reb 4li 3haim
3arlebach /called 4li 3haim by friends, 4lile by close family0 in the mid5167&s had been a Hasid of the
Rebbes for many years during which time he organied the #nde8 for 9olumes 1 : ; of Likkutei Sihot.
He !ept his notes on inde8 cards in bo8es, and one day the bo8 turned o$er and all the cards fell,
1helter s!elter to the floor( 1"a$en, pray for me please, said 4li 3haim, 1that # should be able to get
them bac! in the right order( /He was a big belie$er in the power of prayer(0 # guess he was able to
reorganie them because it all wor!ed out( #n the mid 167&s he began $isiting other Rebbes,
especially -obo$( He was a <orah scholar, who lo$ed the study of Hasidism =all !inds55 and who
collected holy boo!s( <he last time he saw the Rebbe, in 166&, the Rebbe was so delighted to see
him, he was laughing with pleasure(2
.or Reb 4li 3haims family, it felt li!e coming full circle, as it happened shortly before Reb 4li 3haim
passed away( ,ne of the reasons Reb 4li 3haim distanced himself from >uba$itch starting in the mid
167&s was because he was accustomed to the personal warmth showered upon him by the $arious
Rebbes he !new( He had this with the Raayat and the -obo$er Rebbe( He also had this type of
relationship with the Rebbe as well in the 16?&s and early 7&s( Howe$er once the Rebbes schedule
became o$erwhelming in the mid 167&s, he reduced the time he spent with his Hasidim in pri$ate(
@nother e8ample happened when the Rebbe stopped, as a general rule, writing long letters in
responding to peoples )uestions( Reb 4li 3haim needed that e8tra warmth and relationship but the
Rebbe could not gi$e it to him due to time constraints( So he sought out other Rebbes for that
warmth( #n particular, 4li 3haim became close to Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam, the -obo$er Rebbe( Reb
4li 3haim was $ery connected to the Raayat( He felt towards him li!e a son to a father, and the
Rayyat reciprocated( Reb 4li 3haim also was a good friend of Rabbi Shmuel "o$id Raichi!, the
Raayats and Rebbes emissary to the West 3oast of the Anited States( Whene$er 4li 3haim came to
>os @ngeles, years before his daughter and her family mo$ed there, he would $isit with the Raichi!s(
<hey would farbreng together, Shmuel "o$id and 4li 3haim, and the Rebbetin would ser$e a tasty
meal( /She was famous for her coo!ing and ba!ing(0 Some say, Rabbi Raichi! and Reb 4li 3haim shared
the same room in the >uba$itcher yeshi$a in -roo!lyn during the late ;&s(
History
<he 3arlebachs were a famous rabbinic family in Bermany( <hey were in the
$anguard, together with Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, the ,ppenheimers and the
-reuers in combating the reformers, which had ta!en strong hold in that country(
Shlomos maternal grandfather was Rabbi @sher Cichoel 3ohen of Switerland, one
of the founders of the @gudah #srael organiation( Shlomos mother, Dessia,
surrounded by learning desired that her children be <orah scholars or, in the case of
her daughters, marry <orah scholars( She encouraged her husband to learn and write
his wee!ly sermons( She ran their Shul and supplemented his income as the Rabbi(
<he 3arlebachs had three children( <he oldest was Shulamis who was born in 1616(
<he ne8t two were twins, Shlomo and 4li 3haim who were born in 16%?( Shlomo was
twel$e minutes older than 4li 3haim(
Shulamis was engaged to marry the son of Rabbi Eahanenmen, the head of the
Done$it yeshi$a but he perished in the Holocaust(
%
She married a <orah scholar, Reb
Simha Fisel >e$o$it, the son of the 4uropean Cir yeshi$a Cashgiah, spiritual guide,
Ruhni, Rabbi Yeruham >e$o$it(
'
,
;

Shlomo was born in -erlin in 16%?( #n 16'6 he immigrated to the Anited States( .rom
16'6516;' he studied in yeshi$as <orah 9odaas in -roo!lyn under the guidance of
Rabbi Shlomo Hayman, the Rosh Yeshi$a( <he <orah 9odaas yeshi$a was in
Williamsburg which is near the 3rown Heights section of -roo!lyn where GG& is
located( GG& was wal!able from <orah 9odaas( <he dean of <orah 9odaas, Rabbi
Shraga .ei$el Cendelowit, was open to >uba$itch and Hasidut in general( He was a
descended of Hasidim( <herefore he had no )ualms sending his students, to $isit and
learn from Hasidic Rebbes throughout the greater Hew Yor! area(
While Shlomo and 4li 3haim were studying at <orah 9odaas, Rabbi @ron Eotler
started his >a!ewood yeshi$a( <hey were handpic!ed by him to be two of its first
students( Simultaneously, both had e8posure to the Raayat who came to @merica in
16;&( <hey also met such fine Habad Hasidim as Rabbis Shmuel >e$itin and Yisroel
Jacobson who were students of the Raayats father, the Rashab, Shalom -er
Schneersohn( >e$itin and Jacobson were the Cashpiim, Hasidut teachers in GG& from
the day the yeshi$a opened up on Carch %&, 16;&(<he two 3arlebach brothers

%
Rabbi Eahenenmen was $ery close to the 3arlebachs( See Rabbi Eopel -railo$s!ys inter$iew printed
towards the end of this chapter(
'
Rabbi Yehuda ,lebaum told me he remembers that Shlomo came to her house on Durim and played
the guitar( <he >e$o$it family li$ed in -orough Dar!, -roo!lyn(
;
http*IIen(wi!ipedia(orgIwi!iICashgiachJruchani(
began fre)uenting GG&( <hey studied Hasidut there and made friends with the GG&
students who naturally encouraged them to become >uba$itcher Hasidim(
4li 3haim did not return to >a!ewood after Sha$uot 16;;( He and Shlomo were on a
bus going to >a!ewood and before the bus entered the Hew Jersey tunnel it stopped
to pic! up and drop off passengers( 4li 3haim turned to Shlomo saying* +How is our
last chance to get off and go bac! to -roo!lyn and Koin the >uba$itcher yeshi$a(2
Shlomo responded that he did not want to do that but 4li 3haim did get off the bus
and went bac! to -roo!lyn( 4li 3haim had been learning Habad Hasidut on his own
time in >a!ewood but Rabbi Eotler did not appro$e( He wanted him to learn <almud
e8clusi$ely(
"espite this disappro$al, 4li 3haim Koined a yeshi$a which embraced Hasidut( <his
was the >uba$itcher yeshi$a at GG& 4astern Dar!way, -roo!lyn( He learned there
from Cay '&, 16;; until the beginning of the ne8t semester in September 16;;( ,n
July 1%, 16;; Rabbi Shemaryahu Burary, the Rashag, the dean of the yeshi$a sent
Rabbi and Crs( Haphtali 3arlebach a letter saying that the yeshi$a staff decided not
to accept 4li 3haim as a student in yeshi$a without his parents consent(
?
#t appears
that the letter was written due to pressure from se$eral sides( <he Rashag wrote that
letter due to pressure from his large financial supporters including a Cr( Joseph
Schapiro who threatened to withdraw his large donations to the yeshi$a if he
allowed 4li 3haim to learn there( He told the Rashag that it was against 4li 3haims
parents wishes( <he pressure on the Rashag also came from >a!ewood because
>a!ewood and >uba$itch yeshi$ot shared some of the same financial supporters(
>a!ewood con$inced those supporters to pressure the Rashag not to allow 4li 3haim
to learn in his yeshi$a( 4$en so, 4li 3haim was committed to learning in +GG&(2 He
went into yeshi$a and Koined a class( When one of the staff members noticed this he
as!ed him to lea$e because he had been instructed by Rabbi Burary that unless his
parents agreed to him learning in +GG&2 he has no permission to be there(
4li 3haim had no choice but to lea$e the yeshi$a( He went to yeshi$as 3haim -erlin
led by Rabbi Yitcha! Hutner( He was not happy there and a few months later went
bac! to +GG&2 and this time was accepted as an official student( He learned there
until his wedding in 16;6(
Why would the Rashag consent, !nowing that his father5in5law the Raayat, his
superior, had said that these are his +children2 and he wanted them in his yeshi$a?
<he Rashag seemingly wanted to pacify his supporters so he co$ered himself and
wrote the letter( # would $enture to say that there was an unwritten agreement
between Raayat and Rashag that an official letter be sent from Rashag saying that

?
>etter in authors archi$e(
4li 3haim /not Shlomo because he continued learning in >a!ewood0 was not
accepted in the yeshi$a( <his would satisfy Cr( Schapiro and others( @nd if 4li 3haim
shows up in +GG&2 he should be as!ed to lea$e( <hen he would go to another yeshi$a
for a few months and return on his own( @t that point no one would as! him to lea$e
because the fer$or of the financial supporters would be diminished( @s far as his
parents were concerned, seemingly, they too calmed down and realied that
learning in +GG&2was not that bad and they grudgingly agreed(

Raayats Anprecedented >etter
Rabbi and Crs( 3arlebach senior wanted 4li 3haim to continue learning with Shlomo
in >a!ewood( <his is e$idenced by a letter their father wrote to Rabbi Yosef Yitcha!,
the Raayat in early Cay of 16;;(
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He told the Raayat that although he and his wife
were not Hasidim, he allowed his twins to become Hasidim( Howe$er he wanted
them to learn in >a!ewood( <he Raayat responded in a $ery sharp and forceful
letter dated Cay %G, 16;;(
G
#n it he stated that* +You brought your boys to me in
9ienna /in 16'' or 16';0 for a blessing( # blessed them that they be diligent in
studying <orah and be B5d .earing Jews( B5d helped and to a certain e8tent, the
blessing was materialied( <hey were granted by B5d the recognition that true
diligence of <orah and .ear of B5d is attained by the student only in yeshi$as
<omchei <emimim(2
He continued that he, based on <orah law, would argue his point to a rabbinic court,
if need be, that the students 4li 3haim and Shlomo should be free to study in his
yeshi$a( Howe$er he hoped that this would not be necessary and that the parents
would accept and allow their sons to study in the yeshi$a of their choice, +GG&(2 <his
letter ga$e 4li 3haim the courage to lea$e >a!ewood against his parents wishes(
Howe$er Shlomo, who at time was more cooperati$e, stayed in >a!ewood( <he
Raayats desire of 4li 3haim and Shlomo to be his yeshi$a students and his sharply
worded letter to Rabbi 3arlebach senior made the relationship more strained(
Shlomo capitulated to his parents wishes, and returned to >a!ewood( 4li 3haim,
who was more of a Habad Hasid already in 16;;, did not listen and went to +GG&(2
,ne wonders why the Raayat too! such a tough stance( Why would he oppose the
parents wishes so $ehemently? ,ne could understand his opposition to >a!ewood
and its desire to !eep the twins from the study of Hasidut( -ut why write so

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# saw and read the letter(
G
Igros Kodesh MaHaRaayatz, $ol L, '&65'1&( <he letter as printed does not say to whom it is written
and the names 4li 3haim and Shlomo are remo$ed( Howe$er # ha$e a copy of the letter in my archi$es
with their names( # corroborated this with a 3arlebach relati$e and they corroborated the story(
stridently to their parents( Enowing the Raayat from his writings and hearing from
the Rebbe about his illustrious father5in5law, it appears that he had nothing against
the parents or >a!ewood( He simply felt that the twins should ha$e free will and,
according to Jewish law, choose where to find spiritual succor for their souls hunger(
>a!ewoods attempt to ma!e the Raayat +insignificant2 by saying that he only
!nows Cidrash and Hasidut, but not the depths of <almud, was not the reason for
the Raayats opposition(
L
<hat would be re$enge which is forbidden according to
<orah(

Shlomos Anofficial +GG&2 >earning
@lthough Shlomo continued learning in >a!ewood after his brother left in 16;;, he
fre)uented +GG&2 whene$er possible( #n 16;L Shlomos father had a heart attac! and
Shlomo spent much of his time helping his father and was away from >a!ewood a
large part of the year( He also spent a great deal of time during that year learning as
an unofficial student in +GG&(2
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He wrote a letter to the Raayat $oicing his complaint
that his parents were forcing him to continue learning in >a!ewood though he
wanted to transfer to +GG&(2 #n a letter that the Raayat wrote to him on ,ctober 1?,
16;G the Raayat responded, +You are not to consider anything2 /referring to his
parents and >a!ewoods wishes that he stay in >a!ewood and not go learn in +GG&20M
+are you better than the first group of Hasidim who worried for their spiritual life?2
/Ceaning, that the parents of the first Hasidim, also obKected to their studying in
<omchei <emimim, and yet these first Hasidim did so because they were an8ious to
recei$e spiritual nourishment by learning Habad Hasidut in <omchei <emimim,0
+Surely, you should be concerned as well and go to +GG&(2
1&
Cay B5d help you on
o$erpowering 1form o$er 1substance, spirituality o$er materiality and it will be good
for you in all spiritual and material matter(2

L
.or e8ample, they would bring proof to their argument by citing $arious Raayats Hasidic discourses
in which he interprets $arious sections of the Cishnah with a Hasidic interpretation, ta!ing it out of its
literal conte8t( <hey loo!ed at that as shallow because it, in their opinion, diminished the literal
<almudic interpretation(
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Dossibly the reason that he ne$er was accepted as an official student is because his brother 4li
3haim was accepted as an official student although not initially( <he negati$e impact it had on
e$eryone was enough of a reason not to officially accept Shlomo but allow him to learn there as an
+unofficial2 student( <his way the +GG&2 administration could defend itself saying* +we ne$er officially
accepted him(2 @nother possible reason is that Shlomo, !nowing the opposition of his parents and
>a!ewood, did not desire to upset them more and chose to be an unofficial student( <his way, he
could always e8cuse himself although he did spend most of the year in +GG&(2
1&
#n authors archi$e(

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