Reb Shlomo Carlebach had a left-wing and a right-wing side. A friend of mine once asked him what he would vote for in the upcoming elections in Israel, he said, ‘I’m like the Almighty, “Who elects songs and laudations”,’ a quote from the conclusion of the Blessing before the morning Barechu.
Reb Shlomo often said that we should embrace both the left and the right in Israel because a bird needs both wings to fly.
He started with American hippies and they had the right attitude (make love, not war, idealistic, non-materialistic) and he supplied the Jewish knowledge. Yet, especially in his later years, he had gone on camera to vehemently plead for Jewish pride extending into claiming the Holy Land.
These two aspects we see back in his young followers who sing his songs today, both the flower-power left and the West Bank Kahane Was Right. Sadly, both camps tend to see each other as the black sheep of the family.
I see it as a testimony of Reb Shlomo’s greatness that he united in himself these points of view that few others could live with. It must be our future.
***
Michael Brand was a proud right-winger. He and Rebecca were almost childhood sweethearts and they lived with their kids in the religious corner of Ma’alei Adumim. Some thirty years ago, he tried to see if he could have a Shabbat Carlebach Minyan, starting in their living room. They hailed from the US and many of the early joiners were English-speakers. Yet, slowly but surely, more Hebrew-speakers came, especially young people.
The prayers were Orthodox. Often, with 20 men, Michael was the only FFB, besides his brother. It gave him the knowledge that helped him navigate when questions arose and have a quiet pride in being a Jew.
He used his extensive knowledge of Reb Shlomo’s melodies when he was chazzan to help us sing together. When others would lead the prayers, he would himself or have someone else stand a meter away from him—I thought that was ingenious, to break this ‘now, you’re on your own’ feel.
The whole atmosphere was that we do this together, in good taste and with warmth. I remember the early days when, at the Third Meal, we would just sing and sing an hour into the week, while the ‘straights were already at work,’ as Michael once put it. It was a warmth that ensured that a lefty like me and a right-winger like him could rise above our differences and be holy Jews together. At their table, I was welcomed like family. At least 100 times, I must have taken my kids from Jerusalem to Ma’alei Adumim so they could see that Shabbat isn’t a day to mourn or be bored.
After twenty years, my grown kids have few memories of Michael. So, what they remember is even more telling. “Michael always smiled. When the Torah scroll passed by and people enthusiastically dived to kiss it, he would say, ‘No double kissing.'” “He didn’t criticize people. He made those who came feel good so that there was a pleasant atmosphere.”
Michael did really everything, checking if there was a minyan, whether we should have snacks after morning prayers, should a more proficient chazan come for special days like Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur, etc. Because he decided everything, some people got a very wrong impression of him, as if it was his show. All he did was for the people who came. He showed very little interest in being at the center of the attention. He invited speakers for sermons, raised enthusiastic teenagers to be chazzan, etc.
Some said, skip the next two paragraphs. They may be instructive, though.
His weak point, common to nice people, was that he never discovered evil people until it was too late. The congregation had grown so large, and he started already weekday minyanim when a couple of seemingly his dearest friends began to attack Michael as too bossy, and slandered and expelled him. It would be the easiest to say the minyan split into good and bad folks but that was not what happened. Most people are good people and they were equally fooled by the few rotten apples in the bunch. They split off.
Michael regrouped and we just continued with smaller numbers as always. It was painful to be betrayed but his project was still safe with him. (It would read nicer if I left out this black page but I didn’t for three reasons. 1. How he dealt with it shows what he was about. 2. Others might learn from this. And 3. An in memoriam should be warm but not unreal.)
It is difficult to get across who someone was and to do full justice to them. Michael and his wife were givers and many profited. Michael never sought honor or recognition. His helpfulness and lack of a giant ego can only be understood by people who also don’t think of themselves as greater than they are. I attribute this humility to that he and Rebecca grew up working-class and they never let their later financial security go to their heads. His humble generosity will always stay with me. May Rebecca and their children be comforted among all those who mourn Zion and Jerusalem.
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2000 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog, to which one may subscribe too, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
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