We miss you Sholom

This past week was the First Yahrzeit of one of the more colorful and inspirational characters on the Jerusalem landscape.

Amongst many other things, Reb Sholom Brodt z'”l was the founder of  Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo in Jerusalem. He and his wife Judy were beacons of light to many soul searchers and Jews who flocked to their house and their programs to become more connected to themselves, each other and God.

Reb Sholom was unique in many — he was both Chabadnik and a devoted follower of Reb Shlomo Carlebach of who both and his wife enjoyed a close relationship hosting Reb Shlomo and organizing concerts and learning’s in the home in their hometown of Montreal. For more on Reb Sholom uniqueness — see Barak Hullman’s recently published Book Stickel Torah.

Just like I missed his Yahrzeit celebration last week in Jerusalem as I was traveling, I missed the opportunity to benefit from his wisdom while he was alive. We moved to Jerusalem in July 2017 and he passed away suddenly a month later. I did, however, have the opportunity to attend one of their legendary Seudah Shlishit — 3rd meals. There is a CD on the music and niggunim which is very special. These third meals were very spiritual where unlike most of us who clock watch when Shabbat is out, there was no concern if Shabbat was extended into the week. It was a taste of olam haba — next world experience where time or daily worries was non-existent.

Reb Shalom was a man of great spirit and action.

He put his money where his mouth is and started Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo where through the use of Music, Chasidic thought while well-grounded in Halacha enables a person to reach new spiritual highs. More on Simchat Shlomo at the end of the blog. http://www.shlomoyeshiva.org

I am not a particularly spiritual person, but Reb Shlomo’s music has that power to take me and thousands of others to a higher spiritual plane and connect to ourselves.

Similarly, Reb Shalom writings and the way he brings down both Chabad and Reb Shlomo teachings and stories continue to take me to a higher spiritual place. Besides his book – Personal Exodus., he sent out a beautiful email every Friday Afternoon (mostly on late Friday Afternoons). I started the habit of printing these out and reading them early Shabbat morning. These teachings have taken me to a different, higher place and challenge me to reach a deeper place and be a better and more thoughtful person. Just like Reb Shlomo empowered people to reach deeper in themselves and grow and spread the light and Joy of Torah, these teachings infuse me with much spirituality. So, if anybody asks what is spirituality? How can I become more spiritual person, then I urge you to read these teachings on a weekly basis.

I feel so moved by these teachings, that I now share these teachings. I started to collate the weekly email’s and publish this on   http://www.Shlomofriends.com and on Facebook through @Carlebachcenter.  https://www.facebook.com/CarlebachCenter/  

There are plans to bring this out in a book and I  look forward to this as this will enhance our Shabbat and connection to the Parsha, Israel, and Hashem.

Unfortunately, the Jewish world is broken and much of the world is broken. There is increasing assimilation and more young and old Jews are being turned off from a Judaism that is stale. These teachings and the style of Reb Shlomo and Reb Sholom’s outreach is very much needed today, just like it was needed in the 50’s and 60’s when so many Jews lost their faith in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

It is up to everyone to reach out to those who have not tasted the beauty of Judaism. Maybe through these types of teachings, we can get reach in the souls of these lost Jews.

More About – Yeshiva Simchat Shlomo

VISION

Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo is dedicated to joyfully and practically manifesting Jewish spirituality in the world. The classes and environment we provide are inspired by our teacher, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach z”l who taught us that Judaism is a vibrant and meaningful way of life. We teach a traditional, spiritually-infused Judaism that is in constant dialogue with the complex modern world in which we live.

BEING A JEW IN TODAY’S WORLD

Jews today are socially integrated to a degree never before imagined. However, at the same time, many of us are at taking time to explore our deepest roots. We strive to understand what it means to be Jewish in these complicated times, and as we grow, we seek new models for learning that help us strike a balance between the values of the wider world in which we live, and the intense spiritual development that we desire. In order to achieve that equilibrium, each and every one of us must reach deep inside to discover our own profound personal relationships with Torah, the Jewish People, and the Land of Israel.

TORAH, THE JEWISH PEOPLE, AND THE LAND OF ISRAEL

Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo’s vision is to help people cultivate these connections. For, it is only once we are connected to these foundational pillars that we can help cultivate truth and G-dliness in the world.

DIVERSITY

In order to manifest this vision, we bring together students from all walks of life and from all different types of Jewish backgrounds and education. We believe that we, as a Jewish people, are enriched by our diversity. Thus, we encourage one another to incorporate and share the knowledge, talents and experiences that we have each gleaned from our personal spiritual journeys.

TALMUD, TANACH, HALACHA & CHASSIDUT

Through a learning program that combines rigorous textual study in Talmud, Tanach, and Halacha with the intensity and power of Chassidic thought and practice, we probe that which unites us, searching for innovative ways of allowing Torah to infuse our lives with joy, meaning and understanding.

Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo announces new programming and all new branding for Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo and its programs!

As you all know our Yeshiva has been contending with many changes this past year. We have been working to process the loss of our founder by growing the Yeshiva and its programming to actualize Rav Sholom z”l’s greater vision for the Yeshiva that he expressed during his life.

Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo will continue with it’s amazing lineup of weekly classes and will also become the umbrella organization for two other exciting new programming.

The men’s program has been renamed after Rav Sholom z”l and is now called Sha’arei Shalom, headed by Reb Leibish Hundert as Rosh Yeshiva.

In addition, we have launched a women’s Beit Midrash and educator program called Shiviti run by Rebbetzin Yehudis Golshevsky.

To give expression to a sense of the relationship between these programs we have developed beautiful new branding that gives each program their own individual identity while still expressing the family relationship between all three.