Soul Doctor: Shlomo Carlebach – The Movie

Jun 1, 2023 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susan Rosenbluth –  Two Sues On The Aisle

 

Shlomo’s Back! Based on the Broadway musical Soul Doctor, the movie was filmed live on stage at the Israel Festival. Soul Doctor was written and directed by Daniel Wise, with lyrics by David Schecter, and is set to the timeless melodies of Shlomo Carlebach. Based on the life of the iconic “Rock Star Rabbi,” the movie explores his dramatic journey from pre-war Vienna to the Berkeley Folk Festival.

Creating a Change

Soul Doctor begins with Carlebach’s childhood escape from Nazi Germany. The family migrates to the United States, where Shlomo becomes a rabbinical prodigy. He senses that traditional, old-world melodies are preventing his father’s small Orthodox congregation from growing. When his attempts to modernize the melodies were rejected, Carlebach finds a way to raise excitement and engagement by innovating and developing contemporary Jewish music, becoming a 20th-century spiritual guru. His tunes are currently embraced globally by all denominations of Judaism as part of the Shabbos service.

Carlebach befriended legendary jazz singer Nina Simone the “High Priestess of Soul”. Together they influenced each other’s work and woke up the world. He discovered gospel and soul music, while Simone broke tradition by recording and performing several Carlebach songs in Hebrew (the end of the film includes an epilogue to the film, contains a montage including never-before-seen footage of Nina Simone, and other historical scenes).

Shlomo Carlebach became a counter-culture figure in the hippie era, performing with ’60s icons like Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, and the Grateful Dead. Carlebach created a joyous new sound with melodies that fused his spiritual roots with American popular music, including “Am Yisrael Chai” which he wrote for the Student Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry. He established the first Jewish commune, the House of Love and Prayer in San Francisco and traveled back to Europe to teach peace and forgiveness.

An Inspiring Production

Carlebach’s vision for unity can be tied to an earlier memory, from Vienna, of a Nazi who shot a Hasid who is dancing, singing wishing all a good Shabbos. Carlebach chooses forgiveness and unity over hate saying “If I had two hearts, I could use one to love and one to hate. But I only have one heart … so I use it to love!” It was the 60s, a time of peace, love, and understanding.

Sole Doctor stars Tony nominee Josh Young as Shlomo, and Nya as Nina, supported by a cast of veteran Broadway performers. The film is produced by the original Broadway producers, Jeremy Chess, MD, and Dr. Jerome Levy. This is a movie worth sharing!

Spread the Love

Soul Doctor pushes the dialogue of unity, connecting the black and Jewish communities around common struggles during a period of racism, segregation, and post-war antisemitism in the United States. Carlebach’s message is still relevant today.

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The special nationwide screenings of Soul Doctor will take place in more than 600 select theaters for one night only on June 13, 2023.  For tickets and information, please visit Fathom Events.

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) in order to see the play, show, film, or exhibit being reviewed. 

Soul Doctor received five challahs