Neshama Carlebach - Journey

Neshama Carlebach (born October 9, 1974 in New York) (נשמה קרליבך), daughter of the Jewish singer-songwriter Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, is a singer, the protégé of her late father.

Neshama Carlebach began training as a singer and actress at the age five and began singing with her father, Shlomo Carlebach, at 15. She began her professional career soon after her father's death in 1994. Her full name is said to be "Esther Neshama Tehora Shlucha" (a pure soul that descended to this world). Carlebach performs in a number of venues, including Jewish Community Centers, synagogues, Hillels, clubs, and summer camps worldwide. She also performs alongside The Green Pastures Baptist Church Choir singing Reb Shlomo's Hebrew and English collaborations.

From the moment I was old enough to know I was alive, I knew I wanted to perform. I trained as a singer and actor from when I was five years old, and began singing with my father, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, of blessed memory, when I was fifteen. Never in my lifetime did I imagine that I was developing the strength, knowledge and skill to follow in his footsteps. I began my singing career three weeks after I lost my father, my best friend. At first I felt compelled to sing, knowing in my heart he would have wanted me to. The beginning was a time of great sorrow, as I traveled around the world singing for thousands of people, all of us unable to accept the fact that we would never again be in his holy presence.
In 1996 I met my producer, pianist David Morgan. He changed the way I listened to the music all around me as we began to arrange my father’s songs together and to collaborate. When I started to compose I discovered that by singing I was not only continuing in my father’s way but was accomplishing my own life‚s work as well. The high moments on stage with my bandmates, my brothers David Morgan, Brian Glassman, Mat Gurman and Jake Jacobs, give me the deepest inspiration.
I perform concerts in a variety of different venues ranging from JCC’s, synagogues, Hillels, clubs, and summer camps all over the world. In addition to the regular performances, I also do Shabbaton’s where I teach and tell stories. I enjoy this aspect of my work immensely. It tends to be more intimate than the usual concert and it gives me the opportunity to talk and connect to my audience in a different way. I hope that through my teaching about different Jewish issues and telling stories about how different Rebbes and holy people of the past lit the way to clarity and peace, I can give people a taste of how beautiful it is to love and be close G-d. To be close to G-d gives meaning to everything in life and in a very simple way, gives people the hope to continue dreaming.
My father always said that when we sing, it‚s like we’re praying twice. When I am on stage I experience prayer in the deepest sense. In this crazy world, sadly enough, people often are too afraid to feel. We too terrified to open our souls to our deepest prayers, yet so broken at all we are missing inside. Somehow, when we don‚t have the words to express all that we need, music says it for us. Music can somehow break our hearts and allow us to feel so whole all at the same time.
This miracle is what I feel when I sing. I thank G-d every moment of my life that I have the honor of praying and singing with the people I meet all over the world. I thank you all for your love and support and for giving me the chance to live my dreams. May we all have the courage to keep singing...

  1. Adon Olam

  2. HaTov

  3. Ata Hu

  4. Asher Bara

  5. Min Hametzar

  6. Niggun Neshama

  7. Ba'al Hayeshuot

  8. Hinei Yamim Ba'im

  9. Od Yishama

  10. Return Again

  11. V'shamru

  12. L'shana Haba

  13. Shomer Yisrael