There were thousands of young people who came to me on Friday ay nights in the House of Love and Prayer in California. Once I found a letter in which one of these young people wrote to her parents, “Why didn’t you ever tell me about Shabbos? Why didn’t you ever tell me about the
treasures my forefathers left for me?”
Many people thought that the young people who flocked to the House of Love and Prayer were looking for drugs, but they were really looking for something holy. Drugs are about a moment. How about a moment of Shabbos!
In 1966 I was invited to sing at the Berkley folk festival. There I saw thousands of young people whom the world condemned as being dope addicts. I realized that they were really yearning for something holy. Their souls were so pure, so awesome!
The festival began on Thursday morning. On Friday morning I announced, “Tonight I am going to the Synagogue. Anyone who might be interested can join me.” I thought that maybe ten or fifteen people would show up. Over two thousand people came to the small Synagogue!
I thought that the people at the Synagogue would be so happy that so many young people came, but the president phoned me later and said: This was the most disgusting thing that ever happened.” We had had people staying and celebrating Shabbos, studying, and singing, until four in the morning!
The way the Synagogue President responded was a shame. That made me realize that I had to have my own place. So we created the House of Love and Prayer. Every Friday night hundreds of people came.
There was a certain man who came to the House of Love and Prayer for services one Friday night. At the end of the service he pulled out a musical instrument and started to play it. Of course, that is not what we do in an Orthodox Synagogue on Shabbos, but I said nothing because he was coming to be with us on Shabbos and I was glad that he came. He did it again the next week, and the week after that. Then he came up to me and said, “Thank you for not saying anything to me. I was testing your patience, and now I see that you really would accept me here.” Now he is a doctor and the president of the P.T.A. of an Orthodox school. I never, never tell people what to do.
Shlomo Carlebach