Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNP CommentYoni Goldstein: Society should separate complicated artists' lives from their artCarlebach's music can still be loved despite his inexcusable transgressions, as can Roger Waters'Last updated 26 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.MONTREAL, QUE.: JUNE 03, 2014 -- This is a media call for the Yiddish Theatre's new show, Soul Doctor: Journey of a Rock Star rabbi. It is the new bio-musical based on the life of the controversial father of popular Jewish music, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach.(Photo by Marie-France Coallier / THE GAZETTE) ORG XMIT: 50115Later this month, a film about the life and times of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach will debut at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival titled, “The Darkest Light.” The film promises to examine “the towering and deeply complicated shadow cast” by the man known as “The Singing Rabbi.” Carlebach’s catalogue of Hassidic songs has enraptured Jews for several generations, and his oeuvre continues to heavily impact Jewish music and musicians in Israel and the diaspora more than 30 years after his passing in 1994. Whether you know it or not, you have probably heard his work at a synagogue or a Jewish lifecycle event, from birth, to marriage, to death. It’s hard not to be moved by Carlebach’s mystical voice, his understated guitar work and his message of hope and faith.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorBut there was another side to Carlebach, one that was whispered about during his lifetime and that has been increasingly amplified since his passing. As the creators behind “The Darkest Light” describe it, their film “traces a painful reckoning that emerged after numerous women publicly accused Carlebach of sexual abuse” forcing his family and acolytes “to confront the difficult question: what do you do when someone revered as a holy teacher has also caused profound harm?”This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe accusations against Carlebach include a litany of highly plausible incidents of indecent touching, sexual solicitations and other forms of abuse. The rabbi often preyed on young, impressionable women making their first, tentative ventures into Jewish religious life (Carlebach was a leader of the “kiruv” movement which seeks to influence secular Jews to become more observant).These reports, compiled over time in various publications and public forums, represent a disturbing pattern of behavior where spiritual influence clearly crossed the line into criminality. They have generally been accepted by even Carlebach’s most ardent followers, including his daughter, Neshama, herself a prominent singer and one of the main torchbearers of her father’s musical legacy.And yet, Carlebach’s musical influence lives on in the Jewish zeitgeist. The revelations of his bad behavior have barely made a dent to his artistic legacy, even as they have tarnished his personal one. No one has stopped humming his tunes or listening to his recordings. Few, if any artists, have disavowed his profound influence. Rather, with each passing year it seems a new singer comes along to carry forth his unique blend of song and spirituality.For those who know the full story of Shlomo Carlebach, there appears to be a healthy separation between the rabbi’s music and the man himself. This is exactly as it should be — and there is a broader lesson to be extracted.Cancel culture has largely succeeded in binding art and artist, so that if the latter has acted improperly, or merely holds unfavorable opinions, the former is wholly negated. Musicians, actors and writers who do not adhere to popular social dogmas, including support for the Palestinian cause and vilification of Israel and Jews, are summarily erased. Broad campaigns tell cultural consumers that if an artist has bad views, one must not only condemn them, but also de-platform their work. This has led to the freezing out of those who support Israel (or simply perform there) and speak out against antisemitism and other popular opinions around race, sexuality and gender. This is, broadly speaking, the ethos of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement (BDS) against Israel: it renders the work of any Zionist individual or organization invisible, along with the person themselves.There is little evidence to suggest that this unfortunate trend will reverse itself, at least in the short term. Indeed, cancel culture, mostly as a response to BDS, has gained its own unique foothold in the Jewish community, so that anyone who does not support the Zionist cause, or who are themselves antisemitic, are made verboten by the community. There is, admittedly, some logic to this “reverse BDS” trend, which operates against people and companies spanning not just music and film but all manner of commerce. But as an ideology, it is unhealthy for us, and it makes us no different than our inept and undemocratic enemies.And yet, perhaps there is hope, evidenced in the case of Carlebach, that the Jewish community can ultimately buck the trend. If we can value Carlebach’s art while castigating the individual, can we further free ourselves from the burden of having to exclude the work of every individual who hates us and our way of life? Can we enjoy, for example, the music of Pink Floyd without carrying the dreaded feeling that we are somehow supporting the tirades of Roger Waters who has been accused of repeated antisemitism?I hope the answer is yes, not only because cancel culture represents the great social ill of our times, but because doing so can only improve our lives. After all, why shouldn’t we be able to enjoy the things that make us happy, that make our lives better in quantifiable ways, just because the person or group that produced them don’t?It is perfectly acceptable to enjoy and be moved by the music of Shlomo Carlebach, and at the same time recognize that the man himself was significantly less than the hero we once thought he was. And by the same token, it is fine to listen to Pink Floyd. It doesn’t make one less Jewish, less Zionist, or less of a good person. Rather, it shows that we are able to successfully navigate the complexities of life, to find the good and discard the bad.Besides, what do you think would make Roger Waters angrier — Jews and Zionists not listening to him on principle, or actively enjoying his music while still being Jewish and Zionist? Option one would only confirm his skewed worldview, while option two may keep him up at night, fuming.National Post Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.