Can Jews still sing Shlomo Carlebach’s music? New film confronts his darkest legacy
A new documentary titled 'The Darkest Light' examines the legacy of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, a renowned Jewish composer accused of sexual abuse. The film explores the difficult tension between his profound spiritual influence on Jewish music and the testimonies of women who claim he exploited his position of authority.
Why it matters
It contributes to the ongoing cultural debate regarding whether an artist's work can or should be separated from their personal conduct and moral failings.
Every time a celebrated musician becomes engulfed in scandal, the same question returns: Can the art be separated from the artist, and can audiences continue to embrace work created by someone accused of causing profound harm? The debate has long surrounded German composer Richard Wagner, a revolutionary figure in classical music who also published antisemitic writings and whose work was later embraced by the Nazi regime. More recently, listeners have confronted similar questions involving pop stars including Michael Jackson, R. Kelly and Sean “Diddy” Combs. Few might have expected the same dilemma to arise around Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, the enormously influential Jewish composer and spiritual leader known as the “Singing Rabbi.” A new documentary, The Darkest Light, revisits Carlebach’s legacy through allegations that he sexually abused and harassed women and girls.
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