Introduction

“The House of Love and Prayer” exhibition documents the radical experiment of a synagogue and religious commune founded by Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach during the counter-cultural revolution in 1960s San Francisco. An historical ethnography of The House of Love and Prayer, this digital humanities project inquires into the new Jewish identities and rituals that emerged from the intersection of traditional Hasidic Judaism and the “free spirit” of the Hippie subculture. Based on archival research and interviews with those who lived in and frequented The House of Love and Prayer, this project tells a seldom-told story about a unique moment in Jewish history, revealing the complexities of Jewish identities and Jewish experiences in post-Holocaust American Judaism. The exhibit is deeply interactive, with visitors able to see photos and posters, listen to music, watch video interviews, and read newsletters printed by residents of the House of Love and Prayer.