Most Jews know the name of Reb Shlomo Carlebach (14 January 1925, Berlin--20 October 1994, Canada). His ability to reaching out to people with his stories-in-song is legendary. I remember the first time I davened in a "Carlebach" shul--it was amazing! The simple tunes used in traditional prayer seemed to lift us right out of this world. In Jerusalem stories of the "Reb" are as numerous as the stones in the buildings. One of my favorite as told by my rabbi, took place on a street in Jerusalem--maybe Jaffo Road or Ben Yehuda (not that it matters). The Reb saw a young guy sitting and looking very downcast. He walked over and said, "you look like you need a song", then took his guitar from his back and proceeded to sing.
I can't vouch for the authenticity of the story, but I can say that I have listened to tapes and CD's of Reb Shlomo speaking the old legends through song, and I can vouch for his ability to touch people deeply. You might have to turn up the sound on this clip, but do watch, read the words and listen.
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