The House of Love and Prayer: A Radical Jewish Experiment in San Francisco

The Mechitzah Controversy

The founders of the House took pride in the fact that there was no mechitzah, the partition separating men and women during prayer found in almost all modern and contemporary Orthodox-affiliated synagogues. Carlebach was also proud of the fact that there was no gender separation during prayer at the House. This was not mere happenstance but was an intentional decision made at the first House, influenced by Shlomo, who realized that in the cultural milieu of late 1960s San Francisco people needed to be able to, at a minimum, sit down next to one another. He felt that he could not teach and sing his music and reach people in the same way if they were separated.[1] This ultimately led to Carlbach’s break with Chabad as early as the late 1950s. In response to the lack of a mechitzah  at the House, he famously said, “We are not here to build walls’ we are here to tear them down.”[2]

At the second House, things were different. The decision to institute a mechitzah in this new location was symbolic of the many distinctions between the two Houses. After lengthy discussions on the matter, which was actually introduced by female members of the House community, they decided that they would pray with a mechitzah. Ultimately, the decision to have the mechitzah was one of core elements that played a role in the eventual closing of the House of Love and Prayer.
[1] Aryae Coopersmith, Holy Beggars: A Journey from Haight Street to Jerusalem (El Granada: One World Lights, 2011).
 
[2] Interview with member of the House of Love and Prayer, October 2017.

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