The following is a compilation of testimonials from former and current students who attend our yeshiva, virtual students who watch our classes online, readers of Reb Sholom Brodt’s weekly online parsha teachings, Shabbos guests at the Brodts’ table, and participants of Simchat Shlomo seminars abroad.

“I enjoyed an amazing ten months at Yeshivat Simhat Shlomo, increasing my Jewish learning skills and immersing myself in Talmud within a spiritually nurturing, uplifting environment. I recommend it because it combines head, heart and soul.”

Joel Stanley

“My time at Simchat Shlomo opened my heart and my mind to the joy of Jewish Learning.  Thank G-d that the spirit of Shlomo and his teachings are living on through the programs at Simchat Shlomo.  I found a home at Simchat Shlomo after feeling disconnect from other formal learning environments.  Simchat Shlomo is not only a learning institution it is the community center for the wondering Jews of Nachalot.  Simchat Shlomo is the heart center of Nachalot.”

Jonathan Dubinsky
Program Coordinator
Teva Learning Center

“The (Men’s) Beis Midrash Program at Simchat Shlomo has provided me with a sublime learning experience, teaching me Hebrew and gemara skills along with greater understanding of hallachah, mishnayos, and gemara all topped off with a daily hour of Shlomo Carlebach torahs.  The quality of the teaching staff is excellent with much emphasis on fulfilling the students objective at a suitable pace. The other participants help to foster a friendly and encompassing environment.”

Raphael Wilson

“I look forward every week to reading Sholom’s Torah (parsha email) discussion.  He always offers fascinating insights.  As I do not get to attend services nearly as much as I would like, this reading helps me to keep me in touch with my faith.  I have great respect for Sholom, and hope to be able to see him when he is in Vermont.”

Peter Blum

“R’ Sholom’s teachings are always heartfelt, always insightful, and always penetrating. More often than not, I’m brought to tears as I see my own struggles and feelings reflected in the weekly Divrei Torah and stories. The yeshiva, its gifted teachers, and its online Torah are critical resources and must be supported.”

Michael Steinhart

“I am a seventy-nine year old psychoanalyst who had Polio many years ago and walk with great difficulty. I took Rabanit Silber’s classes, and although my level of observance does not match hers, I resonated with her teachings to a degree that inspired me this whole year.  When I returned to the states i continued to follow classes on the internet.  One day i happened to tune into Leah Golomb’s shiur and haven’t missed a class since. Rabbi Brodt and the students were extraordinarily helpful in assisting me in and out of the building.  Their kindness extended way beyond any level of expectation.”

Frieda Englard LCSW

“My journey as a soul searcher in finding and reconnecting with Judaism has led me to ‘Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo.’ The blessings and pearls of wisdom that I have received in learning there have given me a lifetime’s worth of inspiration, knowledge and guidance to fulfill my responsibilites to myself and my community at large, as an observant and connected Jew. Though I wish I had the opportunity to participate in more learning, I value each moment spent there and its’ influence on me is timeless.”

Emunah Batyah Rubashkin

“Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo is a warm, open and loving space which holds each person where they are at. Each teacher, class and gathering is unique and well thought out, to allow everybody, at any stage, to grow. I have made many beautiful friends and have connected to the community of Nachlaot through Simchat Shlomo and am truly grateful.  ”

Adiella Shem Tov

“Simchat Shlomo has always been a place anyone could walk into and feel at home.
Your warmth, love and acceptance of all Jews is palpable in the beautiful Torah space you have created.

Whenever I walk out of your classes I feel filled with inspiration and brimming with Ahavat Yisrael.
Your Torah helps me reach the deepest, most essential and Divine sparks within myself.”

Michal Taviv Margolese

“In providing the video of the shiurim, you enable the learning to be so clear and direct. It is a gift to all “Shlomo Chevre” and to the entire Jewish people, not just now but for future generations as well.
…If Geulah is arriving as the Baal Shem Tov’s (z.y.a.) wellsprings burst forth, this cutting edge virtual project is mamesh leading the way! I hope and pray that HKBH grant you great success in continuing and expanding Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo’s love and light.”

Tuvia (and Panteha) Aronson

“We, as non-Jews who are following the Torah as much as possible, have enjoyed reading and sharing the weekly commentaries with our group here in MA. As always, Rabbi Brodt brings us to a very practical, applicable level and we all love Shlomo Carlebach!
Thanks for being a light to the nations!”

Yaakov and Miriam Spitz

“Knowing that there is Simchat Shlomo in Yerushalyim is knowing that you have a home.”

Peninah Kelman

“I have studied in several yeshiva’s and rabbinical programs in the US and Israel. Simchat Shlomo is indeed a very special place for learning and community. Rabbi Sholom runs a wonderful place of study for Israeli’s and visitors alike. Likewise, his Shabbos table is a treasure to all who behold. May Simchat Shlomo thrive for many years to come!”

Seth Castleman

“Shlomo saved my life, and the yeshiva saves hundreds more.”

Yerachmiel Ziegler

“The Brodts have opened up their home and their hearts to share Judaism in a pure, true, passionate and warm way with people from all over the world. Their love of Am Yisrael and Hachnasat Orchim is unbounded and they share all they can with whom ever walks through their door.

For me, learning at Simchat Shlomo was not just about acquisition of knowledge, but about internalizing Torah and seeing the world with Torah eyes. Simchat Shlomo is a unique place where learning texts and deepening your spirituality go hand in hand.”

Nava Rosenbloom

“Simchat Shlomo has been the hub of my spiritual and religious life in Jerusalem and in general. I’ve never felt as connected to community as I have there; I am constantly amazed by the warmth, openness and sincerity that I experience at the yeshiva.  Much more than just being knowledgeable and inspiring in the subjects they teach, the yeshiva’s teachers go far beyond that role by their willingness to extend themselves for the students and support them on their journeys.”

Tova Messer

“Simchat Shlomo is where you can go to find your center, to engage with the deepest questions of humankind, and to learn how to celebrate this beautiful world in which we live. It is both a refuge and a home, a place to discover eternal goodness  – in an open, organic, holy house of torah study. You will discover secrets of eternity and secrets of your own soul. This is the truth!! ”

Debra Benjamin

“I have been blessed to study at many different places in Yerushalayim where I learned beautiful information. However at Simchat Shlomo I didn’t just acquire  information, this is the place where I had transformation and revelation.”

Dr. Jennifer Fink

“The weekly bits of Torah are so amazing, sometimes they light up not only my shabbat but my entire week.”

David Fain

“The yeshiva is a safe, loving, spiritual HOME in Jerusalem that elevates everything to the highest level. My soul took rest and inspiration there as I finished my first novel, The Jewish Bride.
I chose the Brodts as my mentors, and Judy as my kallah teacher, when starting my own family, because they provide tremendous potential for growth for those who follow in their holy foot steps.”

Eszter Margit

“R’ Shalom and Judy Brodt are amongst R’ Shlomo Carlebach’s top top top chassidim…R’ Shlomo was constantly giving over the importance of ‘being real’. Torah is not just something we learn, share and study. It’s how we live -  there is no compartmentalization.

The torahs R’ Sholom sends out every week reflect how the Torah is giving us guidance to constantly review our actions and act towards one another as part of an Ahm Yisrael that should care deeply for each person.
The lovely communal meals on Shabbat and YomTov and all the intense preparation provide glimpses of R’ Sholom and Judy as true role models for aspiring young men and women of all ages who wish to come closer to G-d and deepen their Avodat HaShem.”

Moshe Stepansky

“In my opinion, Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo has emerged in recent years as the hub for English speakers seeking real spirituality through their Yiddishkeit in Jerusalem. The Brodts’ home is a place where all are welcome, and where an abundance of generosity and love flows for seven days every week. I have felt nothing but joy and enlightenment in the context of this community, and I hope that the yeshiva continues to flourish as a Jerusalem institution.”

Ben Jacobson

“It is a home. A home for people. A home for a living and loving torah where everyone is truly welcome and can feel free to search for their sparks.”

Michael Jaffe

“At Simchat Shlomo I found a homey home away from home. In this home I was able to open my heart to the pleasures of singing with beautiful souls yearning for redemption and praising G-d, I laughed from sweet jokes and smiled to myself from finally finding people and words that resonate with me, and I cried over the confusions and toiling we must overcome in this world and found comfort in the strength I found in the people I met there. Being real can be painful at times, but also very rewarding, and the people at Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo always bring a lot of joy into their Avodat Hashem. I bet Reb Shlomo Carlebach would be overjoyed to be part of such an institution if he was here today.”

Chaviva Urit

“In 1993 I met, and studied with Rabbi Shalom Brodt and have continued on an occasional basis to study with the “Simchat Shlomo” project when he travels to the US.  These events have, without a doubt, been the most formative and deeply inspirational study sessions of my life.  The level of learning and spiritual exploration have been nothing short of life changing and these experiences continue to guide me on a daily basis.

What is perhaps even more amazing is the wonderfully positive and powerful influence that these sessions had on my teenage son at a time in his life when he was at the cross-roads of adulthood.  Rabbi Brodt was able to gather him in to the community with ease and provided him with a kind of spiritual framework that helped him to make the transition to a productive adult life.”

Emily Fleisher Beach

“Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo is a breath of fresh air and the most beautiful way to learn Torah.  Rabbi Shalom & Rebbitzen Judy are warm and welcoming. I made it a point to attend many classes during my visit with my daughter, Sirena, who was inspired to make Aliyah because of this pearl in Yerushalayim Ha Kodesh. I am filled with gratitude for the existence of Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo and it’s entire staff! Baruch Hashem!”

Ronni Rubinoff

“When I was eighteen years old, I was searching for a place where I could learn Torah and, Thank G-d, my search led me to Simchat Shlomo. The environment is warm, loving, and beautiful in every way. Most importantly, the teachers and students welcome every new person with love and warmth….What makes it the place that opened me up to see myself as a vital part of the Jewish nation is how sincere it is. Every teacher there lives and breathes what they teach. Every teaching is intended to be lived and felt in the depths of a person. I know that the teachers truly cared for me and my growth, and I in turn was given the opportunity to really care for each person who walked through the door to learn.

Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo taught me how to open a text and know how to study it, understand it, and then to live it in my daily life. They create a community and I still feel a bond to those who I learned with while I was there. In Simchat Shlomo, I learned that the deep teachings which the Torah contains are alive, can be lived, and can enliven me daily.”

Estie Jacobson

“I have the honor and pleasure of learning weekly with Rabbi Shalom Brodt.  Twice a year I get to be at his holy shabbos table when he comes to Denver.  I wouldn’t trade either for the world!”

Jonathan Bein, Ph.D.

“I have leaned and attended shirium at a number of different yeshivas in Jerusalem and have found that the classes (at Simchat Shlomo) are some of the most spiritual and enjoyable I have been a part of. What I receive from the teachers and the learning feeds my soul and inspires me to see the world in a different light.”

Gershon Swimmer

“The Brodts have created a unique facility for giving, learning and growth in Jerusalem, where everyone is made to feel part of a large family, in a genuinely caring environment literally living and breathing the teachings and ethics of the late Rav Shlomo Carelbach, Shliita.
This is all the more so important for people who have few if any family members living in Eretz Yisroel, and are therefore susceptible to feelings of loneliness.”

Paul Kaufman (Pesach Simcha)

“…There were many tiny details about the yeshiva that made us feel at home: the homey smell, Rab Shalom’s tone of voice, the cosy decoration, a  magic atmosphere and much, much more (most of it quite undescribable)…. And it is not just about learning, it is also about the experience of witnessing, with your eyes, the Ahavas Israel, the love for your fellow Jew, and the achdus, the unity.  Sometimes being there, watching all the different kinds of people sitting around, all connected with that shared moment of kedusha, I feel that Mashiach could come in any minute! Bezrat Hashem, may we have the merit of recieving him.”

Dafna Neiman, from Chile

“We have only been in Jerusalem a little over a year, and during that time my wife and I have had the pleasure of being able to learn at a variety of different programs. For us, Simchat Shlomo has unequivocally been the best of the best, to date. Why do we say that? Because of the vessels from which the Torah was poured from. Our greatest learning has been experienced here.”

Chris and Charity Godfrey

From my first shabbos meal at the Brodt’s home till now, some 15 years later, I have been exposed to a level of love and chesed that I have never known before.

I have been so deeply moved and changed forever, by having a relationship to them and learning by their example of how to give with love and openness.

I continue to feel honored to know them  and call them my friends.  All whom have this honor,  will be forever changed and exposed to a genuine “House of Love and Prayer”.

Rebetzin Judy is also the most amazing friend in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!! always available for advice and good chizuk on topics covering everything from birthing, mothering and parenting to challah making,  and a great yontiv menu, to shalom bayis, niddah issues, or a long lost recipe from my Hungarian Bubby that of course she knows…

She also has the gift of being truly  ”b’simcha” at all times, which is such a gift in a friend (and my mashbea), always encouraging and full of emunah in the most difficult and challenging of times.

My love for the Brodt’s and their home of learning is endless… and I am forever grateful.

Zahava Wolstein