Emil Leuchter and his Children with Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

The 10th Aharit Hayamim festival in memory of Emil Leuchter

Our Abba, Emil Leuchter, one of three children, was born in October 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, to a musical and cultural family.

In 1967, following the "Six Day War" Abba decided to come to Israel as part of "Sherut La'am" in order to volunteer in an Orthodox Kibbutz and arrived at Massuot Yitzchak near Ashkelon. There he met Edna Doron from the Kibbutz.

After spending one year at the Kibbutz, he proceeded to study for a year at Bar-Ilan University and returned to the USA. During the following years he got closer to Judaism and studied at the Chabad Lubavitch Yeshiva "Hadar Ha'tora". After seven years Abba returned to Israel, married Edna, and the seven of us were born.

Abba was a known rock n' roll musician in Jerusalem and played with leading bands, including JBB (Jerusalem Blues Band) in the 70’s and throughout the years with friends such as Shlomo Carlebach, the Diaspora Yeshiva Band, Alte Rockers, Reality Shock and more…

Abba was also trained as a music therapist who worked with special needs children and adults, was a local music teacher and also fixed pianos. He was a Jewish music pioneer in Israel and loved to jam with his friends in the streets of Jerusalem.

In 1993 Abba was diagnosed with Cancer.

On "Lag Ba'omer", 1994, some of his musician friends came to be with him and give him strength, like he did with others. That was the last time he was with them. Abba passed away about three weeks later, on 2 Sivan 1994. A year after that, on Lag Ba’omer, friends gathered spontaneously behind the Leuchter and Rodan houses in Elazar and a small music reunion was establish in his memory. During the years more of our friends, musicians, and other artists participated in these reunions and the event was opened to the public.

At first, it was in our backyard, but eventually it grew into an annual event which attracted people and musicians from all walks of life who came together for an uplifting experience in Abba's spirit. Previous festivals also took place in Efrat's "Park Ha'asor" and Elazar's Industrial area. It was an obvious decision for us when we decided to move to the deep-rooted Old Massuot Yitzchak in Gush Etzion, where the festival is held until today.

Abba is buried in the Kfar Etzion cemetery which is located only 1 kilometer from the festival grounds.