When Rabbi Yisroel Arye Gootblatt’s father passed away earlier this year, the longtime mechanech at Miami’s Lubavitch Educational Center (LEC) wanted to do something special in his memory.
“My father, Mr. Leonard (Eliezer, or Lazer) Gootblatt, a”h, had a passion for music and used it as a powerful tool of connection,” says Rabbi Gootblatt. “He had a special way of being genuinely curious about others—especially young people.”
Music. Youth. Rabbi Gootblatt knew just the thing.
And so was born Lazer’s Music Lounge at Klurman Yeshiva High School. Like his father, Rabbi Gootblatt is an accomplished musician in addition to being a dedicated teacher at the high school. The lounge fuses his twin passions into a space for the students to connect to their inner selves, and to each other, through music.
Stocked with a collection of the latest high-end digital and analogue music equipment—like a mixing board, drum pads, percussion instruments, electric guitars, keyboards, synths, and a DJ board—along with up-to-date recording and sound software, the room serves as both a recording studio and hang-out spot. “The goal was to make it professional enough to inspire excellence, but warm and accessible enough that every student feels welcome to try,” says Rabbi Gootblatt.
The boys love it. The room is in constant use. They come during breaks and after school to practice, jam, or just unwind. Some are learning and practicing musical instruments, others are experimenting with production and songwriting. They use it for niggunim rehearsals, music sessions, and even as a tool for reflection.
“Some kids wake up in the morning thinking, ‘Aww, I have to go to school and it’s going to be annoying,’” says Michael Livaev, Grade 11. “But when you go to KYHS, you think, ‘I have something to look forward to in the music room.’ I feel like it brings us closer to Hashem.”
“It’s a place for the students to create, and to express themselves in a wholesome, meaningful way,” says KYHS Principal Rabbi Nochum Schapiro. “Music gives a voice to feelings that don’t always have words—it builds confidence, teamwork, and simcha. In a yeshiva setting, it’s also a way to integrate the spiritual and the creative—to show that kedushah and creativity can go hand in hand.”
Rabbi Gootblatt’s hope is that this room becomes more than just a space for instruments—that it becomes a space for growth, friendship, and spiritual expression. “Music has the power to bring out the best in our boys, and I’m so grateful the school embraced this vision. Hopefully this model can be replicated in other yeshivos and girls schools.
“I think my father would be deeply moved.”
Video by Dov Gurewicz:
