Remembering Rabbi Yisrael Caroline: From Civil Rights Activist to Chabad Revolutionary

Rabbi Yisrael (Larry) Caroline, a former civil rights activist and anti-war advocate who transformed into a dedicated Torah educator, passed away suddenly on Friday night at the age of 85.

Born in upstate New York to a Yiddish-speaking family that valued Jewish identity without strict religious observance, Caroline’s early experiences with antisemitism sparked a lifelong commitment to fighting discrimination in all its forms.

During his university years at Rochester, Caroline emerged as a prominent voice for equality, serving as president of the campus NAACP chapter while pursuing philosophy studies. His activism extended beyond theory as he organized protests against discriminatory fraternity practices and became a respected advocate for civil rights during a pivotal era in American history.

Caroline’s academic career took him to Kentucky State College during the height of the civil rights movement, where his teaching intersected with his activism. Later, as a professor at the University of Texas, he gained notoriety for his vocal opposition to the Vietnam War. His passionate call for “a revolution” to end the conflict made front-page news across Texas newspapers and ultimately cost him his university position.

This professional setback became the catalyst for his spiritual transformation. After relocating to Buffalo with his wife Dina, the couple attended Yom Kippur services at a small Chabad House led by Rabbi Noson Gurary. Caroline would later describe this experience as transformative, saying, “For the first time in my life, I saw people acting like they should act if they really believed in G-d.”

This encounter with authentic religious practice drew him into the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. In 1974, during his first private audience (yechidus) with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Caroline shared his background in left-wing activism. The Rebbe’s response would define his life’s second act: “You used to make propaganda for the revolution. Now you will make propaganda for the other revolution.”

Taking these words to heart, Caroline redirected his revolutionary spirit toward Jewish education. He settled in Philadelphia and joined Beth Jacob School, initially as a fundraiser before becoming its director. His leadership was characterized by an unwavering commitment to making Torah education accessible to all Jewish children regardless of background or financial constraints.

When the wave of Russian Jewish immigrants began arriving in the United States, Caroline ensured their children found places at Beth Jacob, often providing full scholarships despite significant financial pressures on the institution. His colleagues recall how he would frequently invoke the Rebbe’s vision that every Jewish child deserves a Torah education, considering the matter non-negotiable regardless of economic realities.

Caroline’s intellectual pursuits continued into his later years as he worked on a book challenging atheistic philosophy. Drawing on his academic training in philosophy, he sought to demonstrate how rational thought itself leads toward belief in G-d rather than away from it.

The sudden passing of Rabbi Caroline marks the end of a remarkable journey from secular political revolutionary to religious educator. His life embodied a unique bridge between American progressive politics of the 1960s and traditional Jewish education, demonstrating how the pursuit of justice and moral clarity can find expression in different contexts.

He is survived by his wife Dina Caroline and their children Rabbi Yoel, Daniel, Ari, David, Civia, and Rafi Caroline, as well as Reuven and Omid Niknam. His legacy lives on through both his family and the countless students whose lives were shaped by his educational vision and commitment.