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It wouldn't be wrong to compare Neshama Carlebach, daughter of the late great singing Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, to other musicians who latched onto their parents' stars and rode them up high. But a key difference between Sean Lennon, Jakob Dylan, Norah Jones and Lil' Romeo, on the one hand, and Carlebach on the other, is that she is unabashed about following in her father's footsteps. That, and she's playing in Jerusalem later this month.

Carlebach, who lives in Manhattan, has been enjoying her own successful music career for years, often performing refreshed tunes from her father's oeuvre of over 5,000 songs and melodies. She'll be in Israel August for a wedding, but while here will be holding a number of performances, most notably a Kabbalat (entrance to) Shabbat show in Jerusalem on August 14.

For Carlebach, the entrance to Shabbat makes for a special time, both for self-reflection and welcoming in the day of rest. "It's a program that opens your heart and your mind. You're not rushing to get into Shabbat, you're in it already," she told GoJerusalem.com.

Carlebach, whose music blends pop and jazz with the traditional Jewish melodies of her father, has become known around the United States for her Kabbalat Shabbat performances. Still, she feels a special connection with the day of rest while in the Holy Land. "The home of my heart is in Israel," she said. "Everything is much more meaningful and much deeper when I'm in Israel ... I feel ready for Shabbat when I'm in Israel."

And furthermore, performing in Jerusalem is no ordinary affair. "I think everything is special about doing anything in Jerusalem," she said.

The pre-shabbat performances are especially extraordinary given the fact that her father's melodies can be heard in almost any city with a Jewish congregation worldwide before Shabbat. For many, the very word "Carlebach" instantly conjures up Friday night services, replete with singing and dancing in the spirit of Rabbi Carlebach, who urged joy as the way to connect with God.

Much like her father, who broke out of the traditional Orthodox Jewish mold as a way of reaching out to his coreligionists, Neshama is loathe to be put in any specific box. As such, she's recently begun recording with a gospel choir in recreating some of her father's songs, a collaboration she calls "magical." While there won't be a church bus of purple-robed singers following her to Jerusalem (at least on an official level), her performances, especially the Friday afternoon ones, are reputed to be unforgettable.

Neshama's Friday Musical Kabbalat Shabbat experience is scheduled for 16:00 at the Adam School at Emek Refaim St. 28. She is also scheduled to perform a women-only show at Reshimu (Menora St. 8, 02-625-5643) at 20:30 this Sunday, and a co-ed rooftop gig at the El HaLev Center (Pierre Konig St. 37, 052-562-4488) the following Sunday at 19:30. More infromation can be found at www.neshamacarlebach.com.