According to a report released by dati leumi affiliated Srugim, Kol Berama host Yehoshua Meiri’s “Starting from the Beginning” radio show was removed from the station’s lineup after he commented last week that today, bnei yeshiva do not hate Herzl as was the case in the past. He explained the “new generation” is different from the previous bnei yeshiva.
Meiri permitted Rabbi Yosef Ruchamkin of Yeshivas Kol Torah to speak on the air. He stated that even if Herzl’s actions are “pasul”, he merited having HKBH send him in this gilgul as he did and the result was the unprecedented amount of torah being learned today. The report states this comment created a stir, which began before the completion of the program, which was evident by the number of phone callers who protested.
The decision was made to suspend the program indefinitely in the hope the atmosphere among listeners will cool down.
Meiri is quoted as telling Srugim “I am not known to be a Zionist. I am not one who wears a kippa sruga. I am known as one who was close to Rav Shach ZT”L and Rav Kaduri ZT”L.”
He added that he was not speaking of the merits of Herzl but rather the possibility of mending fences between the chareidi and dati leumi communities in response to the comments by Rav Ruchamkin. He added that off the air he received a great deal of positive feedback and supporters feel chareidi askanim are simply trying to silence any voice that may lean towards the dati’im leumim.
“Just as in the secular world has rid itself of the askanim, the chareidi tzibur must do the same”.
Meiri believes that rumors that Rav Ovadia played a role in his suspension are nothing more than unfounded gossip.
When Kol Berama was contacted to confirm the report officials acknowledge that the program has been removed but explain the decision was the result of “station considerations”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Whoever speaks those positive words about Herzl or Zionism no matter how long his beard may be and how much he thinks he knows is someone to run away from with full speed.
As the Satmar Rov pointed out the Midrash says that some of the people who Joined in Migdal Bavel did so because they wanted to reach higher to heaven and to achieve higher levels of spirituality to be like the Angels. These people were punished as well. No matter how high of spiritual level you think you can get to, joining the wicked is prohibited. So long as the foundation is of Tum’ah real kdusha will not be achieved by joining the reshaim.
Can always depend on a Rav for Kol Torah for an emesdik comment….get a life the rest of you protestors and understand what and who are messengers of Hashem.
well, you know, you can express an opinion in the frum world, but it has to be in line with frum thinking or else you are an ‘apikorius’.
Kol Torah is a main line and very large yeshiva; the rav who expressed his opinion is certainly in the frum velt, so what is wrong if he has his opinion? Is it too hard for the frum-machers to accept another opinion? Aren’t kippa srugga people observant Jews? and if HKB”H decided to give Herzl the kovod of getting the country started, why should that bother us? Arent’t we supposed to ‘modeh al ha-emes’?
Hertzel’s Hebrew name (בנימין זאב הרצל) is hinted to in the Torah:
כי דבר ה’ בז”ה
#3 “getting the Country started” is not nececeraly a good thing. The Emes does not depend on who says it, it is what it is. The Mesorah of Klal Yisroel has been and still is that we are not aloud to get into wars before Moshiach comes. We certainly are not aloud to follow people who are not bound to Torah & Mitzvos and let them lead the destiny of our people.