A Kanno'i's Convictions

Rav Ahrele was an uncompromising anti-Zionist and a kanno'i (zealot) who fought against the influence of Zionism, which he felt was false and foreign. His talmid Rav Eliyohu HaKohen Shteinberger described several examples of his kano'us.

Rav Ahrele would have nothing to do with the Zionist rabbonim, especially the chief Rav. A shul in Tel Aviv once commissioned one of his talmidim to write a Sefer Torah for the illuei neshomah (elevation of the soul) of the first chief Rav. When Rav Ahrele heard of it, he forbade his talmid to finish it. The sofer had already completed Sefer Bereishis, and the gabbaim of the Tel Aviv shul were so upset that they refused to pay for any of the work. Rav Ahrele paid the sofer the entire sum from his own pocket.

Another time, after the terrible news of the Holocaust reached Eretz Yisroel, an assembly was called in the Churva shul of Rav Yehudah HeChassid to declare the coming Wednesday a public fast. The invitation came in the name of the second chief Rav, and Rav Ahrele refused to let any of his talmidim or chassidim take part. When Rav Dushinsky forbade it as well, the two of them designated Monday as a fast instead. The organizers tried to change Rav Ahrele's mind, even sending the Gerrer Rebbe's son to plead with him, but he flatly refused to have anything to do with an assembly in which the Zionist chief Rav would take part.

He also abhorred Ivrit (Modern Hebrew), the language the Zionists had established, and he forbade his followers to speak it, saying it would defile them. A talmid once wrote out the teno'im (engagement conditions) between a chosson and kallah and used the modern word rehitim for furniture. When Rav Ahrele reached that word, he tore up the contract and said that he would not allow any Modern Hebrew words to be used.