Further to our earlier post re the new Jewish radio station Lion FM, we have received the following message from Menachem Khoen - a member of its board:
I want to clarify that Lion FM will be broadcast according to Halacha and from its inception, it was decided that it will only be broadcast according to Jewish Law. We will be doing everything in accordance with our orthodox Rabbi's approval.
If anyone wanted to hear the full story, they could have come to our publicly advertised meeting on Thursday night where these issues were discussed.
Yours sincerely,
Menachem Khoen
Vice President, Lion FM
AJNWATCH comment: We are pleased to hear that this new station will be operated under Halachic guidelines (whether or not our earlier post in any way influenced this decision).
The lesson to be learned from all this is that organizations – and indeed individuals – must take care in the wording of their announcements so as not give the mistaken impressions. Eg, in this case stating: “a Jewish radio station 24/7”.
We trust that the other concern raised, ie, broadcasting on Yom To, is also covered by Khoen’s response.
AJN WATCH - the on-line voice of Australian Orthodox Jewry observes and comments on matters of interest to that community. We particularly monitor prejudice and monopolistic abuse of influence in the pages of the Australian Jewish News - the main source of information to and about Australian Jewry. We spotlight errors, expose misrepresentations and vigorously advocate our community's positions.
in light of this announcement, and putting aside whether you agree with the psak (a psak is a psak- even if you dont like it) will ajnwatch be apologizing to spiritgrow for the lashon harah/rechilus? (not to mention the subsequent 3rd and 4th hand- as a direct result of your articles- that i heard which is how i found this blog)
ReplyDeletethey allowed a group who have halachic backing to use their hall? was that a sin or a crime? your headline on the previous article attacked a frum mossad and your subsequent article makes no apology.
Ajnwatch should apologise? spiritgrow made no public announcement when being associated with chilul shabbos. It was a chilul Hashem that chasidish jews allowed thi simpression to continue. Aderaba, ajnwatch did a great thing by being mocheh.
ReplyDeleteAnd come on Chabadnik, what halachic backing does this radio have? Give us the name aof a single respected rav who is going to approve of the stuff that will be broadcast - even on weekdays. If you know so much - tell us
What lashon hara and rechilus?? Lion's information to teh public was that it operates 24/7 - including prerecording on shabbat and only limiting RH and yom kippur - not other chagim.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, the statement on behalf of Lion is just "beating around the bush ". Why not include the name of the Rav Hamachshir? Secondly why not simply state that they will not broadcast (prerecorded or not) on Shabbos and ALL Yom Toivim?
ReplyDeleteChabadnik- a psak is a Halachic ruling issued by a Rabbi.
ReplyDeletePrecisely, what is the psak that you are referring to , and who is the Rabbi who issued this psak?
bentleigh boy, i do work (office related- i am nt arabbi) in a chabad house here in melb. if for everytime there was a misleading comment or statemnt about a third party mossad, much donated money would be speant on clearing and cleaning up what was said or written. from what i have read in the previous article, they asked lion and got the answer required to be able to alow theire building to be used.
ReplyDeletenow that menachem koehn has writen his peice we see that at no point did spiritgrow condone anything rather lion misrepresented themselves. now that the clarity is there spiritgrow has seemingly done no wrong. do you want them to take out a full page ad in the paper to clarify?
in regards to rabbanim, i agree kohen should disclose to us who he has spoken to so that we can have more faith.
Perhaps Lion could explain the omission of Yom Tov broadcasting in their constitution . Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are included.
ReplyDeleteThis constitution is very comprehensive and this omission is clearly deliberate.
Is there some "halachic" difference that I am missing?
Can Mr. Khoen , or anyone else involved in an official capacity with this radio station give us a simples Yes/No answer to the following question.
ReplyDelete"Will this station broadcast on Shabbat and /or Yom Tov?"
manny you've gone quiet. now what?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone heard from the COSV?
ReplyDeleteMr Khoens circuitous and evasive response, does not bode well for a newly established organization that is looking to the community for it's funding.
ReplyDeleteTommy, the reason I am quiet is because as you can see plenty of others are stating the facts - and all of us are waiting for clear unambiguous answers.
ReplyDeleteCan you help?
Um, hello!!!
ReplyDeleteIf a light, or an oven or a shabbos clock can be kept on over shabbos , why can't a radio station be kept "on air" without any human involvement, but just on a loop till motzei shabbos? (with just elevator music, for the sake of 'keeping it on' - as a community radio license is revoked if it is not running 24/7!
Simply because a Jewish radio station broadcasting on Shabbos does not add to Kedushas Shabbos, and if it means having their licence revoked, so be it.
ReplyDeletehey what's with this website being up on shabbos? doesn't that cause a problem for you?
ReplyDeleteas they say people in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks at people on shabbos...
The blog is not controlled by AJNWATCH. The owner Google or whoever dicatates sych matters.
ReplyDeletePeople seem to be forgetting that אי אתה מצווה על שביתת כלים. We are commanded to rest on Shabbos, and to have our animals and servants are commanded to rest on Shabbos, but we are not commanded to have our inanimate possessions, including our radio transmitters and computers, rest on Shabbos. What's more, this is not some kulah that one can choose to rely on or not; on the contrary, it's a serious issur to be machmir on this.
ReplyDeleteGosh, if everyone were as careful about hilchos loshon hora and ahavas yisroel, as they are about scrutinizing the actions of others, wouldn't it be wonderful?
ReplyDeleteLion FM will have shows 24/6 and on shabbat and yomtovim, all will be done in accordance with halachic ruling.
If anyone wishes to help develop this station into the positive source of achdus, education, entertainment and dissemination of Torah learning it will G-d willing be, they are more than welcome to volunteer their time and services.