Menachem of the Mike
It’s this ability to not just tap into musical tastes but feel the opinions and concerns of his audience that makes Menachem Toker a celebrity.
(Photos: Lior Mizrachi)
Cofix CEO Avi Katz picks up his cell phone.
“Avi how are you?”
“Good thanks who’s this?”
“It’s Menachem Toker from the radio. We’re live. We love your products great stuff. Didn’t you promise that you’ll always sell coffee for five shekel a cup? Why did you go up to six shekels?” The CEO of the popular coffee chain hesitates and in his silence you can almost hear him weighing his options. He can hang up and reject the ambush or play the good sport. But Menachem Toker with his lightning-quick banter and easy affability has already made Katz a friend part of the joke.
Katz takes a deep breath. “I see you like to surprise people” he says then launches into an explanation about the price hike.
A few days later in the heat of a public debate about featuring a Sephardic personality on some denomination of the shekel Shas leader Aryeh Deri telephones Bank of Israel governor Karnit Flug and challenges her. Ms. Flug answers the minister with respect explaining that it isn’t simple to add new denominations — large amounts make money-laundering simple she says. Deri debates her and eventually the call ends.
Except it isn’t Aryeh Deri it’s a comedian and talented Deri impersonator named Ariel Cohen calling live on-air for the enjoyment of Toker listeners.
(Flug would be informed the radio station would apologize the governor would handle it with grace and the recording of the Deri mimic would go viral.)
Like the Cofix call it was typical Menachem Toker: first and foremost entertaining but with a touch of real-time relevance. His audience largely chareidi isn’t glued to the radio like the rest of Israel and many are unencumbered by the social media information deluge. That’s why this fun slightly wacky social commentary that might seem hackneyed for a more media-obsessed audience actually works.
The chareidi radio scene in Israel is a bit bizarre featuring deejays that sing along or even stop a song in the middle to say something important. Along with halachah lectures and the usual assortment of experts on parenting health and weight loss there is a show where a kabbalist will make a Mi Shebeirach — live on air — if you call now now now a bargain at 18 shekel off your credit card.
Menachem Toker stands alone as a three-dimensional show host: music talk fun — and even some inspiration.
We meet on an ordinary winter afternoon some rain in the forecast snow in the Hermon but the radio host with unfailing instincts for hot topics has detected public anger about Israel’s new “bag tax.” As of January 2017 groceries began charging for plastic bags so Toker’s gimmick — pick up free plastic bags at the studio — is today’s way of letting the people know that he gets it.
It’s this ability to not just tap into musical tastes but feel the opinions and concerns of his audience that makes Menachem Toker a celebrity. The cafe where we meet on the second floor of Ramot’s shopping mall features the standard Thursday night crowd — couples grabbing a few quiet moments high school girls with binders held close Shabbos shoppers from the huge supermarket on the first floor.
Sharing the air with Yaakov Shwekey. Toker’s Erev Shabbos show is often the only positive window on the chareidi community for many and the host is well aware of the responsibility he carries. El Al Airlines features a Jewish music channel — all Toker all the time
Not too many diners pass our table without lingering for a second glance. Some approach to shake his hand.
He laughs when I point it out. “It’s because I’m bald so I have a distinctive face.”
Dinner with a radio host is very much like listening to his show: He does most of the talking offering a running commentary and on-site analysis. Including self-analysis.
“I was raised in a classic yeshivish chareidi home except for one thing. My father is American and my mother is Dutch so there was a certain openness in our upbringing. My favorite 60 minutes of the week were the one hour when they played chassidic music on the radio. I would park myself next to the radio and listen intently transported. I wished they would play more.” Menachem Toker’s destiny was sealed by his friendship with a classmate and fellow Bayit V’gan resident Menachem Ehrenthal.
“He contracted leukemia as a baby and fought it off again and again over the years. It was part of his life and he was my best friend so I shared that journey with him. I remember each stage back to the hospital home again. I was there when he lost his hair. There were periods of time when I was the only one allowed into his room aside from his parents.”
Young Menachem Toker became too familiar with the Bayit V’gan–Hadassah Ein Kerem route. “Part of what kept his spirits up and gave him the ability to go on was music so in his case music was life.”
The Jewish music personalities of that era the early 1980s understood the obligations presented by a sick child and Mordechai Ben David Avraham Fried and Rabbi Baruch Chait were among the regular visitors. Menachem Toker got to know them he and his best friend imagining concerts and acting as pretend emcees for the singers.
Menachem Ehrenthal’s song was stilled too soon — the young man was niftar at the age of 14. His parents established Zichron Menachem an organization that supports and assists cancer patients and Menachem Toker became a force on the musical end; there were concerts in support of the new organization and frequent kumziztes and gatherings for patients and their families.
Younger brother Yerach Toker a well-known political strategist remembers his older brother with a stick in his hand. “Not chasing me ” Yerach jokes. “My earliest memories of Menachem are of him walking around with a pretend microphone singing and announcing.”
Interestingly Menachem says it was this outlet and his parents’ willingness to allow him to embrace it that helped him later on.
“Later on some of my friends got into different sorts of trouble but I didn’t have a yetzer hara to join them because I had music. I was too devoted to it to be looking for other pursuits.”
Excerpted from Mishpacha Magazine. To view full version, SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE or LOG IN.
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