Funeral services for Rabbi Meir Berlin, world Mizrachi leader who died suddenly yesterday of a heart attack at the age of 68, were held here today. The funeral procession marched from Rabbi Berlin’s home past the Mizrachi center, “Beth Meir,” which was named for him. Be was buried in a temporary cemetery in a metal coffin.
Chief Rabbis Isaac Herzog and Ben Zion Uziel, as well as several members of the Jewish Agency executive, came to Rabbi Berlin’s home soon after his collapse today their last respects to him. A special Mizrachi committee, which also included the two Israeli Chief Rabbis, made the funeral arrangements. The Ministry of Religion, in deference to Rabbi Berlin’s memory, ordered that no music be played all day today.
Several members of the Israeli Cabinet came here today to participate in the Funeral. Rabbi Berlin left no will. No eulogies were delivered in accordance with, the tradition that bans all eulogies when a funeral takes place on a holiday.
Rabbi Berlin was born in Volozhin, Russia, in 1881. He was ordained in 1902 after studying in his home town and in the Telshe Yeshiva, He also attended the University of Berlin. He was editor of the Hebrew-language “Haivri” in Berlin from1908-1912. He came to the United States the following year at the invitation of the American Mizrachi organization. In 1920 he resigned from the editorship of the American edition of “Haivri” in order to devote more time to Zionist and Mizrachi activities. He became an active member of the Joint Distribution Committee after World War I, and in 1918 was elected to the Zionist Actions Committee. He served as vice-president of the World Zionist Executive Committee from 1921-1925 and was a director the Jewish National Fund since 1926. In Israel, he was a leading member of the Mizrachi Bank and of the Palestine General Insurance Company. He was also a member of the Israeli State Council which was set up immediately after the Jewish state was proclaimed.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
