אתחלתא דגאולה

​                                         אתחלתא דגאולה

With the founding of the State of Israel many claimed, this to be 

the אתחלתא דגאולה (beginning of the redemption)

Most Chasidic ,Yeshivish and many Frum Yidden opposed 

vehemently the usage of this terminology. They held establishing 

a Jewish State in itself was against the Torah. They

also claimed that the Zionist plan was to  destroy Yiddishkeit. 

Therefore it can't be the beginning of redemption. 

It is interesting that this term ( אתחלתא דגאולה) was first 

used by the Ashkenazi Perushim  in the year 1855. Ninety 

years before the Zionist State.

Forgotten history: 

It was only after the arrival of the Talmidei Bal Shem and 

Gra that there were Ashkenazi Jews in Eretz Yisroel. 

Until then the only  Jews  in E.Yisroel were the Sefardim. 

The Sefardim felt threatened and intimidated with the 

arrival of the Ashkenazi Yidden.

They were upset with the Ashkenazim for not willing to follow 

Minhag Eretz Yisroel and adopt the Bais Yosef as the

Moro Deara Yisroel.(Rav of E.Yisroel) 

The Ashkenazim followed the Pesokim of the Rema instead. 

They also kept up with their European Minhagim.

As the Ashkenazi community kept growing, so too did

the animosity between the Sefardim and Ashkenazim. 

The  Sefardim having control  of the Tzedakos,Shechita, 

Mikvaos, Chevra Kadisha etc. created major difficulties 

for the Ashkenazim. They suffered tremendously 

being beholden to their Sefardic brethren . 

The Chasam Sofer  even mentions this in the Teshuvos 

how one of  his Talmidim described   the suffering 

under the Sefardim.

When the Kollelim started in E.Y. and foreign currency 

poured in from Europe The Ashkenazim slowly managed 

to establish themselves. They gradually built up their

own independent Mosdos etc.

When they started their own Chevra Kadisha and  bought 

their own burial plot on Har Hazeisim , They wrote that this is

the beginning of redemption  אתחלתא דגאולה for the Ashkenazim 

from the Sefardi slavery.