Amiram Ben Lulu Anticipates His New Show: "I Was the Shyest Kid in the World"

Any journalist knows there are interviewees who are easy to engage and those who are not. Some open up immediately, while others take time to trust the interviewer, and some never open up at all because of past scars.

Amiram Ben Lulu, 32, married and a father of four from Elad - a scholar by day, a leading radio host in the afternoon, and a DJ at night, immediately comes across as open and candid during our conversation, which brings a big smile to my face. Usually on the interviewing side, Ben Lulu surprises by sharing a confession he claims he never revealed before, "Almost no one knows this about me, but I was the shyest kid in the world. I never dreamed I would ever get near a microphone."

"As a teenager, I was expelled from the world of yeshivas. Baruch Hashem, I have a good family who does a lot of kindness and outreach, and they didn’t want me wandering the streets. My uncle, Rabbi Moshe Ben Lulu from Channel 2000, invited me to their radio station. One day, he asked me to say a few words on air. People apparently liked it, so I continued broadcasting occasionally, until I got a regular show. From there, it’s been 15 years of pure enjoyment."

First and Foremost a Scholar

While Ben Lulu’s radio broadcasts are well-known, his Torah studies are less so, and his voice softens when he talks about them. "By Hashem’s grace, every morning, I study at a kollel in Elad with Rabbi Chaim Romano. Over time, it’s become known as the 'Artist’s Kollel' because dear friends like Yaniv Ben Mashiach, Elad Shaar, Yehuda Shikron, and others study there. Gad Elbaz attended when he was in the country. We primarily study Talmud, Halacha, and Musar, but all with the spirit of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov."

"Many of my colleagues work in the 'industry'. Those who work late hours come here in the morning to study Torah as they should. This camaraderie strengthens us because we share the same experiences and help one another. In our jobs, we are exposed to a lot of noise and distractions, but we get grounded in the kollel, and above all, we come to study Torah. By Hashem’s grace, I complete five Tractates a year. I’m firstly a kollel scholar, and everything else comes after."

According to Ben Lulu, after finishing his studies at the kollel, he makes sure to immerse himself daily in a mikveh and then heads to the radio. "For ten years, I’ve been hosting 'The Wanted' on 'Kol Berama', airing every day at four. The program sets the day's agenda for Mediterranean religious music, and it’s been its warm home."

"After the radio, I come home and usually go out to DJ at events. That, too, started by chance. One day, someone called the station where I was broadcasting and requested that I DJ an event. It was successful, and it took off from there. My main audience is made up of returnees to Judaism, but I play for diverse styles and crowds, as long as the dancing remains separate, of course."

Speaking from the Heart

Alongside Ben Lulu’s various roles, we gathered to discuss the launch of his new show on the Hidabroot channel. The show, 'Talking Poetry', will air every Thursday at eight PM and will include many surprises. "The program is very unique in the talk show genre. One special aspect is that in each episode, I will interview two artists who have some connection."

"Naturally, each talks about themselves because they each have their careers, but there will also be a strong and open discussion about their connection and what they’ve done together. Additionally, each program will feature a performance full of emotion and joy."

How did you prepare for the show production-wise?

"Most Hidabroot shows are filmed in the channel’s studios, but there was a special effort here. The show was filmed at the 'Gula' club in Petah Tikva because there's a stage, suitable decor, and it looks much better."

"Beyond that, it’s one of the few programs filmed without teleprompters or earphones. There’s no pre-written script. We just sat down and started talking heart to heart. That was very important to me. Besides, I get confused when I read scripts. I have attention and concentration disorders. By the way, when I study Torah, everything changes. I read, and everything becomes clear and connects. To me, it's a miracle."

"The production team initially had a problem with the flow I wanted for the show. They told me: 'Look, it doesn’t work like this, even if you’re used to it on radio, because radio and television are two different worlds.' Thankfully, Yisrael Cohen, who led the project, believed in me a lot and told them to let me go with my natural flow. By Hashem’s grace, the result is not disappointing."

Considering the participants’ identities in the program, there truly is much to anticipate. "Often, shows stick to a certain genre, but we decided to diversify in this program. The range is very rich. For instance, there’s a program with Dekelon and Aharon Yerimi, who once cooperated with the band 'Sounds of the Vineyard'. It was fascinating to interview people whose songs your parents grew up with as children."

"Moreover", Ben Lulu says, "there will be very special episodes with Meydad Tasa and his musical director Aviad Gil, who was himself a singer, and with brothers Yoni and Aharon Razel, both known for their distinguished careers. Yet it was fascinating to hear them talk, for example, about the neighborhood they grew up in and hear beautiful performances of them singing Middle Eastern maqams."

The Story I Will Never Forget

As Ben Lulu shares the list of interviewees who participated in the program and mentally processes his deep acquaintance with those singers and many other artists, old and new memories emerge, touching his heart mightily and even changing his life in some way. "So many things come up for me now as I look back. These things are very moving for me."

"For example, early in my career, when I was about 19, I broadcasted at a certain, relatively small radio station, and I played a song called 'A Ray of Light'. Some of its lyrics go: 'There's nothing, this too shall pass, always in the dark hides a ray of light'. This song was based on the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. The song touched me, and I began to say words of encouragement and strength to the listeners and to myself, simple words like that."

"I truly spoke from the heart about the importance of remaining happy and never despair, and how Hashem surely has good things in store for us in the future, even if we don’t see them yet, and that everything is certainly for the best. Right after the show, a listener called the station, asking to talk to me about what I said. I was first and foremost grateful that someone was listening to me, but beyond that, she shared something with me that I will never forget."

"This listener told me she had a relative whose engagement was called off just before her wedding. The girl fell into a serious depression and didn’t leave her bed for weeks, essentially a living dead person. The listener said they listened to the song and my words together, and a few minutes later, the girl got out of bed, dressed up, and decided to change her state, Baruch Hashem. A couple of months later, she got married and invited me to DJ at her wedding. It was immensely emotional."

"Or, in another example, five years ago, a young man asked to meet with me. We sat in my office, and he told me, 'I can be a good singer. Help me.' I came, organized his thoughts, and advised him not to rush. I told him that he could always fulfill his dreams and start singing, but I recommended he focus on studying Torah first, as this was the right time for it, because later, it would be much harder."

"I could see he was listening, but I also saw on his face that he regretted coming because he didn’t hear what he wanted. Five years after that conversation, I was invited to DJ at a wedding. I met with the couple to discuss the playlist, and suddenly I realized the groom was the guy who wanted to be a singer. When we met, he was a serious yeshiva student who no longer thought about a career in singing. He told me that because of me, he was marrying as a true Torah scholar. That was monumental for me."

"When you want to do good and just speak from your heart, Hashem places the right words in your mouth, and many good things come from it. That’s one reason I was against being given pre-written words for the show. I wanted to speak directly from what Hashem would put in my mouth."

"Nevertheless, I want to clarify that I greatly respect the work for Hashem done by the artists. I want the world to know that artists, too, study Torah and draw closer to Hashem. Often, a singer is not only a singer but also a writer, composer, and creator. Each one engages in their divine service, and even if someone is just a singer without writing or composing credentials, it remains a noble mission when done according to Hashem’s way."

"In general, I used to think differently about Hashem. But now I know that Hashem isn’t intimidating; He is good. Our work is simply to invite Him into our lives. Now, I love Hashem to remarkable levels. We try to increase joy as much as possible, and personally, it’s very important for me to convey a message of yirat shamayim through happiness."

"And since I’ve opened up and shared what’s most important to me in life, I must also talk about what’s most significant to me – my family. Especially my wife, of course. When I want to go out – it’s with her, when I need advice, it’s from her, and she and the kids are my entire world. Every possible minute, I’m with them. I take the kids to day-care, play with them, and always want more and more. Even during the craziest times, I reserve one evening a week dedicated to my family. And that is the greatest pleasure."