Walder scandal has traumatized Charedi society

 

Scene at Petah Tikva cemetery where Chaim Walder was found dead

The former chief rabbi of the Israel Police said Israel’s haredi sector has been traumatized by the scandal surrounding haredi publicist and radio personality Chaim Walder and his subsequent suicide.

Rabbi Asher Melamed, former rabbi of the Israel Police who currently serves as director of the Israeli Protection Center, spoke with Ishay Shnerb on Galei Tzahal Tuesday, a day after Walder was found dead at his son’s grave at a Petah Tikva cemetery in an apparent suicide.

“The scandal created a trauma in the haredi sector; not just among the victims. Many mothers read their kids Walder’s books before putting them to bed. Three generations have raised their kids on what he wrote.”

“There is an inclination to deny [the allegations], because we can’t handle it.”

“When [the scandal] revolves around a person with such influence and power, like Walder, people are liable not to believe [the claims]. And what is the price of silence? It creates an endless chain of victims. Now, after the fact, we’re hearing that people in the community knew about this 20 years ago, including rabbis.”

Walder, 53, was best known for his series of children’s books, Children Talk About Themselves.

He hosted a radio show on Radio Kol Hai, and penned a regular column in the Yated Ne’eman newspaper.

Prior to his suicide, Walder faced accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse, including a report by Ha’aretz which cited the claims of 22 alleged victims, including underage boys and girls.

A special rabbinical court summoned Walder earlier this month to appear for a hearing into the matter.

Walder had denied the accusations, and in a suicide note, reiterated his claims of innocence, challenging the rabbis leading the public shaming efforts against him to a “Torah trial in heaven.”

Amazing remastered video of Los Angeles from 1930s shows city full of life - with the same old traffic

 

The Campaign to Make "the monster Walder" a "Tzaddik" Has begun in Ernest Convincing Rav Rabbi Gershon Edelstein

 

Rav Edelstein was nowhere to be found when just a year ago a young girl from his kehila jumped off the roof after being sexually abused by her teacher. There isn't a word from R' Edelstein about the torment and torture of the victims.

It's all over folks! Unless the victims embarrass and shame themselves in identifying themselves and approach R' Edelstein and tell them their stories! 

Monsters like Walder will continue to flourish and the victims destroyed if this continues.

I am sitting on a story about Belz in Yerushalayim that will make your hair fall out. I cannot post it because of the libel laws, but the perp continues to molest his victims and the victims are being thrown out of the moisdois if they say one word. Two Hebrew Chareidie blogs have been threatened if they expose the culprit. 

A senior haredi rabbi lashed out Tuesday against a rabbinic campaign to shame children’s author and radio personality Chaim Walder, saying the efforts had led to Walder’s suicide and were tantamount to murder.

Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, dean of the Ponovezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and spiritual leader of the United Torah Judaism’s Degel Hatorah faction, was quoted in a letter written to haredi educators Tuesday responding to Walder’s suicide in a Petah Tikva cemetery Monday, amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

“It is totally obvious that the great pressure on him is what led him to mental illness and forced him to commit suicide.”

In the letter, Rabbi Edelstein urged haredi school teachers to refrain from weighing in on the Walder scandal.

“Even if there is a teacher who thinks that he has an opinion in the matter, etc., it is imperative to only tell the children the Torah perspective, and to warn how dangerous it is to publicly humiliate someone, and to tell them that bad people smeared him everywhere to the point that he was too embarrassed to show his face in public, causing him to become mentally unwell to the point that he killed himself.”

Walder, 53, was best known for his series of children’s books, Children Talk About Themselves.

He hosted a radio show on Radio Kol Hai, and penned a regular column in the Yated Ne’eman newspaper.

Prior to his suicide, Walder faced accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse, including a report by Ha’aretz which cited the claims of 22 alleged victims, including underage boys and girls.

A special rabbinical court summoned Walder earlier this month to appear for a hearing into the matter.

Walder had denied the accusations, and in a suicide note, reiterated his claims of innocence, challenging the rabbis leading the public shaming efforts against him to a “Torah trial in heaven.”

Mota Frank Continues to defend Sexual predators and Writes "Fake Suicide" note

In this fake "suicide note" that Motta Frank put on his facebook page, Walder apologizes for his crimes. 

I smell a rat and I'm now thinking that maybe Motta Frank himself is hiding

something...anyone know?

 *אנשים מספרים על עצמם - הסיפור האחרון*

שלום, קוראים לי חיים ולדר. בן 53.

סופר ואיש חינוך.

כתבתי מעל 80 ספרים,

אלפי סיפורים ועכשיו אני כאן לספר את הסיפור שלי.

ברגעים אלו קוברים אותי. את הגופה שלי.

אבל קברו אותי ואת הנשמה שלי כבר לפני כחודשיים ב 12 בנבומבר,

היום בו פורסם התחקיר הראשון בהארץ. התחקיר ש "זיעזע" את העולם החרדי,

היום חודשיים אחרי אני מת לגמרי.

אז מאיפה להתחיל?

האם פשעתי? כן.

האם חטאתי? כן.

האם כל מה שנאמר עלי נכון? לא ולא.

במהלך חיי ניסו לסחוט אותי מספר פעמים כשראו שאני חזק ואיתן עם האמת שלי שיחררו.

ידעתי שהם מחכים לי בפינה. תבינו אין איש ציבור בלי קופת שרצים. אין איש ציבור שלא עוברים לידו מקרים והזדמנויות

. וכבר נאמר "יצר לב האדם רע מנעוריו" נפלתי לצערי ולא פעם ואין אפוטרפורס לעריות. אני מצטער ומבקש סליחה ומחילה מהקורבנות.

 סליחה מהציבור החרדי שבגדתי בו. סליחה ממך הקורא החרדי הממוצע שהצלחתי לגעת בך ולרגש אותך בסיפורים מהחיים 

ועכשיו אכזבתי אותך שלא הכל ורוד בחיים. סליחה מהמשפחה שלי. אל תנסו לשפוט אותי. לא מאחל לכם להיות במקומי. 

רבים ישאלו את עצמם אבל למה להתאבד? תבינו דבר אחד שאתם במעמד מסויים ושהוא נלקח בבת אחת. אין לכם מה לחפש

 בעולם הזה יותר. מכאן הדרך למטה קצרה. ומאז מות בני צביקי יש לי משאלת מוות. אוהב את כולם. תודה לחזקי חברי הקרוב שהבטיח לפרסם את ההודעה הזאת לאחר מותי. היו שלום. מבטיח לכם שממני זה הסיפור האחרון. *חיים ולדר*

The Monster Walder Writes Sucide Note defending Himself to His Bitter End

He summons the rabbis to "beis din shel maalah," but not the women who accused him.

 That seems like he knows they’re telling the truth about what he did but is upset at how the verdict came out when he feels that it should have been different.
He urges people not to give up on his books, but his books are now haunted by a suicide. The “You can get through anything life throws at you” message is now lost.

This was a narcissistic taunt, one last selfish manipulation, from a monster pretending to be a man. And No, it couldn’t have been “settled quietly, behind the scenes.” We tried this as a community. It doesn’t work. It doesn’t get abusers to stop and it doesn’t protect children. It usually results in people being monsters for 25 years straight.

Walder writes:

“I have gone to summon Yehuda Silman and Shmuel Eliyahu to a Din Torah in heaven. I have come to the conclusion that in the world of lies I have no chance of proving my innocence. I am dealing with horrific lies covered in anonymity, without any possibility of proving that they have no factual basis.

“I have reached the extreme limit of human suffering which is possible. They insulted me about the things which I was best at and which I dedicated my life to- supporting and protecting children.

“I am grateful to all those who believed in me: May you be blessed! To all those who didn’t I say that even if you have given up on me, do not give up on my books. Every line, word and letter of them was written from a genuine desire to do good, to be helpful, to improve, to strengthen, to help, to contribute, to build and to repair the world! I never wrote without first having a desire to bring good to the world and its inhabitants.

“I am thankful to the Creator of the World for my loving and supportive family who are my entire world, and for the mission which was placed in my hands – talent, inspiration and the ability to contribute to the world. Hashem gave and Hashem took away, may Hashem’s name be blessed.”

Chaim Walder

Court Heard 22 Accusations of Sexual Assault by Chaim Walder

Since the "Yeshiva World" Blog is totally ignoring the story, and not even mentioning that Walder is dead, I am posting more info as it comes in.

I am getting a kick out of those who are screaming "there is no police report" "its not in court" ignoring the fact that Chareidim are not allowed to go to police and not allowed to go to secular courts. The victims are all chareidie! Even in the US the Agudah wrote that victims must first go to their rabbi before reporting to police!

 Therapists, rabbinical court judges, rabbis and professionals described alleged cases of forced sexual relations and sexual harassment of women, girls and boys who had come to Walder for treatment

Aaron Rabinowitz - Dec. 26, 2021 10:09pm Israel Time [2:09pm US CST]

The rabbinical court in Safed said Sunday that it had heard 22 testimonies describing sexual assault by the celebrity Haredi author Chaim Walder, considerably expanding on the initial report first reported by Haaretz in November.

The court, headed by Shmuel Eliyahu, the chief rabbi of Safed and a leader in dealing with cases of sexual assault in the ultra-Orthodox community, presented the evidence to a number of senior religious court judges a few days ago.

The evidence brought before the rabbinical court included many more allegations against Walder than appeared in the Haaretz expose  which reported three women’s allegations that Walder sexually assaulted them, in two cases when they were minors. In addition to hearing testimony from the alleged victims themselves, the court was also given taped conversations involving Walder and documents, Haaretz has learned. The testimony was cross-referenced with evidence and correspondence that supported the alleged victims’ allegations.

In addition, the rabbinical court spoke with therapists, rabbinical court judges, rabbis and professionals who testified about other men and women they allege were victimized by Walder. They described alleged cases of forced sexual relations and sexual harassment of women, girls and boys who had come to him for treatment, with the earliest accounts going back 25 years ago and the most recent ones occurring six months ago. A good many of the assaults were said to have been carried out in Walder’s book storeroom in Bnei Brak, as well as in his office, his car and in hotels.

Chareidie News Blogs Don't Disclose that Walder Killed himself or that he raped Men & Women

 So it didn't take long for Chareidim to whitewash rape and molestation! The typical "yoilie" who gets his news from these blogs will never know that there are sexual predators that will target his children and maybe even his wife.

Soon the roaches will come out to defend him. Even in death he refused to give his victims closure. 

The chareidim are probably thinking "What good is it to talk about this now that he is dead and cannot harm anyone anymore" But that is flawed thinking and will lead to thousands of people to leave frumkeit. 

While I am typing these words, three Roshei Yeshiva are sitting in jail for molesting their students and no one is saying a word. In Israel they won't disclose the names or the yeshivas that they worked in, because of the severe "loshon hara" laws. It is important to publicize Walder's crimes so that that the other Roshei Yeshiva know that when word does go out it will be severe!

Meanwhile I am waiting for the bastards to come out of their caves to defend this menuval!

Walder Speaks ... ""Listen to me, if this [affair] is publicized I will shoot myself" then Kills Himself

 

Haredi author and educator Chaim Walder was found dead in a cemetery near his son's grave on Monday, in what is suspected to have been suicide. Walder was facing multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault of minors since a Haaretz expose last month.

Walder was a well-known author of children and young adults books in the ultra-Orthodox world, with his series Kids Speak (in Hebrew - Yeladim Mesaprim Al Atzmam) selling over two million copies in communities across Israel and the Diaspora. The first book in the series became one of the top five best-selling books in Israel of all time.

He was accused of raping minors and young adults, all of whom he met in his line of work as a therapist and children's author. In November of this year, two anonymous women spoke to Haaretz and shared their accounts of their experiences with Walder, and a third anonymous account from a 20-year-old woman was also shared. 

Rav Shmuel Fuerst Calls Out $30K Tuitions For Seminary In Israel "Time to stop it"

 

n a speech delivered at the Agudah Midwest Convention in Chicago, HaRav Shmuel Fuerst, Dayan of Agudath Israel of Illinois, called out seminaries for charging exorbitant tuition, thereby placing unbearable strains on frum families.

“The cost today [for girl’s seminaries] is about $25,000 to $30,000. Now with the weakening dollar, they have an excuse to hike it even more,” Rabbi Fuerst said.

Rabbi Fuerst called for not-for-profit seminaries to be opened in Chicago so that relief could be provided to families crushed by high seminary tuition and resultant debt.

“It’s time we stop the seminaries in Eretz Yisroel [from taking] advantage of us,” Rabbi Feurst said. “Many of our families sent to Eretz Yisroel and paid $30,000 because they have no breira – they have no choice.”

“And these $30,000 is $30,000 that many families don’t have. We must stop it. And if we do it here in Chicago, I guarantee you that different parts of the country will follow us.”

State of Emergency Declared In Israel After Bird Flu Hits The Galil; Egg Shortage Expected

 

The Ministry of Agriculture’s Veterinary Service of Israel has declared a state of emergency after discovering a second outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in chicken coops in the Galil near the town of Margaliot. This is the second outbreak in less than a week in the Galil promoting the state of emergency.

Due to the outbreak near Margaliot, 320,000 hens were killed. During the earlier outbreak, 244,000 hens were killed.

According to the Veterinary Service, the affected chicken coops have been isolated and the sale and processing of the eggs from those coops have been stopped at the sorting station. The Ministry also announced that they have begun to examine all nearby coops for the disease.

According to the Ministry, there is now an expected shortage of 14 million eggs per month over the next few months. The Ministry has instructed that tariffs on imported eggs should be adjusted in order to compensate for the expected shortage of domestic eggs.

Making the problem worse, is that Israel is a gateway on the migration trail for hundreds of thousands of birds traveling south toward Africa. The  Agriculture Ministry has issued instructions to farmers in order to keep their birds separate from wild birds and hopefully stop the spread of the Bird flu and prevent it from infecting the human population of the country. The public has been instructed to only buy eggs from regulated stores and farms, and make sure that all eggs have a seal of inspection. The public is being warned further to fully cook all poultry and eggs.