JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Tzfat Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu was asked what to do with the books of author Chaim Walder at present?
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Rabbi Eliyahu answered that the matter has not yet reached Beis Din and therefore there is still a reasonable doubt whether he is guilty. However there is no doubt that there is a serious suspicion of sexual harassment crimes against many women over a long period.
Rabbi Eliyahu therefore said that he personally would not keep Walder’s books in his home “despite their many merits.” However he added that for those that find it difficult to remove them, they should “place them in a storeroom until the facts become clear.”
Rabbi Eliyahu added that keeping the books of one suspected of sexual harassment in the house “conveys to children and the community that we can accomodate such iniquities and if a child reads a book of one suspected of such crimes, this is an educational catastrophe.” Rabbi Eliyahu added that he hopes the suspicions are incorrect but “tens of women claim that he harmed them and we cannot ignore their cries.”
It should be noted that Rabbi Eliyahu is a member of the Takanah forum, an ad-hoc group of Religious Zionist leaders which has exposed a number of communal leaders who were involved in crimes of sexual harassment.
Earlier today it was reported that the Otiyot childrens’ magazine in which Walder had written a weekly column decided to stop running the columns. The magazine stated that “we do not have the ability to clarify if there is any truth in this matter and that is not our role. However as a magazine which maintains moral standards and educates Jewish children, we are obliged to demonstrate extreme care about every word written in the magazine and every person who writes in it.”
After considered the matter and discussing with the author, we decided to stop the publication of his stories. We hope and pray that the fog will clear and it will become apparent that the acts insinuated to the author did not in fact occur.”
The Yated Neeman newspaper where Walder wrote regular columns for the last three decades has also decided to suspend Walder until further notice. The decision was taken with the authorization of Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, the head of the Degel HaTorah Council of Torah Sages. Sources close to the newspaper said that besides the complaints by various women ,there were also stories which raised “religious concerns” about Walder’s behavior.
Walder has also been suspended from his popular radio show on the Kol Chai radio channel until the matter is investigated.
Walder has categorically denied all of the accusations, according to his lawyer: “These are false claims based on a blatant lie which is effectively a blood libel. The claims are not even worthy of discussion as they have no relation to reality. Mr. Walder is an author and educational advisor who established the Center for Child and Family in Bnei Brak and for decades has devoted his life to promoting, caring and maintaining the welfare of children and their rights in the chareidi sector and in the general sector. For his unusual devotion to the welfare of children he received the prize of “Protector of Children” from the prime minister.
“For years Walder coordinated the fight for children suffering from violence and abuse and as a result of this various people made it their goal to harm him. We have in our hands proof of some attempts to frame our client. As part of his fight to clear his name, our client underwent a polygraph test, denied the claims and as expected was found to be speaking the truth on all questions. Our client is determined not to allow his name to be besmirched at all and will fight for his good name with all of the legal methods at his disposal.”
When you see a bandwagon hopping regardless of the subject , take pause and wait. Let’s see what happens.
As of now , he vehemently denies the accusations and he’s entitled to due process just like you and I. This is Torah and also reasonable justice.
So who is bold enough to destroy him even without knowing him , his accusers or circumstances.?
WAIT FOR VERDICT.
Don’t play with your Olam Habah .
Watch what you write or say.
I hope these places that are so overly concerned with this, also remove other shrussim v’havolim from their stores.
Much respect for this rav but here I don’t agree . Was there pressure and from whom ?
Accused = Guilty
Best way to ruin someone you dislike is to accuse them of some disgusting illegal actions that happened some 20 years ago and are difficult to prove or disprove.
Once we believed in innocent until proven guilty, but seems like we can destroy some one just on suspicion……
Ok , by the same token , I move to remove all Jewish newspapers , magazines and periodicals . Unless they’re 100% Torah only, they inevitably contain material that is at the very least bittul zman and more. Much more.
Carlebach? His stuff are still over
Are they next going to tell me to get rid of my Wagner music collection?
of 35 comments in this thread, only 1 made mention of supporting the alleged victims – our priorities are backwards
If our community would be more concerned with the victims, and speak up for victims, and support victims, and worry about victims – there would be less victims
But “Religious Zionist” kefirah is okay, of course, because that’s their faith.
Premature and foolish .
Due process !!
וְהָי֨וּ לָכֶ֧ם הֶעָרִ֛ים לְמִקְלָ֖ט מִגֹּאֵ֑ל וְלֹ֤א יָמוּת֙ הָרֹצֵ֔חַ עַד־עׇמְד֛וֹ לִפְנֵ֥י הָעֵדָ֖ה לַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃
Maimonides: Rotzeach 1:5
הרוֹצֵחַ שֶׁהָרַג בְּזָדוֹן אֵין מְמִיתִין אוֹתוֹ הָעֵדִים וְלֹא הָרוֹאִים אוֹתוֹ עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹא לְבֵית דִּין וִידִינוּהוּ לְמִיתָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר לה-יב) {וְלֹא יָמוּת הָרֹצֵחַ עַד עָמְדוֹ לִפְנֵי הָעֵדָה לַמִּשְׁפָּט}. וְהוּא הַדִּין לְכָל מְחֻיְּבֵי מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין שֶׁעָבְרוּ וְעָשׂוּ שֶׁאֵין מְמִיתִין אוֹתָן עַד שֶׁיִּגָּמֵר דִּינָם בְּבֵית דִּין:
Just one piece of info for you all to think about… Rav Gershon Edelstein, one of, if not the gadol hador, has instructed the Yated Neeman to stop running Walder’s column. Yes, that was without a trial or beis din. So, maybe we should all be quiet in front of what a gadol has instructed…
Rav Gershon Edelstein did NOT consider or make any decision on this issue. The press reports stating otherwise are fiction. Walder decided to pull his own columns.
Why weren’t the rabbeim in Torah Temima censured for having Kolko in their midst for 30 years and making a sound? Because they didn’t want to lose their paychecks?
All these comments to the tune of “So why don’t we remove other books written by REAL bad guys?!” As if a child rapist is only a miniature bad guy.
I cannot believe the postings here. If a Rov was to come into your business and tell you you did it all wrong, you would tell him that he doesn’t understand your business.
When it comes to Rabbonim making decisions, it is not for those unqualified, to decide that they have made the wrong decision and castigating them for it.
Basically it shows that you have no Erech of what daas Torah is
as sad as this is, it’s a huge step to make this public, and will empower those who are abused to speak up in the future. Thank you vin for posting this