NEW YORK (VINnews) — Leading therapist Shimon Russel has spoken out strongly, calling for the removal of Chaim Walder’s books from society. He also said that Walder’s name will forever be tied to sexual abuse, due to his actions and avoidance denying the world clarity.
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Watch the full statement below.
To all those who continue to stand up for their martyr Chaim Walder – Zechuso Yagen ALEICHEM! Congratulations, you are now part of the problem! You continue to perpetuate the abuse he started! You have instilled fear in the hearts of hundreds of abuse victims and caused them immeasurable damage. Make no mistake about it, there will be a great fallout because of your reaction. You are churning the knife already stuck in their hearts. You will not hear about their pain, you will not hear about their suicides, they will be written off as troubled souls while you continue on your self-righteous merry way. Chaim Walder is proud of you!
My question is were where all these rabbanim until now? All of a sudden now when this story came out the rabbanim come out and say they knew and know a lot of victims that where abused. Why didn’t they say anything all the years??
So again if this did happen not once not twice, but dozens of times to many individuals and my heart goes out to each and every one of them. Why over all these these years have there not been even one arrest????????. Can someone explain. Maybe I dont get it. Some victims clearly came forward. Some Rabbonim came out supposedly with first hand information etc…. why didn’t they involve the authorities???????
i think what should be bothering rabbi russell & his frum colleagues in private practice is HOW WERE THEY ALL FOOLED FOR 25 YEARS? they are the big heads with deep analytics , no one cares what he does with the books now..
should we throw away all of rav berlands books? can we get some clarity on that? he hasn’t committed suicide as of now, although he did admit to certain things.
Why are we not burning his books?
btw, I learn breslov sefarim very often, and am not anti rabbi nachman or anything like that.
Focus on the victims and stop trying to defend the indefensible ie the monster,his books or anything else about him.
The good news is…
If you read Matzav or Yeshivah World, you will see that none of this ever happened. As far as they are concerned he’s still alive!
We can have a communal biur chometz and kids speak books in a few months in honor of the victims
I can’t believe there are people who don’t let their children read goysische books but do let them read books written by child molesters.
he speaks the truth,everyone should throw those books out of their houses
RABBI Shimon Russell.
A little kavod hatorah is ok too these days.
many people seem to be saying in the comments – “now Shimon Russel and rabonim say that they knew about this for a while”. In my understanding, I didn’t hear Shimon Russel say that they knew Chaim Walder was an abuser – Shimon Russel didn’t seem to address if he is an abuser or not. He clearly said we cannot know if he was or was not.
I have heard the books are very good. Similarly, there is a lot of terrific material in Slifkin’s books. I have a solution!!!
Another talented writer, who is considered a Yiras Shomayim, should take the good themes found in these books and rewrite them in his own name. I have a Dvar Torah in my Sefer, Nachal Chaim, which explains why in Dvorim Moshe Rabbenu takes credit for Sorei Alofim, etc. instead of attributing the idea to Yisro. Kol HaOmer davar b’shem omro meivy geula l’lolam. The answer is, if in reality it is a BAD idea, then there is no mitzva to mention the initiator of the idea and it doesn’t bring geula. So also, I would compare this to quoting a good idea in the name of a known rasha. The idea may be beneficial to “geula” but by mentioning the name of the rasha who initiated it we have a problem. Thus, promote the good idea under another name!
So basically there is nothing wrong with the books themselves, just the author. And the only reason to get rid of the books is in solidarity with the victims.
Simple solution – just remove his name from the books. That way the youth can still gain from the stories, and Walders innocent family can still get some income from the sales too.
If Walder was a renowned medical doctor doing cancer research , would others now be suggesting pthrowing away life saving medical information?
The thing is, so ,so many people have found solace in his books. Children who feel alone in their situations could identify with others in similar sipuations.
Why throw that away?Maybe the sole reason Walder ever existed- remember Hashem doesnt make mistakes- is that his books could do some good on earth.
So, a question for all who advocate keeping his books for sale and in homes. Richard Wagner, a prolific and well known composer of Operas and other works, who lived in the 1800’s, was a rabid antisemite. Hitler loved Wagner, and his music was played as Jews were marched to the gas chambers in the death camps or hard labor in the concentration camp. Should Wagner’s music be played? Should Carlebach’s songs be song at our Shabbos tables or in shul? Should the beneficial product of a talented but very flawed person be denied because the composer, or singer, or author was/is flawed? Should a life of important work be negated?
The Rabbis and therapists should evaluate if the books have merit. If they do they should not be discarded. If they’re tainted by Walder’s hashkafos then throw them out.
It’s most likely due to the pandemic. All these people who kept silent till now are coming out vociferously to try to cover all the possible reasons Hashem brought this very unusal magefa unto us. Fear and teshuva are very powerful in these uncertain times.
Elisha ben Abuyah torah was not removed from the gemara.
This comes to teach us how to handle a sinners Torah.
There was no obligation to remove walders books from the book stores.
One honest question for everyone.
If you had a borderline OTD son reading a chaim Walder book or would you rather him be busy texting on shabbos. Curious to your response.
This is far fetched ideology. We should throw out the books because maybe one day a victim may walk into your house and see it??? I feel bad for the victims but we don’t tell society to do things to be extremley cautious beacuse of an extremley small minority of people that may get hurt. Do we tell people not to own vehicles because of the trama it may cause to an accident survivor? I understand that vehicles are necessary and books are not that important and we can manage without them. However I still see gum and frankfurters sold in store, what about the trama it can cause to a choking survivor that nearly died from it getting stuck??? We can definitely survive without those things. Get the point?
He is jealous of the books..
Whenever a terrible tragedy happens, The Rebbes get up and say we don’t understand the ways of Hashem. And it’s true they really don’t understand and have no idea why HKB”H the Shofet Tzedek did this. What got Him so upset.
So when they get up and tell us, that it’s a Choiv Kodosh to throw away certain books, I would like to remind them of what they don’t understand.
Then why don’t they go after a lot bigger names and bring them to beis Din. I am not throwing out any of his books as my kids are American and would never have met the authors of any books. We write about presidents like Clinton and show rabbis kissing up to them and they are guilty of eishes ish. But that’s ok. I don’t think that even Arafat or Mengala was so cursed out by some people on line here.