NEW YORK (VINnews) — Popular educator and speaker Rabbi Zechariah Wallerstein passed away at approximately 5:00 AM on Monday morning. He was approximately 64-years-old.
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The unfortunate news comes after Rabbi Wallerstein suffered from an illness for several years.
Rabbi Wallerstein was famous for being the founder of the Ohr Naava institute, daring to step out of the box- at a time when no comparable center existed. According to Ohr Naava, he was an icon in the Jewish world of fearless vision, deep conviction, and unfailing warmth. With more than three decades in chinuch, the dynamic educator-with his trademark passion, clarity, and love, touched the hearts and souls of thousands of students from all shades of the religious spectrum.
After seeing tremendous success, the organization grew into an umbrella organization composed of numerous programs for Jewish women, including Ateres Naava Seminary, Tiferes Bnos Yisroel Seminary, Ateres Miriam Seminary, Bnot Chaya Academy, Hakaras Hatov Initiative, Ohr Naava Shidduch Initiative, The Yutta Zicherman Crisis Center for Intervention, and the groundbreaking, therapeutic Ranch at Bethel.
Rabbi Wallerstein was an internationally sought-after speaker, traveling the world and inspiring men and women from all walks of life.
He spent his years living in Flatbush together with his wife Estee, his partner in all his endeavors, who he leaves behind together with their daughters and grandchildren.
The Levaya will be held on Monday at Ohr Naava. The address is 2201 E 23rd St, Brooklyn, NY 11229 (Avenue V and East 22 Street). It is called for 11 AM.
The Kevurah will be on Tuesday in Chelkas Harrabanim at Eretz Hachaim cemetery in Bet Shemesh. It is called for 1 PM.
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He was a true man of Chesed..
Not only to build institutions
But he generously helped the little common person who cant even give him a tax deduction.
He was truly special.
BDE
He was very special and cared about every yid.
I live in lakewood and needed some help with one of my children that was struggling in school and he gave me all the time and resources I needed to help me.I was just a simple jew that called him for help.
BDE what is shock and a wake-up call to see this news. I had one time ran into Rabbi wallerstein in Landau shul. He immediately stood out to me as someone important. I didn’t know who you was at the time, Later on I had learned who this great Rabbi was.Truly tragic to lose these great Sages. Especially in our time. Makes me realize even more that every day is a gift. That you should always appreciate every day, some people complain about getting old.
But as we see with today’s sad news getting old gracefully to a ripe old age is a “gift a gift” denied to many..
He was a godol. What a dreadful loss.
Bde
a few points that we can take away .. bechina vehachai yiten el liboh..
1.reb zecharia ; to do his type of klal work needs a very “high level” of ahavas yisroel , to look past the ” kan kan” and see mah sheyesh bo
2.if you see something “DO” something , better one good deed than many krechtz.
3.the ability to be in a position of power , in dealings many times with vulnerable woman & girls , yet to stay ” tahor” even bemachshavah , to be a yarei shomayim baseser kebagolui.. is mechayaev us all on our level in our daily dealings ( the proof is that haover beseser is nifroen memenu begaluy and the opposite is also true)
4.nizdachech beyesurim.. may he sit in gan eden and reap the schar .. yehi zichri boruch
5. may he be a shliach tzibur as he is privy to a overwhelming amount of yidishe struggles
Iyar is known in the Torah as ziv, brilliance. Ziv can stand for זכריה וולרשטיין. The world lost a brilliant tzadik.
BDE, An inspirational speaker who devoted his life to others. A huge loss for the community.
He was a Rabbi for everyone.
He was there berore you called.
He will be very missed.
BDE
A Tsadik.
To all the principals and rabbis; don’t turn away the Jewish children away from Jewish education!!! They count on us !!! Parents are counting on you !!! Give them a chance !!!
a very down to earth and unarrogant rabbi, sadly his mother will have the tzaros of attending his funeral. Not sure what will be with Ohr Nava without him as he was larger than life.
ברוך דיין האמת
Levaya at 11am
Boruch Dayan Emes. A huge loss to klal yisroel.
Oy!!! There’s nobody like Rabbi Wallerstein. Totally irreplaceable for what he did for Hashem, His Torah and the Jewish people.
Does anyone have information in which cemetery in Israel is the Kevurah?
I was in a hotel this past Shevuous and he was the ‘main event’ as speakers go and he was very dynamic and was really enjoyed by the large crowd.
What a sad loss, BD”E. He’ll be sorely missed