Writer and educator Haim Walder found lifeless on his son's grave

December 27, 2021   

Unimaginable tragedy: The late writer and media personality Haim Walder, a respected educational figure in the Haredi community, was found dead today (Monday) at noon on the grave of his son Zviki Zviki in the Segula Cemetery in Petah Tikva. The tragic incident occurred after testimony was published in the Haaretz newspaper about suspicions that he had allegedly committed serious acts over the years.

According to the investigation published in the Haaretz newspaper, a special tribunal, headed by Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, received 22 testimonies against the revered writer and educator.

The death of the late Walder, 53, came a day after Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu announced that he had received new evidence.

Since the publication of the investigation, Walder has repeatedly denied the accusations against him, with all force. "I appeal to everyone who has been exposed to the serious publications against me and cries out the cry of Dreyfus, who humiliated him in the city square, tore off his ranks and broke his sword in front of the masses - 'I am innocent. Please do just one thing: invest a little thought and a dash of logic and try to cast doubt on the terrible slanders and not rush to pass judgment on someone whose entire life and activity was for children and for their rights,'" he wrote.

Chaim Walder, the late, was born and raised in the city of Haifa, in Cheshvan 5729 to his father, Rabbi Shlomo Walder of the synagogue in the 'Tiferet Yisrael' yeshiva in Haifa, and his mother, Mrs. Pnina Pearl. As a child, he participated in the 'Ranenu Hasidim' choir conducted by Rabbi Chaim Bennett. In the small yeshiva, he studied in the 'Mishkan Yaakov' yeshiva in Haifa, and in the large yeshiva, he studied in the 'Kol Torah' and 'Knesset Hezkiyahu' yeshiva.

Walder was a columnist for Yated Ne'eman, and for years hosted a popular advice program, "Tips from Life," on Kol Hai radio, in which he advised parents, among other things, on educational issues.

A Sign of Life: A Publicist Who Tells an Entire Generation of Children and Adults About Themselves

He influenced an entire generation of children, teenagers, and adults not only through his columns, but mainly through his 80 books, which became bestsellers throughout the Jewish world.

In 2003, Walder won the Prime Minister's "Protector of the Child" award from the National Council for Child Welfare. He also founded a network of summer camps. In 1997, he founded the "Center for the Child and Family," which is operated by the Social Services Department of the Bnei Brak Municipality, and served as its educational director.

In his lifetime, he lost his eldest son, Rabbi Zviki Walder, the late Rabbi, who died of a serious illness that he had been battling for over three decades, and died at the age of 28. He left behind his wife Bracha, six sons and daughters, and grandchildren. His funeral will leave at 7:30 p.m. from his home at 3 Shemaya Street, Bnei Brak, to Beit HaChaim Segula in Petah Tikva.