It is with great sadness that Matzav.com reports the petirah of Rabbi Zecharia Shimon Hakohein Wallerstein z’’l. He was in his sixties.
Rabbi Wallerstein was the founder of Ateres Naava Seminary for Girls and Ohr Naava Women’s Institute in Brooklyn, NY.
Over three decades in chinuch, Rabbi Wallerstein, with his trademark passion, clarity, and love, touched the hearts and souls of thousands of students from all shades of the religious spectrum.
Whether speaking or lecturing across the world or teaching classes in his schools, Rabbi Wallerstein had a unique ability to educate, uplift and inspire people, drawing them closer to Yiddishkeit.
Rabbi Wallerstein had battled illness for the last period and passed away this morning.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs, Estee Wallerstein, their daughters and grandchildren.
The levayah will be held today, at 11 a.m., at Ohr Naava, located at 2201 East 23rd Street in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Yeho zichro boruch.
One cannot begin to comprehend how
many lives And generation , he enriched
through
his awesome teaching and innovative
outreach Chassadim
I’m totally not within his circles, yet I loved his shiurim, His devotion, and his warmth. This gadol had the qualities that touched all, even those not on his level or in his circles. One of the things we must realize, the number of people he changed from a bein adam lachevaro and bein adam lamakom in innumerable. Even Reb Zecharia couldn’t know till now. Now he definitely knows the true numbers. He really prepared for this moment (yom hamita) for many years. Now all that were affected by him, are surely continuing living better lives due to him and his neshama is going higher and higher daily by all the good he triggered.
Yehi zichro baruch.
One cannot understand the good rabbi zecharia wallerstein did in this world. He gave everyone a safe space to exist! He saw the good in everyone, he saw the neshama in every yid, even those who were far away from their jewish roots! He was a true tzaddik!! He had a heart of gold and was always ready to sacrifice for others!! He saw a need and filled the void!! Hashem should help us all recover from this tragedy!
what a huge unimaginable loss for all of us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Unlike “other”s dealing with children and parents that are OTD. He followed a clear Torah’dig path, he encouraged religious responsibility, schar v’onesh, he allowed children to learn that good brings good and bad brings bad ; and eat it. You respected and felt pained for parents. hHe had a fantastic track record unlike others who have “farkrumte” approaches and have close to zero hatzlacha in bringing those kids back to yiddishkeit because they are “happy”now. He wasn’t scared to say it the way it is. He would call people out for what they are; so so lsheim shamayim. He truly cared to be Mekadesh shem shamayim. He never misinterpeted sfarim and deyos so that it fits his narrrative. He said it the way it should be said and used the true torahs word to inspire and put these kids back on track. He was fighting not only to save souls but to also stop those that misused their opportunity of saving them. His soul and body was fighting the satan and sadly it seems like we were not zoche.. What a legend! what a tzaddik!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Seems like you also do have a goal to do things that will have an affect on his neshama. Remember, slandering others doesn’t help achieve our goal (people never change for the better with this approach). What we could do, smile to others, give them a word of chizuk, help another whenever possible, and most importantly, remember that your goal is to better this world! Don’t forget!
No charles… Some things need to be said the way they need to be said. this is exactly what he wasnt scared of. I will continue and so will all those who believe in Truth and saying it the way it is. This is my approach of bettering this world. I will not talk about my success record or anything like that. But this is part of the reason people followed him. He saved many people. we are finding ourselves in a world where too many truths are being pushed under the rug. For some reason i’m sure you charles; seeing your point of you believes that if there’s even a slight chance that a man down the road might have allegedly, and only allegedly done something bad to a child; even if it is a conspiracy and there’s no proof you will come out and be part of those that will take the right to say his name loud and denounce and cancel him…. that is the mindset you belong to. you’re so straight that you are crooked. But the mindset I belong to is a very honest and practical one. I do NOT speak lashon horah on a daily basis; it doesnt interest me. I am specifically careful with allegations against leaders because there is a lot of revenge out there by the OTD community unfortunately; so I will NEVER say lashon horah in that case either even if the whole world will; it will not come into my home. Until the facts make sense and connect. I WILL though say it the way it is when it comes to approaching yiddishkeit and sttrengthening yiddishkeit in those that have left it. I will call out even without a name; where it’s not lashon horah but hopefully everyone chops who I am talking about. A person that has caused a chorban in our community for thousands of families and continues to get a pass because it is Lashon horah to talk about him. The right thing for me to do right now is to actually write his name. But i will refrain because I mean it Lsheim Shamayim and i hope the message will be clear. I will never allow liberal and modern mindset and approaches of OTD kids to stain my pure approach to Kavod Shamayim. I doubt you can compete with my greatness. can you?
no. that was NOT rabbi wallersteins approach. Rather be quiet, than twist it. He was very strict about red lines. He drew boundaries but when a line was crossed he wasnt smiling. his approach is backed up by all sfarim. Dont change things around to make it work for your beautiful narrative.
From your snarky comments, trying to out down a different oheiv Yisroel, it’s painfully obvious that Rabbi Wallerstein’s message of ahavas Yisroel didn’t rub off on you.
Maybe I’m talking about a Reform Rabbi? How is it that you are jumping to the title “Oheiv Yisroel” without any affiliation mentioned? Perhaps you know who i am talking to and need to defend it. No, I have spoken to Rabbi Wallerstein endlessly and he is taking his message up to shamayim. On the specific matter. he will not be quiet; it ate him up alive. And Rabbi Wallerstein was the picture of an actual emesdig “Oheiv Yisroel”…. He truly loved true yiddishkeit and Hkb”h and had a plan and fought for it so children can feel and believe that way too.
what a massive loss
Please change it to ztl please he is deserving of that title
Zecher TZADDIK LIvracha
During a very difficult and dark time in my life he gave me the chizuk and encouragement to continue. I know he is by the Kiseh shel Kavod.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
I am crying… never met him…love what he did by making a difference in people’s lives!!
Hashem Yirachem!!!!!
His care and total love of reaching lost souls, though I never met him personally, we felt he “knew” us. He spoke to our generation, to our issues, a true emissary from Hashem. This is so heartbreaking; Hashem Yerachem.
Zecher TZADDIK LIvracha
I will never understand
this !!
we all know that honoring Parents will result in a long life
I don’t know anyone who honored his parents more than him
and yet this Torah giant is gone and so many evil people are still walking the earth
every time a Torah giant dies I think of all the secular self hating leftist Jews who contributed
nothing and don’t care about Gd
and he was the opposite he spread Torah and this Tzaddik giant is dead I’ll never understand
Rena,
The Gemara in Chullin addresses your question regarding kibud Av V’Em:
GEMARA: The school of Rabbi Ya’akov taught that Rabbi Ya’akov says: There is not a single mitzva written in the Torah whose reward is stated alongside it, which is not dependent on a belief in the resurrection of the dead, i.e., the reward is actually bestowed in the World-to-Come, after the resurrection of the dead. How so? With regard to honoring one’s father and mother, it is written: “That your days may be long, and that it may go well with you” (Deuteronomy 5:16). With regard to the sending away of the mother bird from the nest, it is written: “That it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days” (Deuteronomy 22:7).Despite this, it occurred that there was one whose father said to him: Climb to the top of the building and bring me fledglings; and he climbed to the top of the building and sent away the mother bird and took the offspring, thereby simultaneously fulfilling the mitzva to send away the mother bird from the nest and the mitzva to honor one’s parents, but as he returned he fell and died. Where is the length of days of this one? And where is the goodness of the days of this one? Rather, the verse “that your days may be long” is referring to the world that is entirely long, and “that it may be well with you” means in the world where all is well… [See Tractate Chullin 142a].
Despite this, it occurred that there was one whose father said to him: Climb to the top of the building and bring me fledglings; and he climbed to the top of the building and sent away the mother bird and took the offspring, thereby simultaneously fulfilling the mitzva to send away the mother bird from the nest and the mitzva to honor one’s parents, but as he returned he fell and died. Where is the length of days of this one? And where is the goodness of the days of this one? Rather, the verse “that your days may be long” is referring to the world that is entirely long, and “that it may be well with you” means in the world where all is well.
Here comes narrative changes and adjustments to please the liberal loving hungry minds and souls.. as ben shapiro says : facts dont care about feelings. The biggest part of Rabbi wallersteins loss is that noone will have the courage to take this great job on and do it fearlessly; saying things the way they are. Taking on those that need to hear it. In addition, to the world and of course matzav.com allowing the truth and true narrative to be spoken. Whether it hurts or it doesnt. They were valuable lessons and lessons important in Kiruv for OTD girls. For him, it worked very well. And those that will want to carry on his legacy will be cancelled or shunned like I have been with my last few replies to charles. what a shame but it’s ok. Anyone having walked through the institutions of Rabbi wallerstein or worked closely with him will know this and those that came back becaues of this will also give it credit and it will only raise his soul.