Chaim Walkin

{{Short description|Orthodox rabbi, dean and lecturer (1945–2022)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}} [[File:RabbiWalkin1.JPG|thumb|Walkin at the Western Wall, Jerusalem 2008]]

'''Chaim Walkin''' ({{Langx|he|חיים וואלקין}}; September 1945 – 6 November 2022)<ref>[https://www.bhol.co.il/news/1458227 Notice of passing (Hebrew)]</ref> was a Chinese-born Israeli Orthodox rabbi, dean, and lecturer.

==Lineage== Chaim Walkin was born into a rabbinical family. His grandfather, Rabbi Aron Walkin, was the Chief Rabbi of Pinsk, Belarus.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.justice.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/99E120C8-14BA-44D7-8441-0E598760BEA3/4020/126.rtf|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20121210145633/http://www.justice.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/99E120C8-14BA-44D7-8441-0E598760BEA3/4020/126.rtf|url-status=dead|title=מדינת ישראל|date=10 December 2012|archivedate=10 December 2012}}</ref>

Walkin's maternal grandfather, Rabbi Moshe Londinsky, headed the yeshiva in Radin with the Chofetz Chaim. His uncle and namesake, Rabbi Chaim Walkin, served as the last dean of the Volozhin yeshiva<ref>"Rav Chaim Valkin, Hy’d, took over the positions of rav and Roshei Yeshiva", article by Motty Meringer,17.05.09. [http://www.tog.co.il/he/en/Article.aspx?id=154 tog.co.il]{{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> until World War II.

Walkin's father, Rabbi Shmuel Walkin, was active in the rescue of Jews from Europe during World War II. He headed the Jewish community in Shanghai, and was known for his warmth and care of all the refugees.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0B10FB385D12728DDDAE0A94D0405B898BF1D3&scp=1&sq=Samuel+Walkin&st=cse|title=Rabbi Samuel Walkin of Queens; Helped Thousands Escape Nazis|newspaper=The New York Times |date=27 August 1979 |publisher=}}</ref> Upon arrival in the U.S. he founded a synagogue for the refugee families and provided for their needs. The Shanghai refugees were his closest family<ref>{{cite web |url=http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5760/vayechi/awalkin.htm |title=Dei'ah veDibur - Information & Insight - NEWS |accessdate=18 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416083022/http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5760/vayechi/awalkin.htm |archivedate=16 April 2008 }}</ref> until his death in 1979.

==Childhood and education== Using unauthorized transit visas, issued by the Japanese Consul Chiune Sugihara, the Walkin family escaped from the Nazis together with the Mir yeshiva (Poland) and its community from Vilna, Lithuania, via the Trans-Siberian Railway to Kobe, Japan, then to China where they found relative peace.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10007090|title=Mir Yeshiva|publisher=}}</ref>

In 1946 the Walkin family left China for the United States and settled in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. When Chaim Walkin was eight years old he was granted American citizenship. The ceremony was commemorated with a photograph and an article on the front page of ''The New York Times'' and the ''Herald Tribune''.<ref>The New York Times, Friday, 12 February 1953</ref> He began his studies at Yeshiva Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, then in Telshe yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio.

==Immigration to Israel== After his marriage in 1967, Walkin immigrated to Israel, settled in Jerusalem and established his place of study at the Mir yeshiva under the then head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz.

==Positions== After studying at the Mir yeshiva, Walkin was appointed an instructor in Talmud at Aish HaTorah Yeshiva in the Old City of Jerusalem, and Ohr Israel Yeshiva in Petah Tikva.

In 1989, after the death of the Mashgiach of Yeshiva Ateres Israel, Walkin moved back to Jerusalem and took the position of Mashgiach of Rabbinical Academy and Yeshiva Ateres Israel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tog.co.il/he/TorahNew.aspx?id%3D2613 |title=Tog חדשות ותוכן יהודי - תפילות לרפואתו של הגאון רבי חיים וואלקין שליט"א |accessdate=19 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721141135/http://www.tog.co.il/he/TorahNew.aspx?id=2613 |archivedate=21 July 2011 }}</ref>

==Leadership and educational agenda== Walkin developed his signature method in line with the teachings of Rabbi Chaim Leib Shmuelevitz, with emphasis on personal attention to individual students, in groups of six to eight students at a time and short lectures with a clearly defined message. He espoused a way of education through cooperation and not by harsh methods.

In July 2008, Walkin suffered a stroke in his home in Jerusalem, which prevented him for some months from continuing his obligations in the Rabbinical Academy. After a period of rehabilitation, he returned to his position.<ref>[http://www.bhol.co.il/news_read.asp?id=6653&cat_id=1]{{dead link|date=November 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

Rabbi Chaim Walkin died on 6 November 2022 at the age of 77.

==Publications== * ''The World Within'' — Contemporary Mussar Essays. (1997) [translated into English, French and Spanish] * ''The World Within — Exalted Days'' - Essays on Days of Judgement (2008) [translated into English and French] * ''Ritva'' - on Mo'ed Katan, rendered from Manuscript, (1975).

==Awards== City of Bnei-Brak Award for his book, ''The World Within'', 1998.

==Notes and references== <references/> * [http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3584589,00.html Rabbi Chaim Walkin is one of the leading deans in Haredi world, interview with Yitzchak Walkin, by S. Chen, YNET, 19.08.08. ] * [http://www.beinenu.com/faceted_search/results/%D7%97%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D%20field_rabbi4lesson%3A6113 Watch Walkin's Lectures, (Hebrewà at beinenu.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081121191853/http://www.raananakollel.org/audio_c_wolkin_elul.html Ra’anana Community Kollel, Audio Lecture at Raananakollel.org] * Mishpacha Magazine, "Torat Chaim", by Moshe Grilak, [front cover interview with Walkin] 19 September 2007. * [http://www.bakehila.com/575/3.htm BaKehila Newspaper, "what I remember". Interview with Rabbi Chaim Walkin. by Ahron Rubin.] {{dead link|date=November 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * Yated Ne'Eman Newspaper and Magazine, Article about Walkin, by Avraham HaKohen, 16 May 2005. * [https://books.google.com/books?id=a2Im2ePfrsEC&dq=%22chaim+walkin%22&pg=PA138 "A Jew Returns Home", 'Rebbetzin Henny Walkin and her husband Rabbi Chaim Walkin in Jerusalem. They became my surrogate family'. ]

==External links== *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waLQyZUUVb4 Walkin at YouTube]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walkin, Chaim}} Category:1945 births Category:2022 deaths Category:20th-century Polish rabbis Category:Haredi rabbis in Israel Category:Rosh yeshivas