By COLlive reporter
Moti Eden (Ostreicher), former director of Israel’s broadcasting service and longtime TV journalist in northern Israel, passed away on Thursday, the 17th of Tammuz 5783.
He was 72 and suffered from an illness.
Eden was born in Israel and enlisted in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in 1969. During the Galilee War, he served as a correspondent for Kol Israel, Israel’s national radio station.
He then worked for over 20 years as the head of the Haifa and Northern District system of Channel 1, covering news and happenings in the area that borders Lebanon and Syria.
A resident of Nahariya, Eden became familiar with Lubavitcher Chassidim and Chabad institutions in Northern Israel. In particular, he was close to the late Rabbi Berke Wolf, Chabad’s spokesman in Israel.
Throughout his career, he had the privilege of meeting the Rebbe on several occasions, sometimes standing in the “dollars line” with his trusty tape recorder, ready to inquire about the Rebbe’s opinion on the state of affairs in the Holy Land.
Among his encounters with the Rebbe, one particular meeting stands out. In 1980, Eden had the opportunity to experience yechidus—a private audience with the Rebbe. Notably, the encounter took place on the eve of the 17th of Tammuz, the very day Eden passed away forty-three years later. He recorded the entire twenty-minute audience on his handheld tape recorder.
Years later, during an interview with JEM’s My Encounter with the Rebbe oral history project, Eden recounted the profound experience and shared details of his conversation with the Rebbe, which included an unexpected textbook lesson in journalism, and how to satisfy his radio listeners’ needs.
During the audience, the Rebbe encouraged Eden to utilize his position as a radio host to disseminate relevant Torah teachings. As an example, the Rebbe referenced that week’s — and today’s — Torah portion of Pinchas.
Eden expressed his concern, explaining that radio listeners expected to hear news (חדשות) from him, not Torah lessons. The Rebbe explained to Eden that Torah declares itself to be “new” (חדשים) and fresh each day.
The Rebbe suggested that Eden could truthfully announce that he would share news, and then proceed to deliver a Torah message — adding that given Eden’s background as a news professional, he would undoubtedly find a way to connect the Torah message he was sharing to current events.
VIDEO: Moti Eden’s interview, featuring audio snippets from the Yechidus.
Click here for full audio of the Yechidus on Ashreinu.app.
In 2003, Eden was chosen to manage Channel 1, the state funded TV station that wielded immense influence on Israeli society. He retired from his position at the end of 2006.
Even while running the station, Eden always had his door open for visits of Lubavitch officials and bochurim from Yeshivas Toras Emes Chabad in Jerusalem. He would say L’chaim and share about his encounters with the Rebbe.
“My father was a man of journalistic integrity and love of people,” his daughter, Shira, told Ynet. “As a reporter in the north, it was important to him to make the voice of the residents heard, to help those who could, and he continued on this path also as a television director. He carried in his heart the Yom Kippur War and the comrades he lost there until his last day.”
Eden is survived by his wife Tamar, children Dotan and Shira, and grandchildren.
Baruch Dayan Haemes.
חבל על דאבדין ולא משתכחין