Joel Teitelbaum had transplanted the tattered remnants of Satmar from post-Holocaust Europe to Williamsburg, giving the sect new life. Under Moses Teitelbaum, Satmar more than doubled its ranks, to an estimated 100,000 worldwide, building schools and expanding real estate holdings that are now worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Rabbi Solomon Gelbman, a Satmar historian, said that Rabbi Teitelbaum, known to his followers by his Hebrew name, Moshe, had likened himself to the biblical Jacob, who considered himself custodian of the great works begun by Isaac and Abraham before him.
UPDATE: Pictures of the Levaya now online.
Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum Passes Away at 91
Joel Teitelbaum had transplanted the tattered remnants of Satmar from post-Holocaust Europe to Williamsburg, giving the sect new life. Under Moses Teitelbaum, Satmar more than doubled its ranks, to an estimated 100,000 worldwide, building schools and expanding real estate holdings that are now worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Rabbi Solomon Gelbman, a Satmar historian, said that Rabbi Teitelbaum, known to his followers by his Hebrew name, Moshe, had likened himself to the biblical Jacob, who considered himself custodian of the great works begun by Isaac and Abraham before him.
UPDATE: Pictures of the Levaya now online.
“Jacob said, ‘I’m not digging any new wells; I’m just watching the wells that the father and the grandfather dug, that they should continue to produce clean water,’ ” Rabbi Gelbman said. “Rabbi Moshe said the same thing: ‘Rabbi Joel dug the wells. I’m just tending them.’ ”
The last years of Rabbi Teitelbaum’s leadership were marred by a bitter succession dispute — still unresolved — between two of his sons, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum and Rabbi Zalmen Teitelbaum. The feud began in 1999, when the grand rabbi chose Zalmen, his third son, to take over the sect’s main congregation in Williamsburg. He had previously named Aaron, the eldest son, to run the second-largest Satmar congregation, in Kiryas Joel, N.Y.
Supporters of the first-born brother never accepted Zalmen’s appointment as legitimate, and lawsuits followed, as did sometimes violent confrontations between partisans in the streets and synagogues of Williamsburg.
Even as Rabbi Teitelbaum lay ill at Mount Sinai in recent weeks, Rabbi Aaron and Rabbi Zalmen were negotiating through intermediaries over who would speak at his funeral, and in what order. Thousands attended the ceremony last night in Williamsburg.
In addition to Aaron and Zalmen, Rabbi Teitelbaum is survived by his wife, Pessel Leah; two other sons, Lipa and Shulem, also rabbis; two daughters, Bracha Meisels and Hendy Halberstam; and at least 86 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Satmars, who originated in Satu Mare, Romania, are among the more isolationist of the Hasidic sects, which are named for the Eastern European towns that gave birth to them. Unlike most Hasidim, Satmars are staunchly anti-Zionist.
Moses Teitelbaum, named for the 18th-century founder of the Satmar dynasty, Moshe Teitelbaum, was born into rabbinic royalty in Ujfeherto, in what is now eastern Hungary, on Nov. 17, 1914. When the region fell to the Nazis, Rabbi Teitelbaum, then teaching at a yeshiva, was sent to Auschwitz with his wife and three children. Only the rabbi survived. After the war, he remarried and moved to the United States, where Joel Teitelbaum had re-established the sect. Moses founded a congregation in Borough Park, Brooklyn.
After Joel Teitelbaum died childless in 1979, the Satmars named Moses the rebbe, and he moved into the sect’s seat in Williamsburg.
By the time Moses died, the Williamsburg enclave had a population of about 35,000, spilling over into adjacent neighborhoods. The settlement in Kiryas Joel, in Orange County, had grown to more than 15,000 people after being established by a few settlers in the last years of Joel’s life.
Moses Teitelbaum “took a moderately successful Hasidic group and really nourished its growth,” said David M. Pollock, associate executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council. “It’s now the largest Hasidic group in the United States.”
If the Satmar schools in New York were a public school system, it would be the fourth-largest system in the state, after those of New York City, Buffalo and Rochester.
Rabbi Teitelbaum’s leadership was such that even as the sect has threatened to split over the succession battle, it has continued to grow, said Samuel C. Heilman, a distinguished professor of sociology at Queens College.
“One of the signs of the Satmars’ strength,” Professor Heilman said, “is that in spite of this internal conflict, they’re not on the verge of falling apart.”
fd troublemaker
baruch dayan ha-emes
Ungarisher Chabadnik
Hey,
where is this article from? It’s full with historical stupidities… Just imagine how was Moshe Teitelbaum the Yismach Moshe born in 1914 :–)
The rest is on similar level of knowledge too..
Anyways, which part of Crown Heights is Williamsburg?????
*chavi
thats a very blunt heading wouldn’t you say?
lost on President St.
B"H
RE: Ungarisher Chabadnik –There is more, much more that unites Williamburg to Crown Heights than divides us. We should empathize with their loss at this tender time. My experience(s) in Williamsburg, unlike this neighborhood, have been positive.
Ungarisher Chabadnik
lost on President st.
You got me wrong.. wrong a 100%
I am defintely on the side to be united with Chasidim, and one who always clarifies those blanquet statements that you can hear from my Chabadnik friends about Satmar.
I just pointed out, that this article is not worthy to bring the sad news, being obviously not a work of a person of Daat. (Just check out whose opinion counts at the end: a distinguished prof…. com’n already)
On Chabad and Satmar the major similarities are not many though: I work with Satmar Chasidim and let me tell you… they even say it… their God is not my God– meaning the way the live their private life and the way we do, the world that they live in and the world we live in… those are very different.
to ungarisher
hey unagrisher
whats ur issue? the article is saying he was names after the yismach moshe and he was also born in 1914. that is 100% correct.
Name Withheld
I AM NOT SAYING WHAT CHABAD SAYS AS A CHABAD I AM GIVING MY OPINION ! !
Satmar And Chabad Are Two OPPOSITE if they go by their ‘rebbeim’ it is against the torah and against Hashem – Noone can forget that the Satmar were told by a Rav they were permitted to KILL chabad because we are ‘going against torah.’ Lubavitch DOES NOT EAT SATMAR MEAT, Lubavitch DOES NOT identiy with Satmar sect, we are different, baruch dayan emes a holy gaon died, but he is NOT the Rebe- Look at the two fighting sons, its power they are after, not to lead a group of yidden! Its because they are just WRONG ! So I do feel it is worth giving a post about, but we must say, as Chasdei Chabad Lubavitch under the Rebbe, that Satmar is wrong and just too different from us, we are all ehrlicher yidden but when we have the Nassi, we know what is true.
lubavitcher here
to name witheld ur sick . satmer has helped more lubavitcher then lubavitcher have helped satmer or lubavitcher have helped lubavitcher
Name Withheld #2
"Name Withheld" You 100% right.
Very well said
Anti Mishichist- Pro Chabad
To Name Withheld:
Years back (when I was about 17-18) I went to work in Williamsburg thinking that I, being from Crown Heights am so open minded (We are out there, are we not?)
And they of course are closed minded.
I learned that Crown Heighters are not any less close minded then any other group.
The proof? Your own words.
"Satmar And Chabad Are Two OPPOSITE if they go by their ‘rebbeim’ it is against the torah and against Hashem – Noone can forget that the Satmar were told by a Rav they were permitted to KILL chabad because we are ‘going against torah"
In reply:
When people get beaten up in 770 (in the Rebbes Shul, bais rabbnu sh’bibovel etc..) and no "rebbeim" come out against, what do you call that?
"we are different, baruch dayan emes a holy gaon died, but he is NOT the Rebbe- Look at the two fighting sons, its power they are after, not to lead a group of yidden! It’s because they are just WRONG"
Learn to except the fact that there are others out there,
I.e. there can be another Rebbe (in the World) and he can be more then just a "goen". he is there Rebbe. and by the way you don’t have to be a "goen to be a Rebbe (all you need is Chassidim).
And the mishichistem Realy want Moshiach (not power)?
Now this next reply is a hard to swallow for a closed minded individual, but here we go:
In there would is there a fight "two brothers" over, let’s say a Mikva (anything) The loosing side will say if I can’t have that one, I will go open a bigger and better one.
Now I, the regular Joy have two mikvas (I win).
But to our dismay in Crown Heights (note that I do not write Chabad) It’s, if I can’t have it, then you can’t have it (i’ll close you down).
In the end we all suffer.
[if all the machlokis in Crown Heights would bring to more Mikvas and more ways to help other Jews then at least we would have that, but all we have is destroying]
Sad but true.
Also: GET OVER IT! IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO!
if you will go to Williamsburg and ask about what happend, you will find out that the people that did those bad things were like the people that do bad things in 770.
So here you have it, we got our own problems, fix the problem at home and then (if its your job) start fixing the World.
G-d sould help that all Jews sould get along, that we builed,help and grow for the right reasons.
[ontill then, may our machloksim be like theres.]
Were all the same, don’t fool your self.
fach the fact!
“One of the signs of the Satmars’ strength,” Professor Heilman said, “is that in spite of this internal conflict, they’re not on the verge of falling apart.”
true or not?
trying to figure out
the satmer rebbe???????
curious
I agree "Name withheld.."
We are 100% diffrent. One other reason is that we believe that Eretz Yisroel belongs to the yidden. The pple inf Neturei karta( Many of them satmer) believe that no yidden should live in Eretz Yisroel until Moshiach comes. Last Tisha b’av there was a Gush Katif parade in Manhaten. Near the UN buliding as we were turning the corner there was a group of Neturei Karta demonstrators holding up signs. ( I don’t even remember what they said. So whoever says that were are similar go fly a kite
Shocked
I am disgusted that the Satmar (Saint Mary) Rebbe’s death is even getting mentioned on this site in a context other than a mishte v’ Yom Tov, as well by all the inane BDH’s. For those who are living on the moon and don’t know a mere fragment of history you may be informed that whereas Yoel did n-o-t support Satmar terrorism (as the Rebbe himself said (they were menachem avel each other etc.)) and it only began once he was incapacetated and unable to exert any influence; Moshe gave them the full go ahead and defended their obscene acts of violence when pressured.
Anyone remember Pinye Korf whose beard was cut off by satmar gangsters in the 80s? Anyone remember Mendel Wechter who was stripped, shaved, beaten, stabbed and left on the street in a bluddied faint? Anyone remember the little Katz girl whose life was miraculesly saved because she had been removed from her crib before the massive rock crashed through her window? Anyone remember the "heter mei’a Rabbanim" to kill Lubavitchers??!! Anyone??!!
still shocked
…and by-the-way, Belz and Klaunsenburg have also felt the brunt of Satmar Fundementalism. (How about Mendel Wechter’s poor neighbor whose house was mistakenly fire bombed instead of Wechter’s?)
and who called him a gaon and a tzadik r"l??!!
Name Withheld
I stand by what I said! The FORMER REBBE- YOEL, was a Gaon, his son was a talmid chacham, but supporting violence- I am NOT mishucis if mishichisum are on the rile, that is not Chabad Chabad! And FACT OR NOT- We dont eat Satmar Meat ! ! Why? ? Because if you root it out, it is because of untrustwrothy, chassidim, because of violence. That is all I am saying.
Name Withheld
to ani-mishchist, pr chabad I am same as you- and you are right, there are other chassdici sects in the world- but Satmar is NOT one of the most prominent! We dont eat Satmar meat- that is just a pivotal point, the most proof I can bring- because when we eat meat under a shechita, we show we trust them in their yirash shamayim, ehrlichkeit, yiddishkiet. Satmar meat, we dont. Get it?
Eliezer
To Shocked:
Your 100% Right!
To Anti etc.: (Your blog name is too sick to repeat!)
Your wrong! Just b/c it was 30 years ago, don’t think that satmar changed that much. I’ve had enough encounters with satmar Remembering the incidents from than. And also the Rebbe said that we shouldn’t eat their meat, it wasn’t a Chidush of Name withheld. And B"H the violence in chabad has not actually made it YET to the level of Satmars past violence. (Cutting Beards, Carrying on Shabbos, Striping, Stabbing, etc.)
The truth is i don’t think you are very pro chabad at all. Your just looking for all the problams with the mishichistim, causing more machlokes in lubavitch. Grow up!
havemeyer
name witheld writes above
I stand by what I said! The FORMER REBBE- YOEL, was a Gaon, his son was a talmid chacham, but supporting violence- I am NOT mishucis if mishichisum are on the rile, that is not Chabad Chabad! And FACT OR NOT- We dont eat Satmar Meat ! ! Why? ? Because if you root it out, it is because of untrustwrothy, chassidim, because of violence. That is all I am saying.
reb yoel had no children by wis wife rbtz faige reb moshe was the nephew of reb yoel
chassid
remember ahavas yiroel it is the rebbes main thing
dher eimes
to curious
learn your fact’s before you talk.
the pple in Neturei karta and satmer don’t believe that no yidden should live in Eretz Yisroel until Moshiach comes.
what they believe is that there should be no jewish state until Moshiach comes.
big diffrence.
p.s a lot of Neturei karta and satmer pple. LIVE IN ISRAEL
BrookAve
I worked in Williamsburg with Satmar. One thing that I saw a few times, was how not to take any crap from goyim. About 25 Satmar running after a puerto rican teen who grabbed a danish from a grocery. The teen ran and hid under a car on Rutledge St. When they spotted him, they didnt grab him out to beat him, they started to stab out the tires. First the front right and the back left. When the goy realized they would blow out the rest, he crept out and was beaten to a pulp. Then they called the police. This is exactly what we should be doing in Crown Heights. The Satmar dont take any crap from goyim, and the goyim there know it. Williamsburg is expanding into Fort Greene and into Bed Sty, because every "luch" is needed for expanding families. Twenty Sholom Zachorim every week is a classroom. Those neighborhoods will be safe as well. Lets take an example of how to deal with goyim.
to: Anti Mishichist-Pro (?) Chabad
Every post of yours, on whatever the subject, you allways find something to "hetz" against the Mishichistim, are you bored? stop already, YOU are the one causing the "Pirud" here, no body mentioned any of that politics here, but YOU have to come and stick it in, you managed to find something to curse out "mishichistim" your a sick man, get a life, any chance you have:Mishichistim this, mishichistim that, enough already, cut it out, go see a psychiatrist, maybe that can help make your life a bit more jolly, do T’shuva, and just quit it.
MOSHIACH NOW!
P.S. youre a typical C.H.’er yourself, you probably got messed over in business by some "mishichist", or you probably lost a din torah by a Mishichist Rav, and you made it your goal in life to "kill the Mishichistin".
As if you give a damn about the rebbe, lubavitch etc… all you are is PR-=Anti chabad-anti ahavas yisroe’l-anti Rebbe.
Itzik_s
I am disgusted that the Satmar (Saint Mary) Rebbe’s….
____________
OY – not this again!! Satmar = Satu Mare – civitas major (Latin) – big village! S…t would have an N in it in any Latin derived language, which Romanian is.
Chabadsker
To anti,
Firstly if you are anti mishichisten, then you certianly are anti chabad as well, just read your very own comment for proof.
Now, I personally have several Satamar friends. Many of them as you’ve mentioned are inded "open minded" – they have internet, watch movies et., very open minded. Sometimes I think that their brains have even fallen out from being so open minded. But I do agree that they are quite friendly to Lubavitch. Some of them even discuss concepts of Chabad Chasidut with me.
Rgardless of these few individuals whom I personally know and are friendly. There are other who are extremelt hostile to Chabad to this very day.
This past Chol Hamoed Sukkot, my friends and I were driving Sukkah mobile. Of course throughoutb the day we were engaed in Mivtzoim and in the evening we decided to take the Williamsburg route back to 770. On the way, I called one of my StMar acquiantances and informed him of my Sukkah Truck and hat I was driving by his neighborhood. He told me stop by the big Satmar Beit Medrash in W, were he would me with some friends to farbreng. Well, ust we arrived we were immediately threantened for our lives by those satamr hulagans who approached us warned that if we don’t right away get the heck out a riot will ensue just as it was back in the days. From theremy friend directed me to the Kloisenberger Beit Medrash where we parked and farbrenged till very late that night in the truck with Lubavitchers (even Mishichiten), Kloisenbergers, and soe Satmarers too. But I’m sure you get my point. Don;t just always point the gun on Lubavitch.
If all antis would start practicing in CH what they preech to the baalabtim from who they milk dough, then things would change. Don’t preech world peace, if you won;t practice it, especially in your own home and community CH.
Chabadsker
To anti,
Firstly if you are anti mishichisten, then you certianly are anti chabad as well, just read your very own comment for proof.
Now, I personally have several Satamar friends. Many of them as you’ve mentioned are indeed "open minded" – they have internet, watch movies et al., very open minded. Sometimes I think that their brains have even fallen out from being so open minded. But I do agree that they are quite friendly to Lubavitch. Some of them even discuss concepts of Chabad Chasidut with me.
Rgardless of these few individuals whom I personally know and are friendly. There are many other who are extremely hostile to Chabad to this very day.
This past Chol Hamoed Sukkot, my friends and I were driving a Sukkah mobile. Of course throughout the day we were engaed in Mivtzoim and in the evening we decided to take the Williamsburg route back to 770. On the way, I called one of my StMar acquiantances and informed him of my Sukkah Truck and that I was driving by his neighborhood. He told me stop by the big Satmar Beit Medrash in W, were he would me with some friends to farbreng. Well, ust we arrived we were immediately threantened for our lives by those satamr hulagans who approached us warned that if we don’t right away get the heck out a riot will ensue just as it was back in the days. From theremy friend directed me to the Kloisenberger Beit Medrash where we parked and farbrenged till very late that night in the truck with Lubavitchers (even Mishichiten), Kloisenbergers, and soe Satmarers too. But I’m sure you get my point. Don’t just always point the gun on Lubavitch.
If all antis would start practicing in CH what they preech to the baalabtim from who they milk dough, then things would change. Don’t preech world peace, if you won’t practice it, especially in your own home and community CH.
CHser
I am over 40 and remember very well the stories of P Korf, Wechter, and bochurim of 24 Teves, and that doesn’t even include what happened shvi’i shel Pesach – when so many people got beaten up that they could not go to Willy any more.
According to the Rebbe, we don’t use anything (not just meat) w Satmar hechsher, they’re word is unreliable since they were michalel shabbos in order to beat Jews (throwing garbage cans, etc on shabbos) – such a person is not to be trusted with his hechsher. That is why we don’t use their hechsher (Rabbi Dworkins letter), not because of revenge.
It was not R Joel, but Moshe that approved all of this, and harrassment and terrorism of Klausenberg, and other chasidim.
just my opinion!
To all of you out there writting about the satmar rebbe , You are all very wrong , firstly : the most important think you are all forgetting is that this man , was a yid , a talmid , and a leader for his ppl , you are discussing him like he was some nobody ! he was a great leader , he might have not been our leader , but he was a leader for his ppl , the satmars are jews too ! sometimes i look at lubavitch and wounder if we can;t learn a thing or 2 from them , tzniyus , ect….. Our differences yes we have many of them !
Reb yoel went to pay his respects to the rebbe when the rebbe was sitting shiva ! and the rebbe was very happy to see him ! that shows that even with all of the dissagreements when it came to the proper thing it was done ! So please stop discussing this feud satmar againgts lubavitch it is not about that now it is about paying respects to a great man a talmid chochom … a man that we should all wish to have his love for hashem and to torah and mitvos !
PS .. I am a married lubavitcher and one of my closest freind is a satmar and my husband and and i go there often and vice versa and we have only been treated with outmost respects anywhere we ever went in monroe ! …. my satmar freind has a chitas in her house , the new generation satmar , barely know nothing about the old feuds , and all they say is that the satmars that did these horrible things are all nuts !
All they ask me , and it is a question i cannot answer them is: WHY OH WHY , do the lubavitchers in crown heights look so unsniusdik woman and man ! and how is it that this happened ? thats the questions they ask ? simple questions like that ! the simplest questions i cannot answer ! so before judging them and puttign them down lets look at ourselves and at our community and see how much help and change we need before anything or anyone elses community !
And PS…….. dId anyone ever check out how many satmars bring their kids to the jewish childrens museum ? hey its in crown heights its run by lubavitchers ……. ????? they leave with pure astonishment that s a true kidush lubavitch !!!!! thats what we should be doing more of!!!!!
anonymous
One mistake people are making is forgetting one of the Rebbe’s biggest "kochs" Ahavas Yisroel. True, we don’t use the HEchsher, True, a lot of them are unterveltniks, but we have to be cordial and civil, and can go about our ways in a derech of Hatzney Leches. Not ranting about 770, Rabbanim or anythiing. Ahavas Yisroel will bring the Geulah, wehter you daven upstairs, downstairs or at the Ohel. We are all Tayere Brider because there is only ONE NASSI Byisroel. Gutte Yidden there are many but One Rosh Bnei Yiroel One REBBE. May we be Zoiche to see him already NOw Vhu Yigaleinu!
Not My Opinion!
To Just my opinion!:
Naive!
Itzik_s
No, Justmyopinion is pretty much correct. I have contacts in Satmar myself and they do not care at all about what was – indeed they look at their hooligans the way we should look at ours – they ignore them. I recently walked through Willy from CH on my way to spend Shabbos morning with a shaliach in Manhattan and ppl went out of their way to wish me gut (ok, git :)) Shabbos – halevai that ppl should be so polite in CH. What is more, I once walked into a hardware store on Lee Ave and the young man who served me wore – I kid you not – a Yechi yarmulke and was clearly one of ours. The owner was as Ingarish as Ingarish could be yet he hired this kid. No one cared, no one said a word.
My feelings about R’ Moshe AH – when the incidents took place he probably had not cemented control over the community and was powerless against the untervelt hooligan elements. He was certainly not, and knew he was not, Reb Yoilish ZYA. Hooligans form their own leadership and intimidate weak leaders when there is a vacuum – we see it in Chabad too.
Tzibur = tzadikim, beinoinim, reshoim. Don’t judge Satmar by their reshoim unless you want to be judged by ours (who perhaps are not as vicious but they are no great shakes either).
just my opimion
to NOT MY OPINION !
no just honest !!!!!!!!!
ESTHER SARA
CHAVAL AL DEAVDIN DLO MISHTAKCHIN.
unbiased
just for your information:
CHABAD, like ALL Chassidic sects (not just Satmar, is staunchly anti the Zionist movement. The only difference is in the way we express that intolerance.
SECONDLY:
The Rebbe said after Rabbi Joel passed away that "we were good friends. Just a few ‘doson veavirams’ got in the way…"
DONT CURSE OUT OTHER JES, AND ESPECIALLY OTHER REBBE JUST BECAUSE THEIR SHITA DIFFERS TO THAT OF CHABAD.
true chosid
tounbiased
remember rabbi korf
and rabbi vechter
satmar against chabad
just remember
The beis hamikdosh was destroyed because of sinas chinam.
BT Chabadnik in California
When the Satmar Rebbe, ovs, was traveling through North Carolina three years ago, his staff called the local Lubavitch shul to request a minyan. About seven of us met at a room at the airport, davened together, and he sat and gave each one of us a private bracha at yechidus. No questions asked. I am a Lubavitcher, and I have no idea whether any of the above complaints about Satmar hooligans are true or not, but I loved the Satmar Rebbe as one would love any Jew, especially a learned rav. I mourn his passing to the next world. Maybe if we all remembered that "Lubavitch" means brotherly love, we would all hasten the revelation of Moshiach Tzedkainu. I have no doubt that our own beloved Lubavitcher Rebbe understands this. Let’s build the Third Temple, not help tear it down, G-d forbid.
Anti...
No need for me to reply, for I see that some have explaned my onpion in other words.
my main point was Don’t go looking for problem somewere esle when we got our own right here at home.