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[[Joel Teitelbaum]] was not survived by any children (his three daughters passed away in his lifetime). He was succeeded by his nephew, Rabbi [[Moshe Teitelbaum]], the [[as of 2005|present]] Rebbe od Satmar. [[Image:Stmrwedding.JPG|thumb|Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar dancing at a wedding]]
[[Joel Teitelbaum]] was not survived by any children (his three daughters passed away in his lifetime). He was succeeded by his nephew, Rabbi [[Moshe Teitelbaum]], the [[as of 2005|present]] Rebbe od Satmar. [[Image:Stmrwedding.JPG|thumb|Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar dancing at a wedding]]


==The conflict between Aaron and Zalman Teitelbaum==


The conflict between Rabbis Aaron and Zalman Teitelbaum refers to an ongoing feud between two sons of the present Satmar Rebbe, [[Moshe Teitelbaum]], the oldest son, [[Aaron Teitelbaum]], and the third-oldest, [[Zalman Leib Teitelbaum]]. Both brothers wish to succeed their father after his death, and have been jostling for power since 1999.

[[Image:Aaron1.jpg|thumb|From left to right: Rabbi [[Lipa Teitelbaum]], Rabbi [[Aaron Teitelbaum]], Rabbi [[Zalman Leib Teitelbaum]]]]

===Background to the present conflict===

There are conflicting reports about how the disagreement first started. Zalman's supporters say that Aaron's leadership-style in [[Kiryas Joel, New York|Kiryas Joel]], described as "totalitarian", made him a significant number of enemies. Additionally, his behavior when visiting the Satmar's major enclave in [[Williamsburg, Brooklyn|Williamsburg]] was seen by some as arrogant and presumptuous. (Although it is tradition that the oldest son often suceeds the father after his death, there have been many occaisons since the founding of the [[Hasidic]] movement when a younger son was chosen instead.) Many have specifically cited Aaron's perceived disrespect of his father's personal assistant and [[gabbai]], Moses Friedman, as having begun the conflict.

Aaron's supporters, on the other hand, deny that Aaron’s leadership style is different from his brother's or father's. They also claim that Friedman has become increasingly powerful due to the rebbe's illnesses and saw Aaron as a threat. Aaron's followers believe that Friedman supported Zalman in order to embarass Aaron and keep him from gaining further control over Satmar.

Both sides agree that Friedman has been instrumental in elevating Zalman as Aaron's rival to inheriting the dynasty. With Friedman's help, Zalman, who had previously been of relatively minor standing, began rising through the ranks, and was eventually appointed rabbi of the Satmar congregation in Williamsburg, seen by many as an indicator that he could potentially be chosen as Moshe's successor, and not Aaron.

Since then, there have been a number of public confrontations between the two brothers and their supporters, generally occuring in Williamsburg. Some of these incidents have resulted in low-level violence and occasionally arrests. There have also been very publicized disputes in rival Satmar newspapers, as well as some Satmar websites. Additionally, there are a number of court battles going on between the two brothers (or their proxies) as they struggle for control of the movement. Several of the court cases pertain to Satmar property, while others have involved legal guardianship of their ailing father.

Even minor milestones in the Satmar community have become controversial issues of dispute. On November 3, 2005, Aaron's eldest grand-daughter, Roza Blima, was married. It has been impossible to get an accurate picture of the crowd in attendance, as both sides continue to alternately inflate and downplay the guest numbers.

The Satmar conflict has been a hot-button news topic in the [[Haredi]] world, particularly due to its longevity. There have been several incidences of [[rabbis]] and [[rebbes]] publicly taking sides, and urging their followers to follow suit. At least two other Teitelbaum brothers have alligned themselves with either Aaron or Zalman.

===Comparisons to earlier conflicts===
The conflict between Aaron and Zalman Teitelbaum is in some ways comparable to the longstanding disagreement between the two rebbes of [[Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)|Vizhnitz]], as well as [[Toldos Aharon]] (this is somewhat debatable, as the present nature of the two brothers' relationship is unclear). To a lesser extent, the conflict is also similar to the fallout that followed the ascension of Rabbi [[Ben Zion Halberstam (The Second)]].


==Historical context of Hasidic schisms==
==Historical context of Hasidic schisms==

Revision as of 03:10, 20 December 2005

SATMAR is also the South African Torbanite Mining and Refining Company.

Satmar (חסידות סאטמער) is a dynasty of Hasidic Judaism which originated in the Hungarian town of Satu Mare (Szatmárnémeti in Hungarian), originally part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and presently located in Romania). Satmar is probably the largest Hasidic dynasty in existence today, but formal demographic comparisons with other Hasidim are not available. It is believed, however, to number close to 100,000 adherents. Members are referred to as Satmarer Hasidim.

Name

Some claim that the name of the town from which Satmar took its name, Satu Mare, means "Saint Mary". Some therefore call the town "Sakmer" so as not to use its "pagan" name. This, however, is a folk etymology. "Satu Mare" in fact means "large village," with the Romanian Satu ("village") deriving from the Latin fossatum, while Mare means "large" in Romanian.

History

Outline

Background to the dynasty

The dynasty traces its roots to Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum (1759-1841), Rebbe of Sátoraljaújhely (Ujhel), Hungary. Himself an adherent of the Polish Hasidic leader Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak of Lublin (the Chozeh of Lublin), Teitelbaum was instrumental in bringing Hasidic Judaism to Hungary. He authored the works Heishiv Moshe ("Moses Responded") and Yismach Moshe ("Moses Shall Rejoice"), and is commonly called by the title of the latter work. His descendants became leaders of the communities of Sighetu Marmaţiei (Sighet) and Satu Mare.

Rabbi Joel (Yoel) Teitelbaum succeeded his father, Rabbi Hananiah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum, author of Kedushath Yom Tov, as Rebbe of Sighet, and later moved to Satmar in 1935, thereby merging the two houses of Sighet and Satmar under the name of Satmar. He authored responsa under the title Divrei Yoel and polemics (mainly against political Zionism) in VaYoel Moshe.

Many Satmar Hasidim were murdered and dispersed during World War II and the Holocaust. In 1944, Rabbi Teitelbaum was one of a small group of people whose release from Hungary was negotiated with Adolf Eichmann by the Slovakian rescue activist Rabbi Michael Ber Weissmandl. He was a passenger on the Katszner train bound for Switzerland, which was re-routed to Bergen-Belsen. After the war, Teitelbaum spent time in the displaced persons camp of Feldafing, where he offered support and encouragement to the many orphaned young people who survived the Holocaust.

A large proportion of Holocaust survivors moved to the United States after World War II, where Teitelbaum established a huge community in Williamsburg. Teitelbaum's efforts to rebuilt the movement also resulted in the acquisition of land in upstate New York, which he named Kiryas Joel. Other Satmar communities sprang up in London and in Jerusalem, Israel.

The Satmar Hasidic movement has become known for its social isolation from all forms of secular culture and for its opposition to all forms of religious, secular, and political Zionism. This opposition has at times led to comparisons and confusion with the Neturei Karta. Satmar's views were formulated and espoused by Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum and are maintained by Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum and his children. Unlike the Neturei Karta, Satmar does not support the PLO.

Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum succeeds Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum

Joel Teitelbaum was not survived by any children (his three daughters passed away in his lifetime). He was succeeded by his nephew, Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, the present Rebbe od Satmar.

File:Stmrwedding.JPG
Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar dancing at a wedding


Historical context of Hasidic schisms

{{main|Hasidic Judaism]]

Schisms in the Hasidic dynastic succession are not a recent development, although there has been a growing number of them in the past ten to fifteen years as many of the previous, pre-war or immediately post-war generations passed away. It is customary for Hasidism to have many children, of course, and the issue is also complicated by the tendency among Hasidic leaders who lost families to remarry and start new ones. All of this has helped create an atmosphere where younger siblings (or sons-in-law) feel more confident about making moves for leadership, as there is a greater possibility that they will be accepted by their community, compared to earlier periods when the majority might have followed the oldest son simply out of tradition. This can also be linked to a growing tendency of some Hasidic groups, such as Vizhnitz, Biala, Rachmastrivka, and Spinka to divide their territories and followers between relatives, in part in order to lower friction, particularly when they are significantly separated by geography.

See also

Sources

External links

General links

Conflicts between the camps of Aron and Zalman Teitelbaum

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