Aaron Teitelbaum
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Grand Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum (b. 1948) is one of two Grand Rebbes of Satmar, and the chief rabbi of the Satmar community in Kiryas Joel, New York. He is the elder son of Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, the late Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who was the nephew of the late Satmar Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, who founded the village of Kiryas Joel in the town of Monroe, New York. Rabbi Teitelbaum is the son-in-law of Grand Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, the Viznitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak.
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[edit] Background
Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum has written a number of scholarly commentaries on the Torah and Talmud. Over fifteen volumes of his teachings have been published. Rabbi Aaron was appointed as the chief rabbi of the Satmar congregation in Kiryas Joel in 1984. Prior to that he was the Rabbi of Atzei Chaim of Siget Synagogue on Hewes Street in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, NY.
He is presently the rosh yeshiva ("dean") of its yeshivah as well. He is considered to be somewhat of a moderating influence among Satmar Hasidim, something his supporters consider a positive attribute, comparing him to his late great-uncle Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum. His detractors, however, accuse him of straying too far from Satmar tradition. Some have gone so far as to accuse him of attempting to distance Satmar from the right wing of the Haredi community (towards moderate Haredi movements like Agudath Israel), which his followers vehemently deny.
He has also been portrayed by his detractors as being more politically moderate in comparison with many in Satmar, often considered one of the most conservative groups in Haredi Judaism. Rabbi Aaron's father-in-law, the Viznitzer Rebbe of Bnei Brak, takes a pragmatic position on the acceptance (but non-recognition) of the state of Israel and Zionism, accepts government funding, and participates in the electoral process, encouraging his followers to vote and engaging in a power-sharing agreement with other Hasidic groups as part of the Agudat Israel faction of United Torah Judaism. Additionally, Rabbi Aaron's wife was educated in the Beth Jacob school system, which operates via Haredi educational standards but also teaches classes in Hebrew as well as Yiddish, (in Israel, many Beth Jacob classes are taught entirely in Hebrew), and are considered to be more liberal than Satmar's Beth Rachel schools, which sets different standards in the type of religious teaching to girls. All of the above serves to increase suspicion of Aaron's position on Zionism in the eyes of some of Satmar's more traditionalist camps. Following the death of Moshe Teitelbaum, a distributor of the pro-Zalman Satmar paper, Der Yid, commented to the Jerusalem Post that "Aharon is not fit to be the next Satmar rebbe because he broke the Satmar rule against speaking Hebrew in the home... After the death of our rebbe we will continue to wave the anti-Zionist flag. That is one of our main goals." Which ironically , the reporter points out that the comments were given in fluent hebrew.... [1]
His followers, on the other hand, point out that since 1980, when his father was named successor to Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, Aaron has become the most prominent Satmar voice against Zionism both at community events as well as at anti-Zionist street demonstrations in New York and Washington DC. His famous anti-Zionist addresses include a speech delivered in Bnei Brak in the summer of 1994 where he specifically articulated the Satmar position against speaking Modern Hebrew. His father also maintained that Aaron’s family ties to Agudat Israel would not weaken his anti-Zionist stand.
Presently, Rabbi Teitelbaum has control of the main Satmar synagogues in Kiryas Joel. In Williamsburg his main centers of operation are the Satmar synagogue on 13 Hooper Street and the Sigeter synagogue on Hewes Street, his father's first home in America and his own home after his father moved to Boro Park.
[edit] Satmar succession feud
Rabbi Aaron is currently involved in a dispute with his younger brother Zalman Teitelbaum over who should succeed their father in leading the global Satmar community. Some of Rabbi Aaron's Williamsburg supporters, since ousted from their board positions in the Satmar congregation, have recently petitioned the courts to regain their previous authority. Other Aaron followers have also been involved in dueling litigation with Zalman's camp in attempting to obtain control over Satmar property holdings. There is still confusion on how this dispute might end. In the meantime, both brothers continue to develop and strengthen their own communities and institutions.
Following the previous rebbe's death in April 2006, both groups of followers announced that their favorite was (or would be) named Moshe's successor in his will. Initially Aaron's supporters claimed that they had a verbal will, dating in 1996, in which the rebbe is puported to have passed the leadership to Aaron, This was announced by Rabbi Hertzke Zweibel, Rosh Kollel of Satmar Kollel on Clymer street, who was according to his testimony the trustee upon whom the rebbe conferred this important testimony. Rabbi Zweibel read this will at a large public gathering of Rabbi Aaron's supporters in Williamsburg. This was corroberrated by many others independently, by Rabbi Leib Glantz, and by Rabbi Horowitz, Rabbi of Satmar synagogue in Manchester. However, a public reading of a later version of the will stated that Rabbi Moshe had chosen Rabbi Zalman to succeed him. Rabbi Aaron's supporters responded by claiming that the Rebbe might have been suffering from the effects of Alzheimer's disease when he signed it, and that he was coerced by his secretaries, particularly Rabbi Moses Friedman. Furthermore, the 1996 version of the will states that all future versions of a will should be considered nullified, because Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum (then eighty years old) was (according to Aron's supporters) of the opinion that someone over eighty years of age is no longer fit to change his will, according to the rabbi's interpretation of Jewish law. [2]
The newer, written will, dated 2002, was read at the coronation ceremony for Rabbi Zalman in the Rebbe's house in Williamsburg on the afternoon of April 25. [3] Zalman was given further support by the Satmar beit din (rabbinical court), in Williamsburg, which agreed with his reading of the will, and named him the legitimate successor. [4], [5] Zalman's critics have pointed out that the beit din in Williamsburg is firmly in Zalman's camp, so the ruling is neither surprising nor necessarily seen as authoritative by all Satmar Hasidim. [6]
Aaron and his followers remained defiant following Zalman's coronation, declaring that "The grand rebbe's will does not determine succession. Only the Satmar Board of Directors can make that decision. That's how the grand rebbe himself was selected. And that's how his successor will be selected." [7] Both sides have announced that they will be filing further litigation in the New York State Supreme Court. [8] Rabbi Aaron spent the first Sabbath after his father's death in Williamsburg, setting up a tent in the playground of a local public school. Some analysts have hypothesized that this could indicate that Aaron has plans to spend more time in Williamsburg to exert further pressure on his brother and gain more followers from among Zalman's power base. [9] Others characterized the decision by both brothers as a "showdown" meant to demonstrate their relative strength, particularly Aaron, by coming out in force in his brother's territory with followers from both Kiryat Joel and Williamsburg. [10]
Others, however, downplayed the event, saying that Aaron had already planned to be in Williamsburg before his father's death to celebrate the birth of his first great-grandchild. Both groups held separate Sabbath services three blocks apart, and the day passed without incident, with many Hassidim attending both services. [11]
[edit] Background to the present conflict
There are conflicting reports about how the disagreement first started. Rabbi Zalman's supporters say that Rabbi Aaron's leadership-style in Kiryas Joel, described as "totalitarian", made him a significant number of enemies. Additionally, his behavior on multiple visits to the Satmar's major enclave in Williamsburg were seen by some in the community as arrogant and presumptuous. Many specifically cited the perceived disrespect by Rabbi Aaron towards his father's personal assistant and gabbai, Rabbi Moses Friedman, as having begun the conflict. [12]
Rabbi Aaron's supporters, on the other hand, deny that Rabbi Aaron’s leadership style is at all different from his brother's or father's. They also claim that Rabbi Friedman has become increasingly powerful due to the rebbe's illnesses and saw Rabbi Aaron as a threat. Rabbi Aaron's followers believe that Rabbi Friedman supported Rabbi Zalman in order to embarrass Aaron and threaten his support in Williamsburg, and is largely motivated by his own self-interest.
Both sides agree that Rabbi Friedman has been instrumental in elevating Rabbi Zalman as Rabbi Aaron's rival to inheriting the dynasty. With Rabbi Friedman's help, Rabbi 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 in 1999, seen by many as an indicator that he could potentially be chosen as his father's successor, not Rabbi Aaron.
Since then, there have been a number of public confrontations between the two brothers and their supporters, generally occurring 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 the elderly and ailing rebbe.
Even minor milestones in the Satmar community have become controversial issues of dispute. On November 3, 2005, Rabbi 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 five other prominent Teitelbaum brothers or relatives have aligned themselves with either Rabbi Aaron or Rabbi Zalman. The late rebbe had generally refrained from making comments regarding which son could be his eventual successor, although occaisonal minor statements or actions of his were often analyzed with great scrutiny by those interested in the succession battle as possible indications of preference.
[edit] Comparisons to earlier conflicts
The conflict between Rabbis Aaron and Zalman Teitelbaum is in some ways comparable to the longstanding disagreement between the two rebbes of Vizhnitz (although the brothers have since reconiciled)Toldos Aharon is not comparable since the two brothers made an amicable division. (However, this may be somewhat debatable, as the present nature of the two brothers' relationship is unclear). The conflict is becoming increasingly similar to the ongoing dispute in the Bobov community.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Conflicts between Teitelbaum brothers' camps
- Hasidic News Op/Ed
- A pro-Aaron blog entry from a Modern-Orthodox Jew
- Controversy over the Williamsburg Eruv
- Satmar Rebbe insults Aaron
- Ruling Leaves Younger Son in Control of Hasidic Sect
- Chaptzem
- Satmar Slugs it Out (11/04/2005)
- Tempers, bones snap in Hasidic infighting (10/26/2004)
- Satmar wedding leads to brawl (12/05/2002)
- Fistfights on Rodney Street (3/10/2002)
- Chasidic Split Colors Satmar Endorsement (07/27/2001)
[edit] Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum
- A Seudah Shlishit service on the Shabbat evening led by Grand Rabbi Teitelbaum at Google Video
- A sermon in Yiddish from Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum on the importance of the Jewish Family value of Modesty at Google Video
- Lag B'Omer Celebrations in 2006 lead by Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum at Google Video
- Video clips of Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum
