Satmar

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.

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Grand Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar, zt"l

History

Outline of Hasidic Rabbinical Lineage

Rebbe Yisrael Baal Shem Tov - founder of Hasidism.
- Rebbe R' Ber - the Magid (Preacher) of Mezritch - disciple of the Baal Shem Tov.
  - Rebbe R' Elimelech Lipman of Lizensk - Author of Noam Elimelech - disciple of the Magid of Mezritch.
    - Rebbe Yaakov Yitzchak - the Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin - Author of Zichron Zos - disciple of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizensk.
      - Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum of Ujhel - Author of Yismach Moshe - disciple of the Chozeh of Lublin.
        Rebbe Eleazer Nissan Teitelbaum of Drobitsch - son of the Yismach Moshe.
        Rebbe Yekusiel Yehudah Teitelbaum of Siget - author of Yetev Lev - son of Rebbe Eleazer Nissan.
        Rebbe Chananyah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum of Sighet - author of Kedushas Yom Tov - son of the Yetev Lev.
        Rebbe Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum of Sighet - author of Atzei Chaim - eldest son of the Kedushas Yom Tov.
        Rebbe Yekutiel Yehuda Teitelbaum of Sighet - older brother of Moshe Teitelbaum.
        
        Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum of Satmar - author of Divrei Yoel and VaYoel Moshe - youngest son of the Kedushas Yom Tov.
        Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar - present Satmar Grand Rebbe - author of Berach Moshe - youngest son of the Atzei Chaim.
        Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum - Chief Rabbi of Satmar-Kiryas Joel - eldest son of the present Grand Rebbe.
        Rabbi Menachem Mendel Teitelbaum - Rabbi of Satmar Congregation of Antwerp - eldest son of Rabbi Aaron
        
        Rabbi Chananyah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum - second son of the present Grand Rebbe. (sides with Rabbi Zalman)
        
        Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum - Chief Rabbi of Satmar-Williamsburg - third son of the present Grand Rebbe.
        Rabbi Teitelbaum - Rabbi of Satmar Congregation of Jerusalem - son of Rabbi Zalman Leib
        
        Rabbi Teitelbaum - Rabbi of Sighet Synagogue of Boro Park - son of Rabbi Zalman Leib
        
        Rabbi David Dov Berish Meisels - Chief Rabbi of Satmar in Boro Park - son-in-law of the present Grand Rebbe. (sides with Rabbi Aaron)
        
        Rabbi Chaim Joshua Halberstam - Chief Rabbi of Satmar in Monsey - son-in-law of the present Grand Rebbe (sides with Rabbi Zalmen)
        
        Rabbi David Meisels - Chief Rabbi of Satmar in Montreal - son-in-law of the present Grand Rebbe

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 Chananyah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum, author of Kedushas Yom Tov, was Rebbe in the town of Sighet. He had two sons: Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum and Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum. Rabbi Chaim Tzvi, the oldest, succeeded his father as Rebbe of Sighet. Rabbi Joel (Yoel) Teitelbaum was Rabbi in a city called Krooli and later moved to Satmar where he became Rabbi and formed the community of Satmar. He authored responsa and Jewish novella under the title Divrei Yoel and polemics (mainly against political Zionism) in VaYoel Moshe and Al HaGeulah Ve'Al HaTemura. Many of his sermons were printed under the title Chiddushei Torah: MaHaR"Y T"B.

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, Dean of the Nitra Yeshivah. He was a passenger on the Katszner train bound for Switzerland, which was re-routed to Bergen-Belsen. The day that the Rebbe was saved from the Nazi inferno, which on the Jewish calendar is the 21st day of the month of Kislev, is celebrated to this day as a time of immense joy. After the war, Rabbi 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 Rabbi 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 non-Hasidic group known as 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 of Satmar, who was known as the Sigeter Rebbe of Boro Park until then.

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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.

For more information see: Aaron-Zalman Conflict

Important Hasidic Books to the Satmar Sect

In addition to those books revered by all Hasidim, the main Hasidic books revered by the Satmar sect are Yismach Moshe, Yetev Lev, Kedushas Yom Tov, Divrei Yoel, Vayoel Moshe, Al HaGeulah V'Al HaTemurah, and Berach Moshe. The Satmar Rebbe, zt"l, was careful not to be particular about which books his Hasidim should learn because he did not want to exclude any Hasidic teachings, for he felt that all Hasidic books should be learnt, often encouraging his students to study Beer Mayim Chaim, Kedushas Levi, Bnei Yissaschar, Noam Elimelech, and other works, never specifying one over the other. However he taught that the true way of the Baal Shem Tov has been forgotten. In addition to Hasidic teachings, the teachings of the Chasam Sofer are also greatly revered in Satmar.

Sources

General links

Disagreements between Teitelbaum brothers' camps