Moshe Teitelbaum (Satmar) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moshe Teitelbaum |
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Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum
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| Religion | Judaism |
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| Nationality | Hungarian Romanian American |
| Born | November 17, 1914 Újfehértó, Hungary |
| Died | April 24, 2006 (aged 91) Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, United States |
Moshe Teitelbaum (born November 17, 1914 – died April 24, 2006) was a very important Hasidic leader and the worldwide head of the Satmar Hasidim. He guided his community for many years, helping it grow significantly.
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Moshe Teitelbaum's Early Life
Moshe Teitelbaum was born in Újfehértó, Hungary, on November 17, 1914. He was the second son of Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum, who was a previous leader of the Sigheter Hasidic group. His mother, Bracha Sima, came from a well-known family. Moshe and his older brother, Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum, became orphans in 1926. Moshe was raised by family friends and relatives, including his uncle, Joel Teitelbaum.
Moshe became a rabbi and was chosen to lead a religious school (a yeshiva) in Karacscka. In 1936, he married Leah Meir. In 1939, he became the rabbi of Senta, which is now in Serbia.
Surviving World War II
In 1944, during World War II, the Hungarian government, with help from Nazi forces, began sending many Jewish people away. Moshe Teitelbaum and his wife Leah were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Sadly, his wife and three children died there, and he himself almost didn't survive. He was later moved to other camps and was finally freed in 1945.
Life After the War
In 1946, Moshe Teitelbaum married Pessel Leah. Her whole family had also died in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The couple first went back to Senta, where Moshe had been a rabbi before the war. When he learned that his brother had died in the Holocaust, he decided to take his brother's place as the rabbi of Sighet. Soon after, they had to leave because of the Communist government. They traveled to Prague and then sailed to New York City, arriving in 1947.
In New York, Moshe became known as the Sigheter Rebbe. He led the Sighet Chassidus, which his family had led before him. He first started a study house (a beth midrash) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Later, in 1966, he moved to Borough Park, Brooklyn.
Becoming the Satmar Rebbe
In 1979, Moshe's uncle Joel, who was the leader of the Satmar community, passed away. Joel did not have children to take over his role. The most logical person to become the new leader was his nephew Moshe, who was 66 years old. People saw him as smart, a good scholar, and a good speaker.
Some people were a little unsure about appointing Moshe. This was because he had not been very involved with the Satmar community in recent years. He had been leading his own Hasidic group. However, everyone agreed that the community needed a leader. Having Moshe as the Rebbe was the best choice for the community at that time.
The Council's Decision
The Satmar Council of Elders, a group of thirteen community leaders, decided unanimously that Moshe should be their next Rebbe. Moshe could have chosen to stay as the leader of his smaller Sighet group. But leading the Satmar community offered much more influence and respect. The Council and Moshe then worked out the details for his official appointment.
A few weeks later, a meeting was announced at the main Satmar synagogue. At this meeting, the leader of the Council announced that Moshe would be the new Rebbe of Satmar. Moshe chose not to accept the role officially during the first year after Joel's death. This was a way to show his sadness and respect for his uncle, who had helped raise him. It also gave the Satmar community time to mourn and get used to the change. Moshe continued to live in Borough Park and lead his Sighet community during this time.
Around August 1980, Moshe formally became the Satmar Rebbe in a special ceremony in Kiryas Joel, New York. At the ceremony, Moshe spoke. He said that he could not truly replace Joel and asked the Hasidim not to expect the same things from him as they received from Joel.
Challenges to Leadership
Not all Satmar Hasidim accepted Moshe as the Rebbe. A group called the Bnei Yoel (or Kagners, meaning opponents) remained loyal to Joel's wife, Fayga Teitelbaum. Moshe Teitelbaum and his aunt Fayga had a difficult relationship. This tension began when Fayga married Joel Teitelbaum. Fayga was Joel's second wife, and Joel already had a grown daughter. Joel's daughter and Fayga argued over the household, and Moshe sided with his cousin against his aunt. Later, Joel's daughter died, and Fayga did not have any children with Joel.
Moshe Teitelbaum as Satmar Rebbe
Moshe's time as Satmar Rebbe began with some disagreements. Soon after becoming Rebbe, Moshe appointed his son Aaron as the chief rabbi and head of the religious school in Kiryas Joel, New York. This gave Aaron authority over many community matters. Some people in Kiryas Joel were not happy with Aaron's appointment.
Moshe also changed some of Joel's trusted staff members. He replaced them with people who were loyal to him.
Guiding the Community
As Rebbe, Moshe understood that his role was to protect and continue what his uncle Joel had built. He said, "We must not create new paths, but study the teachings of my uncle." He continued many of the traditions that Joel had started.
People noticed some differences between Joel and Moshe. Joel was seen as more spiritual, while Moshe was more practical and direct in his speech. Moshe did not speak out against Zionism as often as Joel did. This might be because the topic was not as central during Moshe's leadership.
Growth of Satmar
Under Moshe's leadership, from 1980 until 2006, the Satmar community grew a lot. It doubled in size to about 100,000 to 120,000 followers. This made it the largest Hasidic group in the United States. By the time he passed away, Satmar's properties were worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Moshe Teitelbaum wrote a five-volume Hasidic book about the Bible called Berach Moshe.
Succession of Leadership
In May 1999, Moshe Teitelbaum chose his third son, Zalman, to be the local leader of the Satmar community in Williamsburg. Before this, Zalman had been the leader of Satmar in Jerusalem. This decision seemed to suggest that Zalman would lead Satmar after Moshe's death. This was a change from the earlier belief that his oldest son, Aaron, would take over. Zalman also represented his father in community matters and took on his father's duties when Moshe traveled.
Moshe's choice of Zalman as the local leader caused different groups to form, supporting either Aaron or Zalman. Aaron's supporters believed that Moshe had been influenced by others to choose Zalman. They worried they would lose their influence if Aaron became the leader.
In April 2006, when Moshe passed away, the two sides discussed through others who would speak at his funeral and in what order. Both groups declared their chosen leader as the new Rebbe.
Moshe's will named Zalman as his successor. However, Aaron's supporters questioned if the will was valid. They claimed that Moshe had been unwell since 1997.
Moshe Teitelbaum's Passing
Moshe Teitelbaum passed away from cancer on April 24, 2006, at the age of 91. Tens of thousands of people from the Jewish community attended his funeral and burial. The services were held in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and later in Kiryas Joel, New York. All of the Rebbe's children or their husbands spoke at the main Satmar synagogue in Williamsburg. Teitelbaum was buried near his uncle Joel in the community's cemetery in Kiryas Joel.
Moshe was survived by his wife; four sons, Aaron, Lipa, Zalmen Leib, and Shulem; and two daughters, Bracha Meisels and Hendy Halberstam. At the time of his death, he had at least 86 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. After his death, his first son, Aaron, and his third son, Zalman Leib, both claimed leadership of Satmar. His second son, Lipa, led a smaller congregation in Williamsburg. His son-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Shia Halberstam, was a Satmar rebbe in Monsey, New York.
