Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum Is Dead at 91

NY Times ^ | 4/24/06 | ANDY NEWMAN

[Bella_Bru]

Moses Teitelbaum, the grand rabbi of the Satmar Hasidim, one of the world's largest and fastest-growing sects of Orthodox Jews, died yesterday in Manhattan. He was 91 and lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

His family, through spokesmen, said he died at Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized for a number of ailments.

Rabbi Teitelbaum became leader of the Satmars in 1980, succeeding his uncle Joel Teitelbaum. In Hasidism, a mystical brand of Orthodox Judaism, the grand rabbi is revered as a kinglike link to God, holding vast sway over members' lives.

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.

[Bella_Bru]

Ping list please.

[Bella_Bru]

ping list please.

[Bella_Bru]

ping

[Bella_Bru]

Sadly, I think a battle between his two sons' followers is about to erupt over whom should be the next rebbe of the Satmars.

[M. Espinola]

Ping

[Jimmy Valentine]

Haven't they already had some conflicts break out? I seem to remember that several months ago, one side broke into a service and began tearing the place up.

Could this result in a split in the community over who is the rightful successor?

[Bella_Bru]

It's something about a struggle between the eldest and the 3rd eldest. I imagine it greatly pained the rebbe to see his sons and their respective followers quarreling.

[COBOL2Java]

Rest in peace, Rabbi...

I found "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok to be an excellent novel dealing with the subject of the Hasidim. Click on the image for more info:

[Bella_Bru]

The Chosen is one of my favorite books. The movie was ok, but it didn't do the book justice.

[SJackson]

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[SAMS]

"The movie was ok, but it didn't do the book justice."

Do they ever? I have never read a book, then seen the movie & been impressed.

[Bella_Bru]

In fact, you might want to ask Alouette. She isn't a Satmar, but she understands this whole hasidic dynasty thing better than me.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Rest in peace.

[Alouette]

Baruch Dayan Emes. [the True Judge be blessed]

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