Joel Teitelbaum
Encyclopedia
Joel Teitelbaum, (born 1887 - died August 19, 1979) known as Reb Yoelish or the Satmar
Rav (or Rebbe), was a prominent
Hungarian
Hasidic
rebbe
and Talmud
ic scholar. He was probably the best known Haredi
opponent of all forms of modern political Zionism
. But his opposition to Zionism was only part of a much wider approach to Judaism that revitalized many Hungarian and Transylvania
n Jewish survivors of the Holocaust and led to a renaissance of the 'Ungarish' (Hungary-originated) Hasidic community.
(died 1904), who served as the rabbi of Sighet in Romania
(at that time Hungary
). A spirited child, he was renowned from a young age for his sharp tongue and brilliant analytical skills. During the 1920s, he served as the rabbi of Krole (Nagykaroly or Carei) near Satmar (Satu Mare). In 1928, he was invited to become the rabbi of Satmar, but vigorous opposition to his appointment led to bitter fighting and he was unable to take up his position until 1934. Upon his departure from Krole, the local community appointed Rabbi Abishel Horowitz, a son-in-law of the Spinka
Rebbe.
Rav of Polaniec
. She died in 1936 and, after a number of years, he remarried to Alte Faige née Shapiro. He had three daughters from his first marriage: Esther, Rachel and Roysele. They all died in his lifetime: Esther died during childhood; Rachel died 6 months after she married her first cousin, Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum (II), the rabbi of Sighet
; and Roysele (the only of his children to survive the holocaust), who married Lipa Teitelbaum, the Semihaya Rav, and died in 1953 in the US. His second wife did not bear him any children. Thus, whilst his second wife survived him, he was not survived by any children. This was the source of a succession dispute after his death.
during 1944 in Nazi
-controlled Transylvania
as a result of a deal between a Hungarian Zionist official, Rudolph Kastner, and a deputy of Adolf Eichmann
. En route, the train was re-routed by the Germans to Bergen-Belsen
, where the 1600 passengers languished for four months while awaiting further negotiations between rescue activists and the Nazi leadership. In the end, the train was released and continued on to Switzerland.
, he settled there instead. He attracted many new followers and established a large community in the densely Orthodox
neighborhood of Williamsburg
located in northern Brooklyn
in New York City
. Starting in the 1960s, he searched for a location outside of the city to establish a new self-contained community for his disciples and their families, eventually deciding upon Monroe, New York
where a new town known as Kiryas Joel
was launched. The name Kiryas Joel means "Town of Joel" which alludes to the awe in which he was held by his adherents. Upon his death, he was the first individual to be buried there in 1979. Reputedly over 100,000 Jews attended his funeral. He was succeeded by his nephew Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum
, who divided the control of the Williamsburg and Monroe Satmar communities between two of his own sons.
and novelae (scholarly contributions to Talmud
ic debates) entitled Divrei Yoel and Al HaGeulah V'Al HaTemurah this was written with the help of the late Rabbi N.Y. Meisels. He also authored a brief introduction to the Talmudic tractate Shabbos for a Holocaust-era printing in Romania. His exposition of his belief that Zionism
is prohibited by Halakha
("Jewish law") is entitled VaYoel Moshe
. There are also collections of his speeches entitled, Hidushei Torah MHR"I Teitelbaum.
. He encouraged his followers to form self-sufficient communities without assistance from the secular State of Israel and forbade any "official" engagement with it.
Before World War II, most Hasidic rabbis, as well as many other prominent Orthodox
rabbis and leaders, believed that God
had promised to return the Jewish people to the land of Israel
by means of the actions of the Jewish Messiah
alone, and who would arrive when the Jewish people had merited redemption. During the current exile, the Jewish people are expected to perform the mitzvot
. In addition, they are advised not to antagonize or rebel against the gentile
nations of the world in the course of their long exile in the diaspora
. In the years following the Holocaust, Teitelbaum undertook to maintain and strengthen this position, as did many Orthodox Jews and communities.
In the view of Teitelbaum's followers, the modern State of Israel, which was founded
by people that included some anti-religious personalities in seeming violation of the traditional notion that Jews should wait for the Jewish Messiah, is seen as contrary to Judaism
as Satmar Hasidism understands it to be. Moreover, the Satmar Rebbe taught that the existence of the Zionist State of Israel is preventing the Messiah from coming.
" on the nation of Israel: a) Israel should not return to the Land together, by force; b) Israel should not rebel against the other nations; and c) The nations should not subjugate Israel too harshly.
According to Teitelbaum, the second oath is relevant concerning the subsequent wars fought between Israel and Arab nations. He views the Zionist State of Israel as a form of "impatience" and in keeping with the Talmud's warnings that being impatient for God's love leads to "grave danger". Satmar Hasidism explains that the constant wars in Israel are a fulfilment of ignoring this oath.
Teitelbaum saw his opposition to Zionism as a way of protecting Jewish lives and preventing bloodshed. Although some Haredi
rabbis may agree with this idea, the general view of Agudath Israel
and many other orthodox rabbis is that for all practical purposes, through participating in the Israeli government, efforts can be made to promote religious Judaism in Israel. Teitelbaum, however, felt that any participation in the Israeli government, even voting in elections, was a grave sin, because it contributes to the spiritual and physical destruction of innocent people. He was openly opposed to the views of Agudath Israel, and until the present time, the official Satmar movement refuses to become a member of the Agudath Israel organization or party. The Satmar view is that only the Jewish Messiah can bring about a new Jewish government in the Holy Land
, and even if a government declaring itself religious would be formed before the Messiah, it would be illegitimate due to its improper arrogation of power.
While the Satmar Hasidim are opposed to the present secular government of Israel, many of them live in and visit Israel. Teitelbaum himself lived for about a year in Jerusalem after his escape from Europe
, but before the establishment of the State of Israel, and visited Israel after moving to the United States.
. He argued with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
over the proper height of a mechitza
(divider between men and women in the synagogue). Feinstein held that the mechitza need go only up to the shoulders of the average woman, while Teitelbaum opined that the mechitza should not allow women to be seen at all.
Teitelbaum was very opposed to the use of a tube for metzitza during circumcision of a baby boy
, and felt that this change in the procedure would spiritually lead to more promiscuity.
Teitelbaum encouraged all married chassidic men to wear ceremonial fur hats
. Although these were not worn by most chassidic men in Hungary before the war, Teitelbaum felt that in America it was more important for people to look very different from the non-Jews, in order to prevent assimilation, which was far more rampant in America than it had been in Hungary.
Teitelbaum stressed the importance of tznius for women. He was a strong proponent of the Hungarian hasidic custom for married women to shave their head every month before immersion in the mikveh (ritual bath). He also strongly opposed the wearing of wigs
by married women. He felt on Jewish legal grounds that this was prohibited; he wanted women to cover their hair with something else instead, such as a turban. He also insisted that all women and girls wear thick, brown stockings with seams. The stockings had to be at least 90 denier. Due to the lack of a general market for such stockings, Teitelbaum encouraged one of his hasidim to manufacture the stockings on his own. The stockings were called "Palm," the English translation of Teitelbaum's last name.
Teitelbaum prohibited the ownership of a television in the house. This was in the 1950s, when TV was still heavily censored for promiscuous content. He also bought and oversaw his own Yiddish language
newspaper, Der Yid
, for two reasons: First, he felt that the other Yiddish newspapers at the time contained articles that were prohibited to read--because of their promiscuous content and because they didn't respect haredi leaders. In addition, Teitelbaum wanted a platform from which to spread his anti-Zionist ideas.
Teitelbaum held that boys and girls shouldn't meet more than two or three times before getting engaged, just like it had been done in Hungary.
Satmar (Hasidic dynasty)
Satmar is a Hasidic movement comprising mostly Hungarian and Romanian Hasidic Jewish Holocaust survivors and their descendants. It was founded and led by the late Hungarian-born Grand Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum , who was the rabbi of Szatmárnémeti, Hungary...
Rav (or Rebbe), was a prominent
Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
Hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
rebbe
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
and Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic scholar. He was probably the best known Haredi
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
opponent of all forms of modern political Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
. But his opposition to Zionism was only part of a much wider approach to Judaism that revitalized many Hungarian and Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
n Jewish survivors of the Holocaust and led to a renaissance of the 'Ungarish' (Hungary-originated) Hasidic community.
Early years
Teitelbaum was the second and youngest son, and fifth child of, Grand Rabbi Chananyah Yom Tov Lipa TeitelbaumChananyah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum
Rabbi Chanayah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum was the Grand Rebbe of Siget. He was the author of Kedushath Yom Tov, a Hasidic commentary on the Torah...
(died 1904), who served as the rabbi of Sighet in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
(at that time Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
). A spirited child, he was renowned from a young age for his sharp tongue and brilliant analytical skills. During the 1920s, he served as the rabbi of Krole (Nagykaroly or Carei) near Satmar (Satu Mare). In 1928, he was invited to become the rabbi of Satmar, but vigorous opposition to his appointment led to bitter fighting and he was unable to take up his position until 1934. Upon his departure from Krole, the local community appointed Rabbi Abishel Horowitz, a son-in-law of the Spinka
Spinka (Hasidic dynasty)
Spinka is the name of a Hasidic group within Orthodox Judaism. The group originated in a city called Săpânţa , Maramureş, Romania, near the Hungarian border.-Spinka rebbes:...
Rebbe.
Personal life and family
By the age of 17, he married Chavah, the daughter of Rabbi Abraham Chaim Horowitz, the PlontcherPolaniec
Połaniec is a town in Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 8,227 inhabitants .The Połaniec power plant, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in Poland, is located in the vicinity of the town, in Zawada village....
Rav of Polaniec
Polaniec
Połaniec is a town in Staszów County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, with 8,227 inhabitants .The Połaniec power plant, one of the largest coal-fired power plants in Poland, is located in the vicinity of the town, in Zawada village....
. She died in 1936 and, after a number of years, he remarried to Alte Faige née Shapiro. He had three daughters from his first marriage: Esther, Rachel and Roysele. They all died in his lifetime: Esther died during childhood; Rachel died 6 months after she married her first cousin, Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum (II), the rabbi of Sighet
Sighetu Marmatiei
Sighetu Marmației , formerly Sighet, is a city in Maramureş County near the Iza River, in north-western Romania. It administers five villages: Iapa, Lazu Baciului, Șugău, Valea Cufundoasă and Valea Hotarului.-Geography:...
; and Roysele (the only of his children to survive the holocaust), who married Lipa Teitelbaum, the Semihaya Rav, and died in 1953 in the US. His second wife did not bear him any children. Thus, whilst his second wife survived him, he was not survived by any children. This was the source of a succession dispute after his death.
The Holocaust
Teitelbaum was rescued from death in the HolocaustThe Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
during 1944 in Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
-controlled Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
as a result of a deal between a Hungarian Zionist official, Rudolph Kastner, and a deputy of Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Eichmann
Adolf Otto Eichmann was a German Nazi and SS-Obersturmbannführer and one of the major organizers of the Holocaust...
. En route, the train was re-routed by the Germans to Bergen-Belsen
Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen was a Nazi concentration camp in Lower Saxony in northwestern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen near Celle...
, where the 1600 passengers languished for four months while awaiting further negotiations between rescue activists and the Nazi leadership. In the end, the train was released and continued on to Switzerland.
Town Founder
Teitelbaum briefly lived in Jerusalem after World War II, but, at the request of some of his followers who had emigrated to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he settled there instead. He attracted many new followers and established a large community in the densely Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
neighborhood of Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
located in northern Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Starting in the 1960s, he searched for a location outside of the city to establish a new self-contained community for his disciples and their families, eventually deciding upon Monroe, New York
Monroe, New York
Monroe, New York may refer to two municipalities in Orange County, New York in the United States:*Monroe , New York*Monroe , New York, located entirely within the town...
where a new town known as Kiryas Joel
Kiryas Joel, New York
Kiryas Joel is a village within the town of Monroe in Orange County, New York, United States...
was launched. The name Kiryas Joel means "Town of Joel" which alludes to the awe in which he was held by his adherents. Upon his death, he was the first individual to be buried there in 1979. Reputedly over 100,000 Jews attended his funeral. He was succeeded by his nephew Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum
Moshe Teitelbaum (Satmar)
Moshe Teitelbaum was a Hasidic rebbe and the world leader of the Satmar Hasidim, which is believed to be one of the largest Hasidic communities in the world, with some 120,000 followers.-Early life:...
, who divided the control of the Williamsburg and Monroe Satmar communities between two of his own sons.
Scholar
Teitelbaum's works include collections of responsaResponsa
Responsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
and novelae (scholarly contributions to Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic debates) entitled Divrei Yoel and Al HaGeulah V'Al HaTemurah this was written with the help of the late Rabbi N.Y. Meisels. He also authored a brief introduction to the Talmudic tractate Shabbos for a Holocaust-era printing in Romania. His exposition of his belief that Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
is prohibited by Halakha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
("Jewish law") is entitled VaYoel Moshe
Vayoel Moshe
Vayoel Moshe is a Hebrew book written by Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, leader of the Satmar Hasidic movement, in the year 1961. It made his case that Judaism is against Zionism....
. There are also collections of his speeches entitled, Hidushei Torah MHR"I Teitelbaum.
Opposition to modern Zionism
Teitelbaum was renowned for his vocal religiously motivated opposition to Zionism in all arenas. This approach was consistent with his father's views and those of many other prominent rabbis. His father and predecessor was Rabbi Chananyah Yom Tov Lipa TeitelbaumChananyah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum
Rabbi Chanayah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum was the Grand Rebbe of Siget. He was the author of Kedushath Yom Tov, a Hasidic commentary on the Torah...
. He encouraged his followers to form self-sufficient communities without assistance from the secular State of Israel and forbade any "official" engagement with it.
Before World War II, most Hasidic rabbis, as well as many other prominent Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbis and leaders, believed that God
Names of God in Judaism
In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
had promised to return the Jewish people to the land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
by means of the actions of the Jewish Messiah
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
alone, and who would arrive when the Jewish people had merited redemption. During the current exile, the Jewish people are expected to perform the mitzvot
613 mitzvot
The 613 commandments is a numbering of the statements and principles of law, ethics, and spiritual practice contained in the Torah or Five Books of Moses...
. In addition, they are advised not to antagonize or rebel against the gentile
Gentile
The term Gentile refers to non-Israelite peoples or nations in English translations of the Bible....
nations of the world in the course of their long exile in the diaspora
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
. In the years following the Holocaust, Teitelbaum undertook to maintain and strengthen this position, as did many Orthodox Jews and communities.
In the view of Teitelbaum's followers, the modern State of Israel, which was founded
Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel
The Israeli Declaration of Independence , made on 14 May 1948 , the day before the British Mandate was due to expire, was the announcement by David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization and chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, that the new Jewish state named the...
by people that included some anti-religious personalities in seeming violation of the traditional notion that Jews should wait for the Jewish Messiah, is seen as contrary to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
as Satmar Hasidism understands it to be. Moreover, the Satmar Rebbe taught that the existence of the Zionist State of Israel is preventing the Messiah from coming.
The three oaths
The core citations from classical Judaic sources cited by Teitelbaum in his arguments against modern Zionism are based on a passage in the Talmud, Rabbi Yosi b'Rebbi Hanina explains (Kesubos 111a) that the Lord imposed "Three OathsThree Oaths
The Three Oaths is the popular name for a Midrash found in the Talmud, which relates that God adjured three oaths upon the world. Two of the oaths pertain to the Jewish people, and one of the oaths pertains to the other nations of the world...
" on the nation of Israel: a) Israel should not return to the Land together, by force; b) Israel should not rebel against the other nations; and c) The nations should not subjugate Israel too harshly.
According to Teitelbaum, the second oath is relevant concerning the subsequent wars fought between Israel and Arab nations. He views the Zionist State of Israel as a form of "impatience" and in keeping with the Talmud's warnings that being impatient for God's love leads to "grave danger". Satmar Hasidism explains that the constant wars in Israel are a fulfilment of ignoring this oath.
Teitelbaum saw his opposition to Zionism as a way of protecting Jewish lives and preventing bloodshed. Although some Haredi
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
rabbis may agree with this idea, the general view of Agudath Israel
Agudath Israel
Agudath Israel can refer to any of several related organizations, including:*World Agudath Israel, an international movement*Agudath Israel of America, an American organization*Agudat Yisrael, an Israeli political party...
and many other orthodox rabbis is that for all practical purposes, through participating in the Israeli government, efforts can be made to promote religious Judaism in Israel. Teitelbaum, however, felt that any participation in the Israeli government, even voting in elections, was a grave sin, because it contributes to the spiritual and physical destruction of innocent people. He was openly opposed to the views of Agudath Israel, and until the present time, the official Satmar movement refuses to become a member of the Agudath Israel organization or party. The Satmar view is that only the Jewish Messiah can bring about a new Jewish government in the Holy Land
Holy Land
The Holy Land is a term which in Judaism refers to the Kingdom of Israel as defined in the Tanakh. For Jews, the Land's identifiction of being Holy is defined in Judaism by its differentiation from other lands by virtue of the practice of Judaism often possible only in the Land of Israel...
, and even if a government declaring itself religious would be formed before the Messiah, it would be illegitimate due to its improper arrogation of power.
While the Satmar Hasidim are opposed to the present secular government of Israel, many of them live in and visit Israel. Teitelbaum himself lived for about a year in Jerusalem after his escape from Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, but before the establishment of the State of Israel, and visited Israel after moving to the United States.
Other Opinions
Teitelbaum was very stringent in many particulars of Jewish lawHalakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
. He argued with Rabbi Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein
Moshe Feinstein was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar and posek , who was world-renowned for his expertise in Halakha and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme halakhic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America during his lifetime...
over the proper height of a mechitza
Mechitza
A mechitza in Jewish Halakha is a partition, particularly one that is used to separate men and women....
(divider between men and women in the synagogue). Feinstein held that the mechitza need go only up to the shoulders of the average woman, while Teitelbaum opined that the mechitza should not allow women to be seen at all.
Teitelbaum was very opposed to the use of a tube for metzitza during circumcision of a baby boy
Brit milah
The brit milah is a Jewish religious circumcision ceremony performed on 8-day old male infants by a mohel. The brit milah is followed by a celebratory meal .-Biblical references:...
, and felt that this change in the procedure would spiritually lead to more promiscuity.
Teitelbaum encouraged all married chassidic men to wear ceremonial fur hats
Shtreimel
A shtreimel is a fur hat worn by many married haredi Jewish men, particularly members of Hasidic groups, on Shabbat and Jewish holidays and other festive occasions. In Jerusalem, the shtreimel is also worn by 'Yerushalmi' Jews...
. Although these were not worn by most chassidic men in Hungary before the war, Teitelbaum felt that in America it was more important for people to look very different from the non-Jews, in order to prevent assimilation, which was far more rampant in America than it had been in Hungary.
Teitelbaum stressed the importance of tznius for women. He was a strong proponent of the Hungarian hasidic custom for married women to shave their head every month before immersion in the mikveh (ritual bath). He also strongly opposed the wearing of wigs
Sheitel
Sheitel is the Yiddish word for a wig or half-wig worn by Orthodox Jewish married women in order to conform with the requirement of Jewish Law to cover their hair. This practice is part of the modesty-related dress standard called tzniut. The word seems to be derived from the German word...
by married women. He felt on Jewish legal grounds that this was prohibited; he wanted women to cover their hair with something else instead, such as a turban. He also insisted that all women and girls wear thick, brown stockings with seams. The stockings had to be at least 90 denier. Due to the lack of a general market for such stockings, Teitelbaum encouraged one of his hasidim to manufacture the stockings on his own. The stockings were called "Palm," the English translation of Teitelbaum's last name.
Teitelbaum prohibited the ownership of a television in the house. This was in the 1950s, when TV was still heavily censored for promiscuous content. He also bought and oversaw his own Yiddish language
Yiddish language
Yiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
newspaper, Der Yid
Der Yid
Der Yid is a New York based Yiddish language weekly newspaper. The newspaper is published by Satmar Hasidim, but is widely read within the broader Haredi community. It uses a Yiddish dialect common to Satmar Chasidim as opposed to "YIVO Yiddish" which is standard in secular and academic circles.-...
, for two reasons: First, he felt that the other Yiddish newspapers at the time contained articles that were prohibited to read--because of their promiscuous content and because they didn't respect haredi leaders. In addition, Teitelbaum wanted a platform from which to spread his anti-Zionist ideas.
Teitelbaum held that boys and girls shouldn't meet more than two or three times before getting engaged, just like it had been done in Hungary.
See also
- SatmarSatmar (Hasidic dynasty)Satmar is a Hasidic movement comprising mostly Hungarian and Romanian Hasidic Jewish Holocaust survivors and their descendants. It was founded and led by the late Hungarian-born Grand Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum , who was the rabbi of Szatmárnémeti, Hungary...
- Hasidic JudaismHasidic JudaismHasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
- Neturei KartaNeturei KartaNeturei Karta is a Haredi Jewish group formally created in Jerusalem, British Mandate of Palestine, in 1938, splitting off from Agudas Yisroel...
- Haredi JudaismHaredi JudaismHaredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
- Shomer Emunim (Hasidic dynasty)Shomer Emunim (Hasidic dynasty)Shomer Emunim is a devout, insular Hasidic group based in Bnei Brak. It was founded in the 20th century by Rabbi Arele Roth....