Legendary Satmar

Dear Editor,

In his letter of June 27, Rabbi Heshie Billet takes the 5TJT to task for allocating front-page coverage to the visit to Israel by Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, one of the two Satmar Rebbes. Why, wonders Rabbi Billet, would you lend such prominent space to someone who is opposed to the very existence of the State of Israel?

I, too, wrestle with the contradictory notion of honoring someone who opposes the State but has no issue with the State providing security for his visit. Moreover, a virulent public proclamation signed by rabbis who are disciples either of Rav Aaron or of his brother, Rav Zalman Leib, warned against granting any legitimacy to the IDF or its soldiers. The letter, issued shortly after October 7, 2023, amply demonstrated that Satmar’s view regarding a pre-Messiah Jewish state has not budged one iota.

However, a recent story about Rav Aaron lends me comfort. In January 2024, a relative of the Rebbe, hearing that an army unit in the north did not have proper food for Shabbat, arranged for food to be brought to that unit and to others throughout the north. His instructions were to say that the Rebbe himself had insisted on giving the food. Said the Rebbe: “Not one soldier should be without food for Shabbos.”

So let us keep in mind that while most of us consider Satmar’s view regarding Israel to hold no water, we must also be grateful for specific acts of kindness such as this. (As a cancer patient, I can attest that Satmar’s legendary bikur cholim and advocacy are not legend at all; the attribute of caring for one’s brethren is deeply ingrained in the Satmar psyche.)

As an aside, there is great irony regarding the rescue of Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the first Satmar Rebbe, from the fires of Europe. Rav Yoel was saved from the Holocaust by the Zionist Agency, on the famous Kasztner train. Yes, the greatest anti-Zionist in the religious community survived the Holocaust because of the Zionists!

Finally, in Larry Gordon’s response to Rabbi Billet, Mr. Gordon mentions the Neturei Karta. He writes: “The Satmar position on Israel is not like that of the Neturei Karta, the chassidic-looking group that always seems to be present at anti-Israel, pro-Hamas demonstrations.” It is true that a handful of Neturei Karta members have demonstrably supported our enemies. These disgusting individuals are likely not representative of the thousands of Neturei Karta adherents (mostly in Israel) who have not aligned with those who hate us.

Avi Goldstein

Far Rockaway

Covered In Dignity

Dear Editor,

We are pleased to announce the opening of a new gemach to service the greater Five Towns community. This gemach provides dignified coverups for postsurgical patients, so our beloved family members who are in the hospital will now be able to maintain their dignity even under trying circumstances.

To enhance the recovery process, postsurgical patients are strongly encouraged to leave their beds and, with the assistance of the nursing staff, to walk up and down the hallways, often as soon as the day following surgery. Hospitals provide gowns that are simply not up to our standards and not appropriate for appearing in “public.”

We have now designed a comfortable, more substantial coverup for our chashuve family and community members. Designed as a poncho rather than a robe, it is simple to put on and to remove, and it can easily accommodate the patient’s medical devices.

For more information, please text 347-380-3710.

May all be healthy and well!

Miriam Liebermann