There is the Satmar of unsurpassed chesed. No one parallels Satmar when it comes to charitable causes. Whether it is lending a helping hand to the less fortunate, or it is bikur cholim – visiting and providing for the sick – no organization surpasses Satmar. Satmar has also created two wonderful communities in Williamsburg and Monroe. They are communities rich in services and charity. They also have batei midrash – study halls – in which there is a constant presence of men sitting and learning Torah.
Despite the two brothers, the Rebbes of Satmar, famously not seeing eye to eye, they have nonetheless established k’hilos of which they can be proud. Let’s not forget that Hatzalah got its start in Williamsburg. And they represent many votes, which means political power and influence.
But then there is the underbelly of Satmar. It is no secret that Satmar is vehemently opposed to the State of Israel. They are certainly entitled to their opinion on the matter. But when they start voicing their displeasure with Israel in the public arena, things spiral out of control.
I get the feeling that they know that the war with Zionism is no longer relevant. Israel is here, and it’s here to stay. The lure of Zionism to the religious community is no longer a threat to anyone. Those who are entrenched in religious Zionism will remain so; those who are anti-Zionist are equally embedded in their ways. No one will suffer due to the success of Zionism.
Yet the two factions of Satmar – the Ronies, short for Rav Aharon in Monroe, and the Zalmies, followers of Rav Zalman Leib in Williamsburg – engage in a spitting contest to see who can outdo the other when it comes to confronting Zionism. It is as though they need to create a straw man and then shoot at it to keep Satmar relevant in these times. Hence the over-the-top accusations against Israel.
One such protest was held in front of the Israeli Consulate in Manhattan last week. In it, the speakers blasted the Israeli government for being anti-Orthodox. At the root of their protest was the push to draft yeshivah students into the army. There was no reason to bring this protest to the streets of New York, giving fodder to our countless enemies on the network and social media. One young man held up a sign reading that the Zionists are worse than Haman, the Inquisition, and the Nazis. Was that necessary?
Another chasidic rebbe, whose name escapes me, spoke into the camera, shouting that it’s not just the yeshivah students they are bemoaning, but that every chareidi boy – learning or not – should not serve in the IDF. He blew the cover off the protesters, decrying the claim that yeshivah students do their part in protecting the country by learning Torah. It seems that deep down, many in the chareidi community feel it is a rite of passage for a chareidi young man not to serve in the army.
We also saw how a group of Satmar chasidim invited Zohran Mamdani to join them in their sukkah. They referred to him as “Mr. Mayor.” It is reminiscent of the time when Jews cried out to the illegitimate King Agripas, “We are your brothers!” (see the Gemara in Sotah 41a), for which they were held accountable.
It is told that the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Yoel, did not endorse a certain candidate running for mayor due to his anti-Israel stance. So, his chasidim asked him, “But Rebbe, you, too, are anti-Israel?” To which he responded, “When a gentile is anti-Israel, it is because he hates Jews. When I am anti-Israel, it is because I love Jews.” Zohran Mamdani is certainly no lover of Jews.
The tale of two Satmars is a complex one. If only we could speak about the generous and caring Satmar – it would make life better for many of us.
Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld is the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, President of the Coalition for Jewish Values, former President of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens, and the Rabbinic Consultant for the Queens Jewish Link.