NEW YORK, Aug 26, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- The faction of
Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum of the divided Satmar Hassidic sect won a victory from
the Brooklyn courts Tuesday, just in time for the most significant event on the
Satmar calendar.
On Wednesday, the biggest current day Jewish pilgrimage outside of
Israel will make its way to Monroe, NY. Close to 50,000 people will visit the
tomb of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum the founder of Satmar Hasidim on the 29th
anniversary of the Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's death.
But a dispute that erupted eight years ago after a faction led by
Zalmen Teitelbaum, the younger son of former Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum who
died in April 2006, tried to take control over the Williamsburg Congregation,
has divided the sect in two.
On Monday, a Brooklyn Judge denied the breakaway faction, followers
of Zalmen Teitelbaum judicial recognition of their claim to be the leaders of
the Williamsburg Congregation, a very significant congregation in the worldwide
Satmar sect.
Kings County Supreme Court Justice Michael Ambrosio held that a
faction aligned with Rabbi Zalmen Teitelbaum, could not claim legal entitlement
to control the Williamsburg Congregation.
According to Justice Ambrosio, attempts by the Zalmen faction to
claim hold on the property, is beyond the court's purview. Justice Ambrosio
found that the Zalmen faction had "misinterpreted" earlier court decisions, and
found no legal basis to support their disputed claim to be the lawful leaders of
the Congregation.
The tactics used by each side flipped 180 degrees. In the past
followers of Aaron Teitelbaum, the older son, claimed the dispute between the
two factions was in the courts domain. But the courts have continued to claim it
is beyond their purview. In the latest battle they decided to follow the logic
of the court, and claimed that the dispute was non-justiciable and should be
brought before a rabbinic court.
Asked to explain the reversal of their legal argument, Jeffrey D.
Buss an attorney for the Aaron camp, gave two reasons. First, the courts had
been very clear that they would not get involved. Second, his clients are the
stronger of the two factions within the community, with a majority of the
worldwide Satmar community recognizing Rabbi Aaron as the new Grand Rabbi.
According to Mr. Buss, it is traditional for the older son to inherit the
position of Grand Rabbi.
The Aaron camp is celebrating the recent court decision as a major
victory. And tomorrow the majority of the people attending the pilgrimage will
be pleased as they walk up the cemetery mountain with the knowledge that the
majority has both the courts and God on their side.
Link to court decision:
http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/pdfs/2008/2008_32321.pdf
SOURCE Congregation Yetev Lev D'Satmar