Satmar Rebbe in Kiryas Joel Endorses Trump

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(MIKE WAGENHEIM / JNS) — Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, the influential Satmar Chassidic rebbe of Kiryas Joel in Upstate New York, announced on Monday that he endorsed former President Donald Trump for president.

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A mock Satmar ballot, which offered guidance in Yiddish for whom to vote for, provided to JNS showed votes cast for Democrats in nine of the 11 federal, state and local races. However, Trump received Teitelbaum’s approval, reportedly following discussions among the leadership of the Chassidic group.

The news of the Trump endorsement is a marked departure from Rabbi Teitelbaum’s harsh criticism of “Trumpism” after Election Day in 2022.

“Trumpism became entangled in the Jewish camp,” Rabbi Teitelbaum said at the time. “This Trumpism twisted the minds of so many Yidden,” he said, using the Yiddish word for Jews. “It brainwashed people, and that’s so painful.”

Teitelbaum and his brother, Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, both identify as the grand rabbi of Satmar, which their father led and before him was led by their grand-uncle. Zalman Leib Teitelbaum runs the Satmar community in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Satmar Chassidim, who number some 100,000 worldwide, do not support the Israeli government or the modern Israeli state.

Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum’s critical assessment in 2022 came in response to heavy Orthodox Jewish support for Lee Zeldin, a Jewish former congressman, who nearly upended New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, in an unexpectedly tight race.

Rabbi Teitelbaum’s group, which was one of only two New York Chassidic voting blocs that tied themselves to Hochul, generally favors Republicans in national elections. It mostly supports Democrats in state and local ballots, given the strengths of Democrats in the state.

Satmar schools are among the targets of ongoing state probes of private Jewish day schools, which critics say do not sufficiently teach English and secular subjects, and do not fulfill the requirement in state law to provide “substantially equivalent” education to public schools. (That phrase in state law is tied to late 19th-century anti-Catholic legislation.)

Aside from Trump, Rabbi Teitelbaum announced his endorsement on Monday of Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) in the 18th Congressional District. Ryan is facing Alison Esposito, a Republican, in what analysts see as a key race for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Needs to be said
Needs to be said
3 months ago

But then they went ahead and endorsed all the leftist Looney tunes, those who despise the Torah and everything the Torah says. They want to vote for the pro-abortionist. They want to vote for the gay rights and all gay and yaygay.

Bunch of idiots! If you want President Trump to be your president and allow him to do what needs to be done according to the Republican agenda, don’t load your ballot with Democrats!

I hope the people in KJ have some brains and vote Republican down the line!

BROOKLYNER
BROOKLYNER
3 months ago

(which critics say do not sufficiently teach English and secular subjects,)
They definitely teach English and secular subjects. Compare their curriculum to public school and any other school and you will see they learn the same math, algebra, history, science, grammar etc. Maybe they speak English poorly, but that is a result of it not being their main language in communication. Btw, most people on the street in Brooklyn do not speak English properly either.

Shamai
Shamai
3 months ago

Glad to see this
Let’s see the Rebbe endorse conservative candidates who align with Torah values in local elections

Just wondering
Just wondering
3 months ago

Does anybody actually vote for a candidate based on a rebbe’s endorsement?

triumphinwhitehouse
triumphinwhitehouse
3 months ago

how will they reconcile his views on Israel, which they wish to cease to exist and he supports?

Zionism
Zionism
3 months ago

Obviously he won’t admit this but he was saved by the Kastner train a controversial Zionist plot to bribe Nazis ratlines with getaway money for him while he he forbade his followers from fleeing death

Very upsetting
Very upsetting
3 months ago

It is assur for any Frum Yid to vote for Kirsten Gillabrand! Do you people know what she stands for?!

Arik
Arik
3 months ago

Finally, Satmar starts to contribute to olam ha zen.

grey
grey
3 months ago

There are not going to be any Heimishe Yidden voting for any Democrat.