Inside the White House: Ami Magazine Publishes More Details From Rabbinic Meeting With Trump

WASHINGTON (VINnews) – New details have emerged about last week’s White House meeting between President Donald Trump and six prominent rabbanim, including private conversations, requests on behalf of Jewish inmates and communities, and an unexpected discussion about the 2017 pardon of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin.

The meeting, described by Ami Magazine reporter Yochonon Donn as a watershed moment, lasted more than three hours overall, with the meeting in the Oval Office itself lasting about 30 minutes.

The delegation included the Satmar Rebbes, Rav Aharon of Kiryas Yoel and Rav Zalman Leib of Williamsburg; the Bobover Rebbe; the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, Rav Yisroel Hager; Rav Malkiel Kotler, rosh yeshivah of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood; and Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky, a son of the Skverer Rebbe, who attended in his father’s place.

The meeting did not unfold exactly as planned. The Satmar Rebbe, Rav Aharon, was scheduled to recite the traditional blessing for the president, followed by brief remarks from each of the rabbinic leaders. The Bobover Rebbe had even prepared a transcript.

But after the Satmar Rebbe completed the tefillah, Trump immediately began speaking, turning the planned presentation into a more informal back-and-forth conversation.

Trump opened by discussing his military campaign against Iran and then shifted to one of his best-known actions involving the Orthodox Jewish community: his pardon of Rubashkin.
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Trump recalled questioning the prosecutor about Rubashkin’s 28-year sentence and said he considered the punishment excessive. He described the case as involving antisemitism and said he ultimately decided to pardon Rubashkin.

That prompted Reb Yoel Rosenfeld, who accompanied the Bobover Rebbe, to raise concerns about other Orthodox Jews involved in the criminal justice system.

Rosenfeld asked Trump to consider reviewing cases involving Orthodox Jewish defendants who may have received unusually severe sentences or plea offers because of antisemitism. He said he had already been in contact with senior White House officials and had left memoranda for further review.

Other issues raised included kosher food for Jewish inmates, federal benefits for mothers who stay home with their children, the proposed merger of Maimonides Medical Center with the New York City Health + Hospitals system, and a major water project serving Kiryas Yoel.

The Kiryas Yoel project involves a roughly $150 million pipeline connecting the community to the New York City aqueduct. About $25 million has been earmarked for a needed filtration plant, but the funding has been held up. Reb Gedalya Szegedin asked that the Army Corps of Engineers become involved in completing the project.

The Satmar Rebbe also focused on Jewish prisoners who have difficulty obtaining kosher food. Szegedin explained that the higher cost of kosher meals is a major factor and said organizations in Kiryas Yoel were prepared to provide the meals at the same price as nonkosher food.

There was also a private meeting between Rav Aharon of Satmar and Trump before the larger gathering.

During that conversation, Trump called for Jared Kushner, his son-in-law, telling an aide, “Get me Jared Kushner. I have here such a great rabbi.” Kushner joined the conversation and remained nearby.

The Satmar Rebbe thanked Trump for his role in securing the release of hostages from Gaza and for signing the First Step Act, which resulted in the release of numerous prisoners, including Jewish inmates. He then raised additional cases in which he believed sentences were disproportionate and asked that they be reviewed.

Trump asked whether the Rebbe could vouch that one particular inmate would not return to criminal activity.

“These are good people,” the Rebbe replied, according to the account.

Vice President JD Vance also met with the rabbinic delegation during an earlier session in the Roosevelt Room. Vance thanked the rabbanim for coming and expressed appreciation for their emphasis on family values.

Rosenfeld used the opportunity to advocate for legislation that would prevent mothers who choose to remain home with their children from being penalized in their access to federal benefits and programs. Vance responded that he was already working on the issue.

The meeting also included several lighter moments.

Trump noticed the different colors and styles of the rabbis’ bekeshes and asked about their significance. Szegedin explained that each rabbi’s clothing reflected the traditions of his community.

Rosenfeld compared the different groups to the Navy and Marines — different uniforms but the same purpose.

“Inside, we’re all the same,” Rav Zalman Leib added.

At another point, Trump looked at the two Satmar Rebbes and remarked that they looked like twins. Rav Aharon responded that they were brothers but not twins.

Trump also asked Rav Aharon Mendel Twersky about his father, the Skverer Rebbe, who was unable to attend because of his age. When told that his father was somewhere between 80 and 90, Trump, who recently turned 80, responded, “That’s old.”

Trump also asked whether the rabbanim loved Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Someone responded, “We love Trump.”

In another notable moment, Trump held up a card containing the names, photographs and number of followers associated with each of the rebbes. The article noted that such cards are a familiar feature of presidential meetings, although a rumor circulated that the figures represented the number of votes each rabbi controlled.

The Bobover Rebbe also sought to raise the deteriorating condition of Jewish cemeteries in Europe. He noted that an earlier effort involving his father had helped establish the Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe and said its aging membership needed to be replenished. He also identified several cemeteries considered endangered.

The meeting had been preceded by extensive preparation. Each of the rabbinic leaders had consulted with Washington insiders about which issues should be raised and which matters were already being handled by others. Some subjects were deliberately left off the agenda.

For several of the rabbanim, the White House visit was also part of a much longer history of meetings between American presidents and Orthodox Jewish leaders. Rav Aharon and Rav Zalman Leib of Satmar had previously met Ronald Reagan, while Rav Yisroel Hager accompanied his father to a 1979 White House meeting with President Jimmy Carter.

The six rabbanim ultimately stood together in the Oval Office as Rav Aharon recited the traditional Hanosein Teshuah prayer for the president. Kushner was asked whether he understood the Hebrew.

“Yes,” he replied. “And I enjoyed it.”

The account says the Satmar Rebbe declined to discuss the trip during the flight home, instead spending the time writing chiddushei Torah. He produced four pages of Torah insights and returned directly to his regular schedule after arriving home.