Satmar Dispute Decided By New York Trial Court

[REVISED] The Times-Herald Record (upstate New York) reports today on a New York state trial court decision in an ongoing battle between two factions in the Satmar Hasidic Jewish community (see prior posting). The decision in a dispute between the two sons of the Satmar grand rebbe resulted in a victory for Aaron Teitelbaum, the rabbi in Kiryas Joel. The paper reports:

In the dispute that began over ownership of the Kiryas Joel cemetery and ballooned into a larger fight for control of the Hasidic movement, acting state Supreme Court Justice Stewart Rosenwasser sided squarely with Aron's faction. Aron's rivals support his brother, Zalmen, chief rabbi in Williamsburg.

Rosenwasser agreed with Aron's side that the cemetery belongs jointly to the main Satmar congregations in Kiryas Joel and Brooklyn, not just the Brooklyn group. But more importantly, he declared that Aron supporter Berl Friedman remains president of the Brooklyn branch, rejecting claims that the grand rebbe expelled him in 2001.

By itself, the ruling appears to place control of the Williamsburg congregation, its property and other assets back in the hands of Aron's faction. Control of the Satmar's Williamsburg core could determine which brother succeeds their father as grand rebbe, the supreme leader of more than 100,000 Satmar followers worldwide.

Rosenwasser's decision contradicts a 2004 decision (now on appeal) by a different judge that left control of the Williamsburg congregation to Zalmen's side. That case is Matter of Congregation Yetev Lev D'Satmar Inc. v Kahan.