Satmar From The Inside Out

New Voices profiles a Satmar hasid, "Sam," who left Williamsburg at age 19 and, after much hard work and a lot of help from Footsteps, is now a college student in the New York City area. Here's a bit about cheder and yeshiva education in Satmar:

…Corporal punishment at school was expected and tolerated by the community. Students were commonly hit with belts for violations as minute as losing one's place in the text while it was being read aloud. Sam recalls brutal treatment from his teachers, whom he grew to fear and despise. He still bears the scar from a pen jabbed into his hand as punishment for being late to class when he was four years old.

Sam says that he is no longer bitter or angry toward anyone in his old community. He tells me a story of a family member who was abused by the teachers and resents them greatly for it, yet sends his children to the same school, dooming them to the same experience. Sam says that by leaving, he is challenging this cycle of abuse. He doesn't hate the teachers who tormented him and who he feels pushed him to abandon his way of life and his religion. “They were hit, too” Sam says. “They don’t know anything else.”…

How did "Sam" find Footsteps? He read about it in Hella Winston's book Unchosen. How did he read that book when he was never taught in school to read or write in the English language? Sam taught himself English by buying secular newspapers and secretly reading them on the roof of his apartment building. At first, it took him a week to read one paragraph.

Schools like "Sam" attended should not be (and probably are not) legal in New York State. But, because of the political influence of Satmar, gained for the most part through block voting, Satmar is left alone to produce thousands of high school graduates that cannot read English on a third grade level and who cannot write an English language sentence. These students are illiterate in science, math, algebra, geometry, physics, civics, history, and literature. Because of this, they are trapped in Satmar's self-imposed ghetto. Only a very courageous few like "Sam" find a way to get out. We should help them.

Comments

[Dov]

"How did he read that book when he was never taught in school to read or write in the English language?"

What rubbish. A good friend of mine taught English in Satmar elementary school in Williamsburg.

[hersh]

"poor Sam" against 10,000's proud Satmar students who have successful lives and families and businesses and are eager to send their children in the same schools, the only thing they are ignorant about is these hateful sites (that have 0 effect on them anyway) as the saying goes "what you don't know can't hurt you"

[shmuel]

They're not all successful tax-avoiding diamond dealers, with their wives in furs as they pay for medicine with medicaid. There's plenty of poverty among them, too, if Kiryat Yoel is any indication. And "successful families"? Some are, I'm sure, but I bet if you removed the stigma of divorce among them, those rates would shoot skyward. And the stories of misbehaving Satmar (sex, drugs) are legion. I think it's a community in crisis, personally, and if they send their children to schools which abuse them, well, they're hopeless and I have no pity on them.

[Archie Bunker]

There is no excuse for brutality but it seems the educational angle is being greatly underdescribed.

I know Satmar businessmen who can read a newspaper paragraph at a much faster rate. It's possible that Sam was an exception with dyslexia or some other impediment that he had to overcome.

[A reader]

Archie,

Formal English education in these communities is woefully lacking for boys in particular, however those whose parents speak the language at home (very rare), who are good at and interested in languages in general and/or who must learn more English for business generally become more literate in the language over time. Many, however, do not.

[S.]

>What rubbish. A good friend of mine taught English in Satmar elementary school in Williamsburg.

A good friend of mine taught English in Satmar elementary school in Williamsburg too. And you know what? The kids know almost nothing.

[suffernyenta]

just wondering about that ex-satmar guy who collaborated on 'Mendy' and others like him. really bright people these guys. the whole issue has another dynamic that i find interesting after considering these "ex" people.

[Anon]

--At first, it took him a week to read one paragraph.--

this is BS. I have dealt with religious Satmar youth when they first leave their sheltered world, get a job and interact with outsiders. Their secular education is I believe woefully inadequate but they are all able to read and write. Grammar? Not a chance. Simple ability to read? Never seen any problems.

[chief doofis]

Satmar kids are uneducated, indeed. However, virtually ALL Charedi kids are no less uneducated. No Chassidic school, Satmar or otherwise, gives boys much more than a scant elementary education, nor any secondary education at all. And.. if you think that non-Hassidic kids, growing up in Monsey, Lakewood, or attending many Brooklyn yeshivot, or the minor "out of town" Yeshivot, get much more in the way of a secular education, think again!!

[yona loriner]

i am in no way shape manner or form a satmar chusid!!!! but u can say what u want about the chasidim thier education lack of ethics or anything else.. but they r sure great businessmen 90 percent of them r very wealthy... and dont tell me its ripping off the government cause thats just a handful of ppl and its done everywhere chasidim litvish and christian and atheists the most!!!!!!!!!!!
ps. whats the point in education anyway? isnt it so u can contribute to society and make a living???? they seem to be doin that pretty damn well!!!!!!!

[The Elder]

90% are wealthy? I am curious to know where you get your stats from.

This story illustrates a well-known fact amongst Satmar, with whom I personally worked for over 5 years. They told me about the mental and physical abuse that they endured from a very young age. One friend told me that while he sends his sons to the same schools that if they experience any type of abuse they should report it to him. Some told me that they went to the teachers directly to tell them that they will be given a beating if they put their hands on their kids. While others simply shrug their shoulders saying that it is not such a big deal, saying "I survived!!!"

Many of the Satmars with whom I have spoken over the years have told me personally about the detrimental side affects that transpired from such education and to make excuses about how wealthy some of them are is total obfuscation par-excellence. Not only debilitating self-esteem issues, but belligerence towards others and an indifference to Torah learning altogether. One time I was learning Mesilat Yesharim and a Satmar Chosid, looked at me and said, "Its all about the money!"

Actually its about being a self-actualized human being and understanding the great responsibility for teaching our children that the Torah is a means by which we can reach that goal. Money hungry, spiritually starved adults, and shameful rationalizations are the result of such abuse.

"Hanoch l' Nar Al Pi Darko", "To teach a child in accordance with his ways, so that he will not leave it when he gets older", is more than a catch phrase to be tucked away on our shelves.

If we are unwilling to be honest and protect those who can not protect themselves, and to recognize the damage such abuse can cause, what does that say? Seriously, what does that say?

[satmars are scum]

I am a victim of this type of motherfuckery. they shoud all burn in hell these ugly stinking smelly lowlife faggots.

[Ben Qor'ha]

A good friend of mine taught English in Satmar elementary school in Williamsburg too. And you know what? The kids know almost nothing.

I know first hand of a person who taught physics in the UK in a Satmer school taught in order qualify for government subsidy. The kids, to demonstred how committed to being "frum" saw it as a holy task to disturb the class into rendering any teaching impossible. That was their way to collect brownie points in heaven by pranks.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Ben Q: My friend the ex-Bobov taught English in a Satmar school in W'burg. Because he is fluent in Yiddish and was able to dust off his old clothes to teach in, they weren't as bad to him as with other secular teachers. But they could barely speak a word of English, and couldn't care less.

BTW: He was in his alienated stage, so he taught under an assumed Hispanic name so he could pull a fast one (I don't want to say the details. In his new MO life, he is honest as the day is long.

[A reader]

There's an old saying 'you learn something new every day.' It seems every day I learn something new that I don't like about the "torah world" and its inhabitants, yet I still believe the Exodus occurred, I still believe the Torah, and I still believe that I should live a healthy Jewish life according to Jewish halacha. Having experienced getting to know truly righteous rabbis, I can reasonably assume that those most highly esteemed rabbis of our past were something like them, and not like the miscreants who hurt children or those who aid them or shelter them from criticism - for no real purpose other than reputation (I guess?) - today. Eventually these criminals get exposed, and perhaps these blogs are a part of it, but no one in their right mind can believe that someone engaged in this kind of activity with children is a person with great middos or a learned Torah mind. They just aren't. And those who try to apologize for them and make all kinds of excuses are simply ashamed for their community, and rightly so. But you cannot apologize for these criminals, and they are the bad apples you must bring to justice. Outwardly living according to Torah doesn't guarantee anything, and any reasonable, thinking person knows this. To expect otherwise (or worse insist otherwise) is simply naivete of the highest degree. So those who trample over the mesorah over incidents like this, and those apologizing for the perpetrators, alike, are both incredibly naive or incredibly stupid or both.

[Shmarya]

Eventually these criminals get exposed, and
perhaps these blogs are a part of it, but no one in their right mind
can believe that someone engaged in this kind of activity with children
is a person with great middos or a learned Torah mind. They just
aren't.

Quite often they are very learned. And, as any professional will tell you, child molesters are often very charming people with wonderful "middos."

[A reader]

You're wrong Shmarya, and an ignorance is reflected in that comment. Being "learned" in Torah involves an essential component outside of simply "book knowledge," or memorization, and this component is called Action. Part of being "learned in Torah" is internalizing your Torah learning to the extent that your actions reflect those of a wise Torah scholar, and you behave accordingly. These criminals do NOT reflect that type of action. So to call them a Torah scholar is simply accepting their own false projections. And how can you possibly say it is "wonderful middos" to hurt children like this? They may fool people into thinking they are friendly, but these cretans do not have good middos based on what that truly means rather than the superficial sense. Period. It seems there is way too much focus on the superficial in Judaism today. When Jews distinguish and classify one another by the color/style of one's yarmulka, is that not emulating the goyim? We are supposed to see people for who they truly are.

[Shmarya]

So big torah scholar A dicks little boys. He has fine middos other than that, and no one knows he's raping kids.

You say he as bad middos and is not a real torah scholar. In other words, no criminal can be a "true" torah scholar because he commits crimes.

You define from the end result, not from the process. Weak logic on your part.

[A reader]

Silly me to expect an am haaretz like you to have any idea what I'm talking about. Review your pirkei avos.

[Shmarya]

Silly me! I thought it possible to explain logic to a brick wall.

[A reader]

Want to talk logic? Here's a dose for you.
"He has fine middos other than that,"

Having fine middos other than ___ means he doesn't have fine middos.

"In other words, no criminal can be a "true" torah scholar because he commits crimes."

Yes because a real Torah scholar is not one who intellectualizes lofty concepts and acts contrary to them.

"You define from the end result, not from the process. Weak logic on your part."

What process would that be? The fact that someone can pretend to be a Torah mensch is a process I have to 'define by'? I form a conclusion by real world results not superficial pretensions. It seems the weak logic is yours, which I pointed out, but you know what they say about a full vessel.

[Shmarya]

Again, haredim frequently claim haredi criminals who are caught and publicly exposed are not "real haredim" because "real haredim" would not do X or Y.

You are doing the same thing here.

And, BTW, someone with perfect middos except the uncontrolled compulsion to steal or fondle little boys does have good middos – except in the areas he cannot control.