Satmar Succession Battle Heats Up, Riots Feared

The scandal engulfing Assemblyman Vito Lopez -- the most powerful ally of Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum's faction -- has created a window of opportunity for the faction led by older brother Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum to capture the highly coveted Williamsburg congregation the sibling rivals have fought over for a decade. When the two factions last clashed on Rodney Street, in 2005, riot police were called in.

Torah, torah, torah
By SARAH RYLEY • New York Post

The battle between two Satmar Hasidic sects is about to reach biblical proportions.

The scandal engulfing Assemblyman Vito Lopez -- the most powerful ally of Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum's faction -- has created a window of opportunity for the faction led by older brother Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum to capture the highly coveted Williamsburg congregation the sibling rivals have fought over for a decade.

At stake is a $372 million real-estate empire.

Operatives within the Aaroni faction -- which controls the Satmar congregation in Kiryas Joel in upstate Orange County -- told The Post that within weeks they plan to crash the Brooklyn congregation's main synagogue on Rodney Street, two Zali schools and a matzo bakery.

The bitter feud between the brothers dates to 1999, when their ailing father signed over the Williamsburg congregation to Zalman. Secular courts have refused to settle the fight, saying it's a religious matter.

When the two factions last clashed on Rodney Street, in 2005, riot police were called in.

Abe Weinberger, a board member of the Zali congregation, warned that the Aaroni plot is "only going to end up in riots."

But Aaroni official Moishe Indig said the time is ripe for another takeover attempt.

"Vito Lopez is going down; we're going up," he said, explaining that the embattled Brooklyn Democratic boss can't use his influence to prop up the Zalis anymore.

"I don't think that, in today's date, anybody will take his call."

Since Lopez became mired in scandal involving the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, a social-service empire he controls, the Aaronies have seen a remarkable turn in their political fortune.

Their candidate for district leader, Lincoln Restler, who campaigned on toppling Lopez, narrowly defeated the Zali-backed candidate on primary day.

Since the Aaronies proved they could sway elections, Gary Schlesinger, chairman of the Aaronies' nonprofit arm, UJ Care, said big-time politicians like Andrew Cuomo have visited them.

UJ Care and the Central Jewish Council received only $50,000 last year in comparison to the rival Zali-allied United Jewish Organization, which got $575,000.

And last week, a state Supreme Court judge suspended proceedings on a case over the Broadway Triangle development project in Williamsburg, pending city and federal investigations into Lopez and his affiliated nonprofits.

Broadway Triangle would have meant 160 units of affordable housing for the UJO. The Aaroni faction had joined the lawsuit to stop it.

The Zalis have also tried to block an affordable-housing project that would benefit the Aaronies -- Rose Plaza, with 226 affordable units for UJ Care, proposed by Aaroni Vice President Isaac Rosenberg.

A City Council member said David Neiderman, who heads the UJO, pressured elected officials to vote for the Broadway Triangle but against Rose Plaza and has tried to dissuade them from funding UJ Care.

"He did not want me to befriend UJ Care, he [Neiderman] talked about them all the time," the councilmember said.

Neiderman responded that public funding was "competitive" and that he opposed the Rose Plaza project on its merits.

 

[Hat Tip: Burich.]

Comments

[CHAIM]

THE PROBLEM IS THAT ZALMAN IS TOO NICE AND LETS NIEDERMAN DO WHAT HE WANTS. NIEDERMAN IS SURRONDED BY ALL SORTS OF SHADY CHARACTERS GOLDBERGER AND MENZCER AND LOPEZ WHO JUST CARE ABOUT LINING THEIR POCKETS FORCING LOPEZ TO GO AGAINT THE CHILD VICTIMS ACT IS ALL READY THE BEGINNING OF THEIR DEMISE THE FEDS ARE ALL OVER THEESE IDIOTS
JUST WAIT AND SEE CRIMINAL INDICTMENTS COMMING

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

" … It just doesn’t matter if we win or we lose. It just doesn’t matter! It just doesn’t matter! It just doesn’t matter!” Meatballs

[harold]

Operatives within the Aaroni faction -- which controls the Satmar congregation in Kiryas Joel in upstate Orange County -- told The Post that within weeks they plan to crash the ... matzo bakery

... and do what, start baking matzos?

[Mr. Apikoros]

Let both sides kill themselves, and the last one standing drown himself in the East River. No loss.

[Rodney Shul]

Check this video out -- Aronim Plan another Terror Attack on Rodney Satmar Shul like they did Shmini Atzeres.
Preview: http://youtu.be/eCBloXYa3X8

[jancsibacsi]

the retards are at it again theese brainwashed robots who get their kiks by beating each other like gangsters erger wi de goyim, it means worst that the nonjews

[Garnel Ironheart]

So let me get this straight: wear a coloured shirt and knitted kippah and you're an anti-religion Zionist fascist God-hater.
But riot in the streets, vandalize public and private property and give the world you're a bunch of kapote-wearing jackals and you're a holy hasid?

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

Let both sides kill themselves, and the last one standing drown himself in the East River. No loss.

All of this battle prep talk reminds me of that Martin Scorcese movie, Gangs of New York, with the climatic Dead Rabbits battle.

[seymour]

this is what happens when drones follow a leader mindlessly

bottom line to much money is involved, and to many people want to control and reap the benefits.

And each one wants to show how powerful they are to corrupt politician to get more money. Both sides are probably scandal ridden with deals. They better be careful, otherwise both sides will go down in shame

[the usual chaim]

who cares? let them fight it out. they will be so busy squabbling over which uninspiring leader should lead an uninspiring congregation they wont have the time or energy to bother anyone else. is satmar producing a yehuda levin? no. they dont have time. it would be good if someone found some internal haredi conflict to involve levin in, then he would devote his attention to that and leave the rest of us alone

[effie]

Nigritude Ultramarine: Who plays the Cameron Diaz role? Or, will a young boy have to do it?

[harold]

Riots Feared

How extensive will this "Riot" be? I am now afraid to go to work lest I get caught up in the resulting hellfire.

I hope they take proper precautions, secure the garbage bins, keep a supply of earplugs to protect from the resulting hooting and hollering, they may even go high tech and bring along megaphones.

As to the Matzo factory, lock up the matzos or call the distributors to pick up what is in inventory, lest they get broken.

Somehow I feel or hope that New York City will come out of it unscathed. We have enough tzarus to deal with.

[jancsibacsi]

i personally think that the only thing the satmerer hassidim need is horns they have plenty of hair all over themselfs with a hairy shtreimel they only need horns to be a bonified beasts, tzivildevete hayes is what they are

[David]

The bitter feud between the brothers dates to 1999, when their ailing father signed over the Williamsburg congregation to Zalman.

If this is true then what is the problem?

[Yerachmiel Lopin]

David,

Aaron as the older brother felt he should get the entire inheritance. Aaron understood that his younger brother was more charismatic. Zalman Leib also acquired the support of the holdouts who never transferred their allegiance from Reb Yoelish, the first Satmar Rebbe to Zalman and Aaron's father. The war was on even before their father died once he began losing his mental faculties. Since there is so much property at stake for both sides this war will go on indefinitely.

[Barry]

Aaron as the oldest son was favorite to succeed but reportedly fell out of favor after 2001, when he was caught attempting to enter Japan on a fake passport to visit Tokyo Disneyland.

[David]

Barry, actually he fell out of favour when God sent a fire to devour his brother's offering and he was left staring at the clouds.

[Adam Neira]

I studied the works of Joel Teitelbaum in depth eight years ago. I have kept tabs on the group ever since. Some of these fights are unbecoming. Rabbis Joel and Moshe Teitelbaum as the towering figures of the sect should have worked out some better succession plans.

By the way, all the Jewish sects will have to work with Moshiach. There will be a divinely mandated command and control structure. It will frustrate some groups no end that Moshiach didn't come from their midst. It will also upset them that he will challenge some of their narrow dogmas and traditions.

C'est la vie !

[Padwa]

padwachipasznis.blogspot.com

Read here about the new split in Satmar

http://www.bhol-forums.co.il/topic.asp?cat_id=4&topic_id=2827361&forum_id=16386

http://www.bhol-forums.co.il/topic.asp?topic_id=2834518&forum_id=771

[Abracadabra]

Adam Neira,

You forgot to take your meds again...

[Abracadabra]

David - LOL!

[Abracadabra]

Their squablings and inner riots are just indicative of their non-holiness, and non-authenticity as Jews of faith.

There are reasons these Satmars are dangerous.

The first reason in my opinion is because there is so much corruption and theft of government resources, tax fraud, and benefits fraud, that when the large scale frauds become public, the rage of the public will be against ALL JEWS.

[Dovy]

Let's not forget.. all their idiocies must be ignored -- they visit sick people in the hospital!

/sarcasm off

[Adam Neira]

To Abracadabra...

I am slow to anger on minor issues, but I don't appreciate your slander. As I have stated. I don't take drugs of any sort. An occasional cider and cigarettes is about it. Many people can testify to my current habits.

Please post your real name if you are brave. I hate anonymous snipers and you are starting to piss me off, excuse the French.

[Mr. Apikoros]

Adam, if you aren't taking drugs you should be.

[Adam Neira]

To Mr.Apikoros,

What do you think of the fact that King David was slandered all his life until his throne was established ?

Your comments are like water off a duck's back. Quack, quack.

Would you also provide your real name or do cowards that mock together flock together ?

Gutless snipers are a dime a dozen.

[A. Nuran]

Please, Lord, keep both sides innocent of vuvuzelas.

Amen.

[Adam Neira]

To A.Nuran...

I just consulted my Tanach and Talmud. Cannot find the prayer or reference for such a word for the life of me. Were the Vuvuzelans an offshoot of the Moabites or were they closer to the Canaanites ? Were they some sort of troublemaking tribe that kept people awake at night ? I am stumped ! I'm going to blow a shofar for inspiration to get me out of this mental funk.

[A. Nuran]

Blow the shofar?
We usually just tip him fifty bucks.

[Mr. Apikoros]

Adam, take your Abilify. Then kiss my ass.

[Alter Kocker]

Give each of them a loaded gun, put them into a cave, seal the cave. No more problem.

[effie]

So, when do the riots begin?

[Adam Neira]

To Mr.Apikoros,

Are you dyslexic ? Did you mean Ability, or is Abilify some sort of psychophamarcological drug ? It's strange that you know some of the brand names and I don't, nu ?

P.S. I'd be careful is I was you. I work for OSSADM, the Ossetian South Secret Agency of Disgruntled Mensheviks. We all have learning difficulties due to post Stalinist brainwashing. Our motto is "Through dylsexia we will salary raw."

[Padwa]

Protests
Padwa Chipas Znis

Protests in Satmar

Split in Satmar

[Mr. Apikoros]

Aussie Narr, Abilify is an anti-psychotic drug, which Dr. A. says you really, really, need to be on.

[Mikal W. Grass]

Padwa,

Anything in Angleeeet,not Iddddish?

[danny]

$372 million!!!

WTF????!!!!!

[danny]

Is 1-800-Kars-4-Kidz where this money is coming from? I'm just sick thinking about it.

[Adam Neira]

I'm going to push for a day when people cannot make anonymous comments on the internet. Cowards just love to hide and snip. Certain people should be struck down and put out of their misery.

[Mr. Apikoros]

Adam, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

[Adam Neira]

To Mr.Apikoros,

Me and cooking are as close as "ziggurat" and "aardvark" are in the dictionary. I'm not often in a kitchen and I love the heat so your clichéd rejoinder is way off the mark. I find attempts to undermine for no reason quite boring. Life is too short n'est pas ?