Moshe Teitelbaum (Satmar)

Moshe Teitelbaum was born on November 17, 1914, in Újfehértó, Hungary. Moshe and his older brother, Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum, were orphaned in 1926, when they were eleven and fourteen, respectively. Teitelbaum received rabbinical ordination, and was appointed dean of the Karacscka yeshiva. and he nearly died. Teitelbaum was then transferred to the Brabag plant in , and afterwards to Theresienstadt, where he was liberated in 1945. ==Post-war==

In 1946, Teitelbaum married Pessel Leah, the daughter of Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum of Volovo. When he found out that his brother Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum had been murdered in the Holocaust, he decided to fill his brother's position as rabbi of Sighet. ==Appointment to Satmar Rebbe==

In 1979, Moshe's uncle Joel died, without an heir to inherit leadership of Satmar. Moshe Teitelbaum and his aunt Fayga never had a good relationship. Tension between the two began back when Fayga married Joel Teitelbaum. Fayga was Joel's second wife, and Joel already had a grown daughter. The grown daughter and Fayga fought over control of the household, and Moshe sided with his cousin against his aunt. Later, Joel's daughter died, and Fayga failed to bear any children and an heir for Joel. ==As Satmar Rebbe==

Moshe's start as Satmar Rebbe was marked with more controversy. Concerns about Moshe's level of piety also mounted. Likely false rumors circulated that in the negotiations between the Council and Moshe, prior to Moshe ascending as Rebbe, Moshe made numerous compensation demands, including demands that property be placed in his name, and special fees for High Holiday services. Other likely false rumors claimed that Moshe was engrossed in business, had a stock market ticker-tape in his house, and was busy promoting his real estate investments. As Rebbe, Moshe recognized his stature relative to the stature of his uncle Joel, and considered himself a "custodian" of what Joel created. He stated: "We must not blaze new trails, but study the teachings of my uncle." He continued many of the customs enacted by Joel. The differences between Joel and Moshe were noted in that, unlike the more mystical Joel, Moshe was more practical and plain-spoken. Moshe did not speak out against Zionism as often as Joel, though that may be due to the fact that it did not have the same ideological draw during Moshe's tenure. Some complained that Moshe was not as charitable as Joel, though that may be because Moshe did not raise as much charity funds as the more charismatic Joel. In 1989, tensions between Moshe and the Bnei Yoel were exacerbated. In an April 1989 Passover speech, Moshe referred to the Bnei Yoel as "infidels". He later enacted a rule that new residents had to obtain permission from village leaders before moving in. In 1990, the two groups erupted in violence when a supporter of Fayga tried to erect a gate outside her home. A melee erupted, hundreds of angry Hasidim poured into the streets, three men were dragged from a car that was then set on fire, and three police officers were injured. Supporters of Alta Fayga in Kiryas Joel claimed that they have been physically attacked, and profanities were written on their sidewalk. Under Moshe's guidance, from 1980 until 2006, Satmar doubled in size to around 100,000–120,000 followers, the largest Hasidic group in the United States. At the time of his death, Satmar's real estate holdings were valued at hundreds of millions of dollars. Moshe Teitelbaum was the author of a five-volume Hasidic commentary on the Bible entitled Berach Moshe. ==Succession==

In May 1999, Moshe Teitelbaum appointed his third son, Zalman, as the local leader of the Williamsburg congregation. He was his father's representative in communal affairs, and assumed his father's responsibilities when his father traveled. Moshe's will named Zalman as his successor, but Aaron's supporters dispute its validity, claiming that Moshe had suffered from dementia since 1997. ==Death==

On April 24, 2006, at the age of 91, Teitelbaum died of cancer. The second son, Lipa, was the leader of a small congregation, called Zenta-Beirach Moshe Shul, in Williamsburg. His son-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Shia Halberstam, was a Satmar rebbe in Monsey, New York. == References ==