Reply To: Derech Emuna settlement

Hey, you guys are actually onto the right idea.

The Brisker Rov is also believed to have felt that aliya is not necessarily for the masses

His son the Gramad nonetheless felt that once a yungerman lives in e”y he may have dinim of Ossur Lotzeis

HaGaon R’ Moshe shtrernbuch shlit”a met R’ Mordche Pogremansky in France on his way to e”y as a bochur, R’ Mordche told he is crazy for going to to e”y, if he would be masig what one lashon hara in e”y does he wouldn’t come.

The Cahzon Ish discouraged my grandfather form moving to e”y in 1949, however the concerns he raised were more practical.

As far as i understood the Satmar rov suggested that there is no mitzva of living in e”y today so theoretically there would be little reason to do aliya. The proportion of Satmarreres who settle in e”y is way way way less than Stoliner’s for instance. Additionally, unlike Gur or Belz they do not have any reason to come for yomim noraim or simchas – automatically less connection to e”y and their relatives there, less likely for the kids to settle far from parents etc …

The Satmat kehilla in e”y include a small amount of yerushalaymers who accepted the Satmar rov during his stay in e”y, [despite his stance on yishuv ha’aretz and shkiya, two biggies by them ] a group from various eastern countries who escaped the state’s proselytisation and became very very anti and joined a satmar, even putting on the levush, and a number of US olim.

Although the batei midrashim are thriving, it shows Satmar’s generosity, the oilam joke that they have the best bathrooms and cooffee in Ge’ula and mercaz b’nei B’rak …..

The mosdos are smaller, one cheder in B’nei B’rak [R’ Aron] which is not limited to their kehiila only, and two sets of boys and girls mosdos in yerushalaiyim.