The following is an unedited press release submitted by Satmar Williamsburg to YWN:
Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum warns against branding the mayor an antisemite and urges observant Jews to follow the Torah’s guidance for life in exile:
NEW YORK — August 9, 2026 — Grand Rebbe of Satmar Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum strongly condemned the campaign of attacks against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his major annual address marking the yahrzeit—the anniversary of a person’s passing as observed on the Jewish calendar—of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, the founding Grand Rebbe of Satmar.
Addressing one of the largest and most significant annual gatherings of the Satmar community, the Grand Rebbe warned that the rhetoric being directed against Mayor Mamdani by members of the Jewish community violates the traditional Torah approach to relations with government and risks dangerously provoking hostility toward Jews.
“Recently, we have witnessed a terrible provocation against the nations by heimishe Yidden—through the incitement against the Mayor of New York City,” the Grand Rebbe declared.
Invoking the Prophet Jeremiah’s instruction to the Jewish people to seek the peace of the city in which they live and to pray on its behalf, the Grand Rebbe emphasized that observant Jews must conduct themselves according to the Torah’s guidance for Jewish life in exile.
“We must remember that we are in exile,” he said. “The Prophet Jeremiah instructed the Jewish people: ‘Seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you, and pray to Hashem on its behalf.’ An observant Jew must follow the Torah’s path and accept the decree of exile.”
The Grand Rebbe specifically condemned efforts to denounce Mayor Mamdani and brand him an antisemite.
“To denounce the mayor and brand him an antisemite constitutes a true provocation against the nations,” he said. “As though the provocation against the nations taking place in Eretz Yisroel were not enough, they are now bringing it here to the United States as well.”
He concluded by urging Jewish families to guard their homes against publications and messages influenced by Zionist ideology.
The remarks were delivered on the 47th yahrzeit of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, who reestablished the Satmar community in the United States following the Holocaust and became one of the most influential Orthodox Jewish leaders of the twentieth century. Opposition to Zionism and adherence to the traditional Torah principles governing Jewish life in exile were central foundations of his teachings.
The Grand Rebbe’s address represents one of the clearest and most forceful condemnations to date of the attacks directed at Mayor Mamdani from within segments of the Orthodox Jewish community.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
40 Responses
THE SATMAR REBBE שליט”א TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH!!
Oy Vey.
Yes, we all need to be careful about התגרות באומות in every manner. That is why Satmar should take the lead against taking public subsidies from any social welfare program. Similarly keeping to zoning laws and other aspects of being good neighbors in the eyes of our host cities should be examined. We have seen how easily Yidden can be portrayed as living off the tax funds of hard working גוים while we have large families and insufficient income to support them. If Satmar shows the consistency about being publicly concerned about the importance of התגרות באומות in all the ways that it unfortunately can happen that would hopefully encourage other communities to consider their potential activities that can lead to התגרות באומות.
YWN deserves credit for publishing this.
This Rebbe is, of course, 1,000% right.
The NYC Mayor has openly condemned hatred of Jews. He has also kept in her job the police commissioner who is a Jew. And on and on. And his opinions on the idol are obviously irrelevant.
Nothing new…
We all know that’s Satmar’s approach to the Balfour declaration and establishment of the medinah by the UN strongly differs from the Chofets Chaim and the Imrei Emes ZY”According to the MAJORITY of gedolim of yesteryear, once we got the go ahead by the umos haolam, supporting the Jewish State of Israel is not “misgare beumos” nor a violation of the three shvuos. Again, there is no sanhedrin, so Satmar is fully allowed (and perhaps obligated) to follow their leaders, but lets remember that most Litvishe and Poilishe gedolim did not take that approach. This has nothing to do with “sticking up to Zionism”, even if you strongly disagree with them, you can still take the Chofets Chaim’s approach regarding those two questions. Additionally, I heard personally from people close to the Divrei Yoel ZY”A that he was send more than once, “A Guy darf zein a tziyoni”, that this dispute is between us and them, don’t mix in goyim, only support them if they are pro Israel.
Excuse me- that advice really worked out well – not- for the Jews of Hungary who were slaughtered when it was too late for any of them to escape except for a few lucky few with “connections”. In history, This pandering to fascists only serves those few at the very top of communities in ghettos, who get funds to maintain order and compliance for the fascist regimes, and save themselves and closest friends. Look up Kasztner Train. Enough said. מי שיבין מבין
I agree that incitement against Mamdani (who I’m 100% certain is an anti-semite) is wrong and criticism of him needs to be limited. But if that is the standard, then it has to be a standard across the board.
You can’t suddenly discover the dangers of “incitement” while for generations you have been using some of the most inflammatory language imaginable and engaged in all sorts of provocative behavior against Zionists and anyone else who disagrees with the “shittah hakodoshe”.
This is not something I came up with myself. Rav Yosef Elya Henkin wrote that he heard that from Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky who said the whole aggressive, standoffish anti-Zionist behavior is no better or different than Zionism itself from a Torah haskafa.
I’m baffled. He is not my Rebbe but I have emunas chachamim. And yet I am baffled…
Mamesh ah zei heilig.
Thank you Rebbe Shlit”a Zalman Teitelbaum for the words you spoke regarding accepting at the Hand of H”M the exile of the Jews from their homeland, Eretz Yisroel. It is not easy to accept. But you have made points in that favor. Zionism is to be not wanted nor supported as you state. There are Jews in Eretz Yisroel right now and they suffer greatly at the hands of the Zionists. You have clearly said that we are not asked to move to nor support the Zionist state. We are paying a big price for doing so. According to what you have said H”M has not called us to come home, yet. If I have gotten it wrong, please do correct me and other Yidden. Once again, thank you for speaking to us on Rebbe Shlit”a Yoel Teitelbaum’s Yahrzeit. He is to be remembered for the good of all of K’lal Yisroel.
Ok… so he’s not an antisemite?
Sticking your head in the sand is not the answer. This is not Europe and certainly the Chillul Hashem that Satmar made supporting a rabid anti-Semite, Mamdani , just shows us where this “rebbe” stands. Shame on you!
That is his view – though Satmar does not seem to have any issue with “Hisgarus baUmos” when it comes to pushing through their own real estate development projects, against the will of pre-existing local residents, I. The area surrounding Kiryas Yoel. They also have no issue calling the locals there “Anti-Semites” when they oppose Satmar.
It says at the end of Megilas Esther that Mordechai was “Ratzuy l’Rov Echav” – but apparently not all. Would Satmar have been on the other side, given Modechai’s call to the Jews ‘leHikahel v’La’amod al Nafsham”? After all, wouldn’t that have also been Hisgarus baUmos by Jews who were then in Galus?
an Israeli Yid
FFBand:
No, it didn’t at all differ, and you seem confused. The Balfour Declaration was anyways largely rescinded by the White Papers that followed that. And it came decades before the Zionist “State” so it certainly was not any heter for that “State”.
Based on that Declaration, some gedolim supposedly stated that the oath of not rebelling against the nations would not be in danger of being violated, assuming that some Jews were to peacefully move there to live in the holy land as citizens of the then-rulers there. Other gedolim did not agree with that alleged heter. That must be to what you are referring.
Regardless, that alleged ruling did not at all permit violating any of the oaths – and the Zionists flagrantly violated multiple oaths, including actual rebellion against the nations (hisgarus baUmos), waging war against the nations (aliyah kaChoma) and mass immigration (even with permission of all the nations, which still violates the same oath) and taking sovereignty before Mashiach comes (dechikas haKeitz).
@leahleh
It might be a good idea to read up on actual history before commenting, especially with your specific reference to the Kastner train.
Kastner the Zionist was the one who deliberately hid from the Jews who trusted the Zionist “leaders” that the relatively few Nazis there in control were planning to murder them all. Otherwise, had they known, they could have escaped a couple of miles across the border. But the Nazis didn’t want them to know and Kastner complied. It was because of the Zionists, not despite them, that the Nazi genocidal murder of Jews happened – and not just in Hungary.
An Israeli Zionist:
Please don’t be megaleh panim beTorah sheLo kaHalacha. That’s a very seriously bad idea. No, of course, Mordechai, who had ruach haKodesh, was obviously not misgareh baUmos. As well, Esther specifically asked the king for permission, which those who read the Megillah should notice.
This is exactly what same leadership recommended to the Jews in Hungary in Nazi Europe, that served the leadership well- they got visas and a ride on the Zionist Kasztner Train, but thousands of Jews were slaughtered by the Gestapo. So no, we don’t want your tried and failed advice
Money for Mosdos. And Zoning. Plain and simple. Not complicated
there is nothing to add . despite the Hisgarus Baumos .
“Antisemitism in America is just as strong today as it was 100 or 250 years ago. People need to wake up. We think we’re being heard when we call out bigots, but the truth is deeper. This country has a long history of antisemitism, and it is still alive and kicking.”
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The Rebbe’s advice didn’t seem to work during the Holocaust.
His disconnect from the ordinary Haredi public is astonishing.
It is time we stand up against these leaders who want to stay on the Ferris wheel yet pray for different results.
We have enough enemies. Satmar and the like should stop promoting hate and divisiveness among the Jewish people.
So religiously naive and hypocritical.
Unless a New York Yid is planning to move to a “red” state, or to Eretz Yisrael, there is a very good reason to try to reach a modus operandi with what appears to be the dominant movement in the “blue” states. Throw stones at a mad dog does NOT make the dog less likely to bite you.
@Richie 1963 et al. You are missing the Satmar Rebbe’s point. Regardless of how you feel (about the mayor’s pushing the potential arrest of PM Netanyahu). Every Jewish person feels the same. Shock & horror. It also demonstrates that hatred of Jews is alive & kicking. But, (the Rebbe’s point) we must not come out with hyperbolic statements condemning the mayor & characterizing him as an anti-Semite. Because he’s the mayor. & in the next few years we have to work with him. Regardless of our personal feelings. Because pursuing that line will only cause us harm. Potentially making him virulently anti-Semitic.
> condemned the campaign of attacks against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during his major annual address marking the yahrzeit
I first read this as Herr Mayor was making the address. Hopefully, closer contact with city hall will lead to besser yinglish in satmar press-releases.
@hakatan But I did Not absolve Kasztner, he misled the Jews exactly like all the Jewish leadership did. The leadership of the Chasidim in Hungary made constant speeches to stay and not leave, he did exactly what Kasztner did, he did not tell the Jews to escape as they could have, but then he quietly got a visa for himself and jumped on the Kasztners train, leaving thousands of Chasidim to be murdered by Eichmann
What creates more danger for Klal Yisrael is public Chilul Hashem when brothers fight with each other over money especially when taken to Goyisha courts. These are our leaders??
@sketchmaster That’s exactly what the leadership in Hungary and Belgium and the Lodz Ghetto said about Eichmann, that they had to work with him. But it only benefited the leaders. In the Lodz ghetto the leaders told the Jews to hand over all the children and 15,000 Jewish kids were slaughtered, but in the end they all perished. We have to learn from history- the leaders making deals with devils does not help the masses.
When I was a child in the 1960’s my father told me about all the Judenrein who made deals with Eichmann, how they slunk into America quietly, leaving thousands in ghettos behind, but then how they slowly built themselves shamelessly up, now doing the same with the DSA that’s the New Nazi Party in America. DSA is the Islami-Socialist Party that is the Fourth Reich that unites the Far Left and Far Right together to Hate the Jews. They use code words, but their Hate and target for destruction is the Jews. The Jews are used as the common scapegoat to gain power and take over the country. DSA has taken over NYC and is spreading all over the USA. Exactly how the Nazis took over Germany in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
King David also said “ do I not hate those that hate you?” This is an horrific message sent by the Rebbe. Satmar only rises of against government officials who are Jewish. This is a joke and will lead to more machlokes amongst Yidden.
Well don’t worry so much. Mamdani can not kill us. Most of Americans hate the Socialists. There may be a civil war. It would be us Orthodox Jews and white people and others against the socialists. There are a hundred million illegal guns among white non Jewish Americans and they can easily defeat these socialist.
Hakatan, you are seriously twisted it’s scary.
@sketchmasterll
I hear what you are saying. But you are wrong. To think keeping quiet with Mamdani is going to help is false.
Nothing may work but atleast we may influence the moderates in society.
Pretending that Mamdani is not an antisemite will make absolutely no difference unless you are an antisemite yourself. You’ll still get attacked by other anti semites but at least Mamdani will save you for last. Maybe we shouldn’t incite Hamas either.
There is a difference between criticizing and protesting against specific policies or proposals that would be harmful to yidden, and launching personal attacks and insults against a sitting mayor who, whether we like it or not, is in a position of power and likely to remain there for at least a few more years. The former is often necessary and sometimes effective, the latter is never effective and often harmful. My understanding is that the Rebbe was talking about the latter, and I can’t disagree even though I don’t subscribe to the Satmar shita in general.
The satmer point works out short term, if you are only looking to get through the “Mamdani years” it makes more sense to go low key and to try to work as best as possible with the Mayer
HOWEVER!!!!! If you are thinking long term or the broader picture, it’s better to fight them tooth and nail and make their Mayership a living hell and degrade all the folks who voted for him. Show how his hateful policies are bad for EVERYONE, not just Jews! So the next hateful person will think twice about running and the people will think 3 times about voting for such a fellow.
@leahleh
As Rav Miller (if memory serves) pointed out, no Rav ever collaborated with the Nazis, unlike the “Jewish leaders” who did.
And your slander against the Satmar Rav about misleading everyone and then “jumping on that train” is appalling.
B”H finally after 78 years of the so-called Jewish state, the politicians are coming to understand the difference between Judaism and Zionism . . . On the left as well as on the right it’s not a taboo anymore to speak out against the ongoing wars incited by the Zioninsts time and again. Coinciding with the unlimited hate against Torah and persecution of Bnei Yeshivos, no wonder.
The state which was created merely to deface and change the Torah observant Yid to one of nationalistic ideal is reaching its climax and so it’s demise ברחמים גדולים
The comments here make me think we’re talking about getting this person elected. Or keeping him in office. But I thought he was elected? Then that’s not the issue or problem, the issue or problem is the call to agitation of someone who is beyond self-righteous. I thought there was a lot said about not agitating, trying to get on the good side of power, and so many other things.
But maybe I’m not as learned as the folks in here. Who seem to be operating under the assumption there is an election right now, and we’re campaigning for the Mayor instead of riding out the term limits.
FlatbushYid, if you think there is much goodwill towards Jews, orthodox or otherwise, among the gun-carrying white folks of rural and small town America, you need to wake up.
Mamdani has an agenda against Jews. There is no question about it. He WILL NOT be tamed if we try to be nice until he’s gone. His rhetoric is absolutely making NY a more dangerous place for ALL Jews. The only relief from him is getting him out of office or in the minimum turning others against him by getting them to understand what we’re dealing with: an ANTISEMITE. He is so horrible that saying that out loud makes absolutely no difference – it can only help.
HaKatan, I respect the Satmar’s right to follow their leaders, but don’t twist the chofets chaim’s response to the Balfour Declaration. The three oaths you mentioned are actually NOT mentioned in a SINGLE halacha sefer. As a matter of fact, once you are going midrashic there is a medrash in breishis raba where it discusses one of the amoraim trying to rebuild the beis hamikdash after the churban and bring the Jews back into yerushalayim. Bar Kochba, had he been ehrlich, the chachamim would have supported him AFTER the churban to try and bring back the Jews to yerushalayim. I have tremendous respect for the great Satmar Rebbe ZYA, but he was a YACHID in his approach, and that he wrote an entire sefer based on medrash chazal that is not brought down lehalcha in any rishon or achron.
@”FFBand”:
Your claim is simply false. The Satmar Rav brings a whole list of poskim (rishonim and others) and halacha sefarim that do indeed bring down the three oaths as halacha/required to observe. This is not a “Satmar shita”. Also, the Rambam himself invokes them in Iggeres Teiman. Ben Koziva was ultimately not worthy of being the actual mashiach.
@johnnysmith
What exactly did you consider “twisted”, and on what Torah and factual basis?