Leading Rebbes and Roshei Yeshiva traveled to Washington Thursday for a historic White House visit, meeting President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner and senior administration officials on issues affecting Chareidi communities in the United States and Eretz Yisroel.

The delegation included the Satmar Rebbes of Kiryas Yoel and Williamsburg, the Bobover Rebbe, Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey, BMG Rosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Malkiel Kotler, and HaRav Aron Mendel Twersky representing his father, the Skverer Rebbe.

HaRav Malkiel was the first of the delegation to arrive in Washington, traveling by private plane accompanied by several close associates. Upon reaching the White House, he was met by Tzedek Association chairman R’ Moshe Margareten, who was already there for separate shtadlanus meetings, and escorted by him to the Roosevelt Room for the delegation’s first extended meeting with administration officials.

The Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg and Bobover Rebbe arrived next, followed by the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Yoel and HaRav Aron Mendel, while the Vizhnitzer Rebbe arrived later after an unexpected flight delay.

The Rebbes were accompanied by their sons, gabbaim and prominent askanim, including R’ Moshe Dovid Niederman, R’ Gedalya Segdin, R’ Yisroel Moshe Spitzer, R’ Yoel Rosenfeld, R’ Yehuda Leib Zorger and R’ Yossi Gestetner.

In the Roosevelt Room, the delegation met Vance and other senior officials and raised concerns over kosher food in federal prisons, prison furlough policies, Section 8 and housing assistance for large families, Maimonides Medical Center, pidyon shvuyim cases and Kiryas Yoel’s growing water needs.

A proposal was discussed to prepare kosher meals for Jewish federal prisoners in commercial kitchens in Kiryas Yoel, reducing costs to the government. The Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg also raised concerns that the approximately 15 hours currently provided for certain prisoner furloughs can leave inmates almost no meaningful time at home after travel, particularly before a two-day Yom Tov.

Vance spoke warmly about large Jewish families, noting that he recently welcomed his fourth child and promising continued support for family-friendly policies. R’ Yoel Rosenfeld jokingly used Vance’s fourth child to make the case for expanding an assistance program currently limited to families with three children.

Vance also asked about the different clothing worn by the Rebbes and was told that the styles preserve traditions originating in Poland, Hungary, Galicia and Lithuania.

The discussion then turned to protecting Jewish batei hakvaros and kevarim across Europe. R’ Moshe Dovid Niederman raised several locations requiring U.S. intervention, while HaGaon HaRav Malkiel Kotler specifically raised the threat facing the historic Jewish beis hakvaros in Vilna and sought assistance in protecting it. R’ Yoel Rosenfeld discussed batei hakvaros in Poland requiring protection and restoration.

While waiting for their meeting with Trump, the Rebbes remained together in the Roosevelt Room discussing divrei Torah, stories of tzaddikim and matters relating to the approaching Yamim Noraim.

Before entering the Oval Office, the two Satmar Rebbes warmly greeted each other, with the Kiryas Yoel Rebbe wishing his brother mazel tov on the recent chasuna of his grandson and engagement of his granddaughter.

The Kiryas Yoel Rebbe then held an approximately 10-minute private meeting with Trump, accompanied by R’ Gedalya Segdin, raising pidyon shvuyim cases, the Chareidi draft crisis and other urgent communal matters.

The remaining Rebbes then entered the Oval Office with Niederman, Segdin and Spitzer. Their sons, gabbaim and other askanim initially remained in the Roosevelt Room, although the Oval Office door remained open.

The seating order facing Trump, from right to left, was HaRav Aron Mendel Twersky, the Bobover Rebbe, the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Yoel, the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey and HaGaon HaRav Malkiel Kotler.

Trump immediately asked that Jared Kushner be brought into the room, saying he “has to be here” with such distinguished guests.

The meeting opened with the Kiryas Yoel Rebbe reciting the “Hanosein Teshuah” tefillah for Trump as the Rebbes stood. After R’ Gedalya Segdin translated it, Trump jokingly asked Kushner how much of the Hebrew he understood, and Kushner replied that he understood about half.

Congressman Mike Lawler also participated. The Kiryas Yoel Rebbe thanked Trump for helping reopen batei medrash and institutions during COVID, while HaRav Aron Mendel presented Trump with a detailed personal letter from his father, the Skverer Rebbe.

The Kiryas Yoel Rebbe then asked HaGaon HaRav Malkiel Kotler to take the floor and address Trump. HaRav Malkiel chose not to deliver remarks, instead personally presenting the president with a private letter dealing with several matters he wanted brought to Trump’s attention.

The discussion then returned to the Chareidi draft crisis in Eretz Yisroel. Trump received a detailed appeal asking him to intervene on behalf of approximately 100,000 yeshiva and seminary students and urge Israel’s government to protect their religious freedoms.

The appeal said dozens of Chareidim have been imprisoned for refusing to enlist, tens of thousands live with the possibility of arrest and travel restrictions, and thousands of dual U.S.-Israeli citizens are unable to freely return to their homes in America.

Trump also asked the Kiryas Yoel Rebbe for the handwritten paper containing points from their earlier private discussion. The Rebbe handed it over, and Trump placed it in his personal desk drawer.

The Williamsburg Rebbe raised conditions facing Jewish prisoners, thanked Trump for assistance involving couples struggling to have children and addressed the plight of yeshiva bochurim in Eretz Yisroel. The Bobover Rebbe had prepared remarks on Maimonides Medical Center and protecting batei hakvaros in Poland but was unable to raise them because of time constraints.

Trump then recalled commuting the sentence of R’ Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, saying the reaction and gratitude from the Jewish community was extraordinary. R’ Yoel Rosenfeld told Trump that thousands poured into the streets to dance following Rubashkin’s release and used the discussion to raise concerns about excessive sentences imposed on Chareidi Jews.

At Lawler’s request, Trump allowed additional askanim waiting outside to enter, including R’ Moshe Margareten, R’ Yehuda Leib Zorger, R’ Yossi Gestetner and R’ Rafi Silberberg.

Margareten thanked Trump and praised Lawler for helping preserve a federal assistance program benefiting yeshivos. Trump asked whether the Rebbes’ communities supported Lawler and was told they strongly did. Trump was also told that he received 98% of the vote in Kiryas Yoel and 100% in New Square.

The Oval Office meeting lasted approximately 30 minutes, with Trump promising to continue assisting the community and the Rebbes giving him warm brachos.

Trump then distributed presidential challenge coins to the Rebbes and askanim as souvenirs from the historic visit. The Rebbes wished one another a kesiva v’chasima tova before leaving the White House and returning to their respective airports.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)