Tensions inside Agudas Yisrael escalated overnight following a contentious meeting between representatives of Gur and Sanz, after Sanz firmly rejected a demand that its representatives sign a written commitment sought by Gur.
According to a report by Kikar HaShabbos, the dispute erupted after Gur representatives sought a formal letter of commitment from Sanz, similar to an agreement that had reportedly been signed several years ago. Sanz rejected the demand outright, reportedly responding: “This will not happen. We are not repeating the same mistake twice.”
With the sides at an impasse, a senior Gur delegation traveled Monday night to Kiryat Sanz in Netanya in an effort to resolve the dispute. The Gur delegation included Motty Babchik, Yonatan Chassid and Chanoch Dranger, while Sanz was represented by Berl Stemer and Reichman.
During the meeting, the Gur representatives reportedly stressed the importance of their request and maintained that the demand had come from the Gerrer Rebbe.
But Sanz refused to budge.
“We are not subordinate to you. We also have a Rebbe, and his opinion and decision carry exactly the same weight as those of the Rebbes of Gur, Vizhnitz and Belz,” the Sanz representatives reportedly told the Gur delegation.
Sanz further made clear that the chassidus answers to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and the Sanzer Rebbe, and would not accept the authority of another chassidus.
According to the report, Gur ultimately withdrew its demand for the written commitment after it became clear that Sanz would not agree to sign it.
The confrontation comes amid broader turmoil inside Agudas Yisrael surrounding the party’s Knesset slate. The dispute intensified after Gur moved to remove Sanz representative MK Moshe Shimon Roth from the fifth position on the Agudas Yisrael list.
Hours after the initial report, a statement issued in the names of Gur’s Central Faction and the Sanz community said the sides had reached an agreement following talks held “in a positive atmosphere and with mutual understanding.” Under the reported agreement, the representative of the Sanzer Rebbe would receive the fifth position on the Agudas Yisrael Knesset slate.
The statement added that the arrangement was intended to increase representation for the various kehillos and promote cooperation on communal and religious matters.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
2 Responses
A letter committing to what? This article leaves out that key point…
an Israeli Yid
The core of the disagreement was who controls how the Sanz representative votes in the Knesset.
The dispute centered on the following details:
* The Letter’s Demand: Gur’s Central Faction demanded that whoever occupies the 5th spot on the Agudas Yisrael slate sign a written pledge committing to vote in accordance with the decisions and directives of Gur’s Central Faction.
* The Cause of Friction: During the previous Knesset term, the Sanz representative (MK Moshe Shimon Roth) had occasionally voted based on direct instructions from his own leader, the Sanzer Rebbe, rather than automatically following Gur’s line.
* Sanz’s Refusal: Sanz rejected the demand on principle, asserting that their representative answers exclusively to the Sanzer Rebbe and the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah—not to Gur—and stated, “We are not subordinate to you. We also have a Rebbe.”
Because Sanz stood firm, Gur ultimately dropped the demand for the signed commitment and agreed to keep the representative of the Sanzer Rebbe in the 5th spot.