Satmar on the Move

B"H

Everyone knows that Jerusalem is divided into two main parts. The Palestinians live in the Eastern part and Jews live in the so - called new city in the West. But people who think that these are the only divisions are very much mistaken.
For several years already, Jerusalem has become more and more haredi. Many former non - religious neighbourhoods such as Kiryat Mattersdorf, Ramat Eshkol and Maalot Dafna are now almost entirely in haredi hands. At the moment, Givat Mordechai is becoming more and more haredi, as real estate prices and rent are low.

Usually religious and non - religious neighbourhoods can be recognized without any difficulties. Downtown Yaffa Road is dividing certain parts. One side of Yaffo is leading into the haredi neighbourhoods Ge'ulah and Mea Shearim and the opposite site forms the non - religious part such as Ben Yehudah, King George down to Rehavia.
However, this division is now at stake. Within the triangel Rehov HaNevi'im, Strauss and Yaffa we find Rehov Yeshayahu. Only a few meters separate Yeshayahu from Yaffo which is less than a five minutes walk. But those five minutes connect two different worlds.

Years ago, the upper part of Yeshayu belonged to the non - religious and the lower part, leading to Kikar Shabbat, belonged to the haredim. The "Edison" theatre in the upper part was a symbol of the non - religious. Almost every night and especially on Friday nights, the non - religious came to the "Edison" for cultural events. Quickly, it turned into the most popular place for the Jerusalemites.
There was only one problem: The "Edison" stood right on the border to the haredi neighbourhoods and there, people did not want to be bothered by the non - religious screaming and driving around in their cars on Shabbat. The haredim only saw one solution: The "Edison" had to disappear.
Especially the Neturei Karta with its former head Rabbi Amram Blau started wild demonstrations against the "Edison". Slowly slowly, people stopped coming to the "Edison", as they did not want to get attacked by the demonstraters.

But one cannot only blame the haredim. In the seventieth, Israelis started buying TV sets and were watching movies at home. Who needed a cinema then ? Other cultural events were taking place in the new Binyanei HaUma building near the Central Bus Station. The result was that the "Edison" closed.
For many years it was abandoned and became a ruin. I always felt pity for the building with a wonderful architecture. A few weeks ago, the "Edison" completely disappeared. The place is now a construction site and full of rubble. A new 10 - floor apartment block will be build on the site, and the Satmarer chassidim are moving in.
Satmarer chassidim so close to Yaffa Road and the non - religious border ? Is this becoming a danger to the non - religious ? I spoke to a Breslover chassid and he said that it does not really matter, as Jerusalem will be completely haredi in another ten years or so. With or without Satmar.

The chassid is right. Our local press raised the question if we really do need a religious Jerusalem. What a question, as Jerusalem was already religious 3000 years ago.
But can there be good relationships among the haredi and non - religious population ? For the non - religious it is unacceptable not to watch TV on Shabbat or driving a car. The haredim, on the other hand, do not accept any irreligious behaviour such as driving around on Shabbat or not eating kosher. Let alone any immodest clothing.

What is the solution and is there a solution at all ? This is one of the most difficult challenges Jerusalem is facing now and in the near future.
It might be wrong to have the Satmarer Chassidim so close to Yaffa Road. The Gerer or Belzer chassidim might have been a better solution, as they are more tolerant. However, nothing can be changed, as Satmar owns the site, and this August (in the month of Elul) one of the two present Satmarer Rebbes, Rabbi Aharon Teitelbaum, is coming to Jerusalem in order to lay the foundation stone for the new building complex.

As most of you probably know, Satmar is an extremely anti – zionistic chassidic group. Their most famous Rebbe was Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum who died in 1979. As he died without having children with his second wife, his nephew Rabbi Moshe became his successor. When Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum died in 2006, his two sons took over leadership and have been fighting each other since.

Rabbi Aharon is the more powerful of the two brothers and it is him who is in charge of the new building complex. His goal is to move his followers away from Mea Shearim where, at the moment, they still live together with the followers of his brother Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum. Living so close together in Mea Shearim might be a bad influence. Each of the brothers is busy recruiting as many followers as he can in order to strengthen his position, and, so far, many fights have been taken place in the Satmar neighbourhood Williamsburg – NY.

Anyway, as soon as the Satmarer Rebbe Aharon Teitelbaum is in Jerusalem, I will try to see him. At least from far away. Or more realistically speaking, from very very far away.