<$BlogRSDURL$>

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

In Brooklyn, Hasidim build shul in a flash



In a feat worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records, followers of Kiryas Joel Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum accomplished in two weeks — with cinder blocks, mortar and a feverish sense of urgency — what they had failed to do in five years of court-fighting with their rivals.

On a street corner in Williamsburg, the Brooklyn base of the 120,000-strong Satmar Hasidic movement, professional workmen and Satmar volunteers laboring around the clock erected a 2,300-seat synagogue in roughly the time it takes to lay the foundation for an ordinary building project.

And with hours to go before sundown and the start of Rosh Hashana on Sept. 22, the faithful hustled pews across the street from another synagogue they had been using, and prepared to begin celebrating the High Holy Days in their new, 13,000-square-foot home.

"Everybody, young and old, people from 10 years old to 80 years old — in an hour, they filled the shul with benches," said Shimon Rolnitzky, a Kiryas Joel resident and writer for the Yiddish weekly newspaper Der Blatt.

The speedy construction marks a new chapter in the ongoing feud between Aron Teitelbaum and his younger brother, Rabbi Zalmen Teitelbaum, each of whom commands a loyal following in Kiryas Joel, Brooklyn and other Satmar enclaves around the world.

The two factions have been fighting in court since 2001 over control of the Williamsburg chapter's assets — an empire that includes roughly $372 million worth of buildings and land in Brooklyn, Sullivan County and Ulster County, according to an appraisal filed in court.

Zalmen Teitelbaum's side rules the empire, and five years of litigation has failed to topple them. A court appeal is pending, but Aron Teitelbaum and his followers, resorting to Plan B, have begun to establish a parallel network of buildings in Williamsburg in case they never dislodge their rivals.

Hence the new synagogue at Kent Avenue and Hooper Street. Zalmen Teitelbaum's followers, who recently occupied a cavernous, new shul of their own, have snickered about the hastily built "Home Depot shul." His brother's supporters say it's only temporary and hint at plans to build the biggest synagogue in New York City.

Regardless, both sides now have a place to celebrate the joyous holiday of Simchat Torah on Oct. 14. Thousands of Kiryas Joel residents will pour into Williamsburg to join the festivities that day as the Teitelbaum brothers, each surrounded by chanting supporters, dance with the Torah in synagogues less than half a mile apart.

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061003/NEWS/610030318/-1/NEWS

Comments:
Get aron tetelbaum out of our neihborhood

 

POST: October 04, 2006 9:29 PM

Did you daven on Yom Kippur?
What about Viduy ?????

A git Yur !

 

To Shmekidik:Thank you very much for your great post, I agree with you totally, I daven in a big Chasidhe Shul in Boro Park, I have to say that the odor in the Shul of most of the Chasidim is horrible and disgusting, most of them do not bathe and have this awful rotten fish smell coming from their smelly underarms.I have approuched many of them telling them to use underarm deoderant and they look at me like I am from the moon, I am willing to donate a whole case of underarm deoderant to all Chassideshe Shuls for the upcoming Yomim Tovim.It is a Chillul Hashem how they stink.Let us hope that they listen to to us and make a Kiddush Hashem.By the way according to all Poskim including the Minchas Yitzchok, Reb Moshe Feinstein etc. underarm deoderant is allowed to be used on Shabbos and Yom Tov if you spray it on your body and not on your clothes.

 

Since I will be in Willamsburgh for Yom Tov I am very excited that I will be able to be in the Big Shul of Satmar to attend the tefilos, Tishen and Hakofos..but you can be sure that I will try to be next to the cool Bucherim and Yingaleit that are good looking, well built and smell good, because i am like the ''Shmekidik'' post that can not tolerate the big fat ugly ,smelly, Chasidim. they make me vomit.I am good friends with the cool ones in Reb Aharon's Satmar..I can't wait to meet them there and have a good time..

 

to: 12.32 post...Hi I am Chesky G. from Willy, I will be there, you will be able to find me between the ugly smelly chasidim there, you will notice me near the cool bucherim, I am very noticable I wear a shtufene hat with a short jacket I am around five foot ten, dark complextion, very well built, very muscular and I wear white on white shirts,i will be wearing shoes with a silver buckle, have small curly blonde payos hanging down, and I smell great I spray deoderant every day and also use a litte cologne.you will recognize me right away,I am very good looking..I cant' wait to see you all..

 

This is Moishy from Willy, I will also definitly be in the big Shuls of Satmar for Yom Tov..I will be in both Shuls to meet my cool friend, I have freinds in both Shuls..you all know me I am the tall muscular 20 year old with a velvet hat and long jacket that everyone in Willy allways looks at..look at my post in the''Shmekidik ''blog for a short review of me, I posted it today..I hope to have a grat time with you all on Yom tov..

 

F.Y. I. You can only use spray on deodorant on Shabbos and Yom Tov not roll on or stick deodorant. Make sure to bathe with SOAP and water on Erev Yom Tov, because deodorant is not a substitute for cleanliness. Jumping into a mikva full of chlorine doesn't clean anyone. I don't know if only a crowd of Chassidim stink or a crowd if anyone else does too. If you have a lot of people crowded together it's bound to smell somewhat off color.

 

Hey 2:37 can i get a date with u? ur discription sounds great, btw u left out ur age and marital status!

 

Post a Comment

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Google
Chaptzem! Blog

-