Satmar Jews: The Largest Hasidic Community Explained

I am not Satmar, but I grew up in Brooklyn, and you cannot live in the Orthodox world here without knowing the Satmar community. They are our neighbors, our classmates' families, the people running the bikur cholim that shows up at the hospital at 2 a.m. with food and blankets. To outsiders they look like one of the most closed communities in America. From the inside of the frum world, we know them as one of the most generous.

Who Are the Satmar?

The Satmar Hasidim take their name from Satu Mare (Szatmárnémeti in Hungarian) — a city in what is now Romania, near the Hungarian border. Before the Holocaust, it was home to a thriving Jewish community. The Satmar dynasty was one of many Hasidic courts in Hungary and Transylvania, but under the leadership of Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, it became the dominant force in Hasidic life — and it has only grown since.

Today, the Satmar community is estimated at over 150,000 members and growing rapidly. They are the largest single Hasidic group in the world, with major communities in Williamsburg (Brooklyn), Kiryas Joel (Monroe, New York), Borough Park, and expanding settlements in several other areas.

The Rebbe: Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum

Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum (1887–1979) — known as the Satmar Rebbe or the Rebbe Reb Yoelish — is the towering figure of Satmar history. He served as Rav and Rebbe in Satu Mare before the war, escaped the Holocaust (he was rescued on the Kastner train in 1944, a fact that carries its own complicated history), and arrived in America in 1946.

What he did next was remarkable. Arriving with almost nothing, in a country he did not know, he set about rebuilding an entire world. He established a community in Williamsburg, founded yeshivos and schools, built a network of institutions, and attracted thousands of followers — many of them survivors searching for a rebbe and a community to anchor their shattered lives.

The Rebbe was a Torah giant — his magnum opus, Vayoel Moshe, is a detailed halachic and theological argument against Zionism, and it remains the intellectual foundation of Satmar ideology. He was also a fierce advocate for his community's independence, building institutions that relied on internal resources rather than government support whenever possible.

He passed away in 1979 and was succeeded by his nephew, Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, who led the community until his passing in 2006.

Core Beliefs

Anti-Zionism as Religious Principle

The most well-known Satmar position is their opposition to the State of Israel — not on political grounds, but on deeply held theological ones. The Rebbe's argument, laid out in Vayoel Moshe, rests primarily on the Three Oaths (Shalosh Shevuos) found in the Talmud (Kesubos 111a): that the Jewish people swore not to ascend to the Land of Israel "as a wall" (by force), not to rebel against the nations, and that the nations swore not to oppress Israel excessively.

In the Satmar view, establishing a Jewish state through political and military means before the coming of Moshiach violates these oaths. This is not a casual opinion — it is a core theological commitment that shapes the community's relationship with Israel, Israeli institutions, and even other Orthodox groups that support the state.

It is important to understand what this is and what it is not. Satmar anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. Satmar Jews love the Land of Israel, pray for its welfare, and many visit regularly. They oppose the state — the political entity — not the land or its Jewish residents. They also run massive charity operations that benefit Jews in Israel regardless of religious affiliation.

Strict Observance

Even by Haredi standards, Satmar practice is strict. The community maintains exacting standards in kashrus, Shabbos observance, modesty, and education. Satmar has its own hechsher (kosher certification) and its own beis din (rabbinical court). Self-sufficiency and self-governance are core values.

Yiddish Preservation

Yiddish is the daily language of the Satmar community — at home, in school, in business, and in the street. Children grow up speaking Yiddish as their first language, with English learned as a second language. Hebrew is reserved for prayer and Torah study. This commitment to Yiddish is partly cultural preservation and partly ideological — in the Satmar view, Hebrew is a holy language (lashon hakodesh) that should not be used for mundane, everyday conversation.

Community Life

Williamsburg

South Williamsburg is the historic Satmar stronghold. Walking through the streets south of the Williamsburg Bridge feels like stepping into a different world — Yiddish signs on the storefronts, distinctive dress on every block (men in long black coats, beaver hats, and white knee socks; women in modest dress with sheitels or tichels), and children everywhere. The community here is dense, active, and self-contained.

Kiryas Joel

Kiryas Joel (now part of the Village of Palm Tree in Monroe, New York) is an entire town built by and for the Satmar community. Founded in the 1970s under the direction of the Rebbe, it has grown from a small settlement to a town of over 35,000 — nearly all of them Satmar Hasidim. It has its own school system, emergency services, and social institutions. Kiryas Joel consistently reports one of the lowest median incomes in the United States, but this is somewhat misleading — large families with many children and a culture of women working while men learn full-time skew the per-capita numbers, and the community's internal support systems (gemachs, chesed organizations) provide a safety net that raw income statistics do not capture.

Education

Boys attend Satmar cheder and yeshiva, where the primary focus is Torah and Talmud study. Secular education in Satmar boys' schools is limited — this has been a point of controversy and legal challenge. Girls attend Bais Ruchel schools (the Satmar girls' school system), where they receive Torah education alongside a more substantial secular curriculum.

The 2006 Split

When Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum passed away in 2006, the community split between his two sons: Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum and Rabbi Zalman Leib Teitelbaum. Rabbi Aaron leads the Kiryas Joel faction, and Rabbi Zalman Leib leads the Williamsburg faction. The split divided institutions, synagogues, and even families. Both sides maintain their own yeshivos, shuls, and organizational structures.

The division was painful and at times acrimonious, with legal battles over property and institutional control. Over time, the intensity has cooled somewhat, but the two factions remain separate. Despite the split, both sides continue to identify as Satmar and share the same core ideology and practice.

Satmar Charity: The Quiet Giant

If there is one thing I wish more people knew about the Satmar community, it is their chesed (kindness) infrastructure. Satmar-run organizations are among the most effective Jewish charities in the world:

• Bikur Cholim of Satmar operates in hospitals across New York, providing food, companionship, translation services, and practical support to Jewish patients — regardless of whether they are Satmar, Orthodox, or even observant at all.
• Satmar Chesed provides financial assistance, food packages, and holiday supplies to thousands of families.
• Hatzolah — the volunteer ambulance service — was founded by a Satmar Hasid (Rabbi Hershel Weber) and now operates in Jewish communities worldwide.

The scale of Satmar charity is extraordinary. During COVID-19, Satmar organizations were among the first to set up food distribution, blood donation drives, and community support systems. This is a community that takes the mitzvah of chesed with the same seriousness it brings to every other aspect of religious life.

Common Misconceptions

"Satmar Jews hate Israel." They oppose the political state on theological grounds. They do not hate the land, the people, or Jews who live there. Their charity organizations serve Jews in Israel generously.

"They are a cult." The Satmar community is large, diverse (especially since the split), and people leave and join voluntarily. It is a tight-knit religious community with strong social norms — which is not the same thing as a cult.

"They do not contribute to society." Satmar businesses, medical volunteers, and charity organizations contribute enormously to the communities where they live. Hatzolah alone has saved thousands of lives across New York.

Common Questions

How big is the Satmar community? Estimates range from 150,000 to 200,000 members worldwide, with the majority in the New York area. The community is growing rapidly due to high birth rates.

Do Satmar Jews speak English? Yes — most Satmar Jews in America are bilingual, speaking Yiddish at home and English as needed. Younger generations are increasingly fluent in English, especially women who work in English-speaking environments.

Can outsiders visit Williamsburg or Kiryas Joel? Yes, though visitors should be respectful. Dress modestly, do not photograph people without permission, and be aware that on Shabbos the community is not engaging with the outside world.

Are Satmar Jews allowed to use the internet? Internet use is strongly discouraged. Most families that do use it rely on filtered devices. Smartphones with unrestricted internet access are not accepted in Satmar schools — if a parent is found to have one, their children may face consequences.

The Satmar community is not always easy to understand from the outside. Their positions can seem extreme, their boundaries rigid, and their insularity impenetrable. But spend time learning about them — their history, their values, and especially their chesed — and you begin to see a community that has rebuilt itself from the ashes of the Holocaust with extraordinary determination, and that takes care of its own (and others) with a generosity that puts most of us to shame.