Aaron Teitelbaum

Aaron Teitelbaum (born 20 October 1947) is an American rabbi who is one of the two Grand Rebbes of Satmar, and the chief rabbi of the Satmar community in Kiryas Joel, New York.

Background

Aaron Teitelbaum is the oldest son of the late Grand Rabbi of Satmar Moshe Teitelbaum, who was the nephew of the late Satmar Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum.

In 1985, Aaron Teitelbaum was appointed as the chief rabbi and rosh yeshiva of the Satmar congregation in Kiryas Joel, which gave him authority over all the community's affairs. At that time, Aaron supporters already controlled all assets in Kiryas Joel. He also ruled that his followers may not possess smartphones under any circumstances.

In June 2014, contemporaneous to the 2014 kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenagers, Teitelbaum blamed the parents of the dead teenagers for their murder, proclaiming in a speech broadcast on Kol Satmar: "During the funerals, the parents eulogized their sons, but I think it would have been preferable if they had done teshuva [repented], if they had said viduy [confession] with tears, in the nusach [style] that is used on Yom Kippur, to repent for their decision to live and learn Torah in a place of barbaric murderers."

Teitelbaum has expressed his wishes to establish a Satmar community in Romania.

In a historic first, during the 2024 United States presidential election, he shifted from the Satmars’ traditional stance with the Democratic party to endorse Donald Trump over Kamala Harris for President.

Children Rabbi Menachem Mendel, heir apparent, previously served as a Chief Rabbi of the Satmar community, and also as a Rosh Yeshiva, in Antwerp, Belgium. In 2006, according to his father's order, he returned to the United States and was appointed to serve as a Chief Rabbi of his father's followers in Williamsburg. In 1984, in a wedding which took place in Nassau Coliseum with the participation of tens of thousands of people, he married his first cousin, Rebbetzin Brucha Sima, daughter of Rabbi Berish Meisles, the Chief Rabbi of the Satmar community in Borough Park and son-in-law of the deceased Grand Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum of Satmar. Rebbetzin Chaya, married to Rabbi Chanoch Henich, son of Grand Rabbi Yitzchok Ashkenazi of Alesk. Rebbetzin Sarah Miriam, married to Rabbi Boruch, son of Grand Rabbi Nochum Efraim Teitelbaum of Volova. Rebbetzin Hinda, married Rabbi Shimon Zev, son of Rabbi Zalman Leib Meisles, Chief Rabbi of the local Satmar community in Sea Gate. Rabbi Chaim Tzvi, serves as a Rabbi of the Sighet synagogue in Williamsburg. Married to Rebbetzin Rivkah Sarah Chaya, granddaughter of Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, the previous Grand Rabbi of the Kiviashd community in Brooklyn. Named for his great-grandfather. Rebbetzin Channa, married Rabbi Duvid Dov, son of Grand Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky (the second), the current Rebbe of the Dushinsky dynasty in Jerusalem. Rabbi Yoel, married Rivkah Blima, daughter of Rabbi Leibish Eichenstein from Monsey. Rebbetzin Margulis, married Rabbi Yosef, son of Rabbi Yoel Rokeach from Monsey.