The Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg Shlita, who is visiting France, addressed a gathering attended by thousands.
In view of the growing anti-Semitism and the many terrorist incidents among French Jews, they have been immigrating to Israel for the past two years, but as a result, some are losing their Jewish connection and traditions.
“It is precisely in Israel that their children come to study in the state education system and thus we lose the next generation,” explains one of the Jewish activists in France.
In the past two years, the Admorim have built a network of holy institutions in order to convince the local residents not to leave the country while giving their children a Jewish education.
The Satmar Rebbe in his address on Tuesday night said, “Your place is here and not to immigrate to Israel.” The Rebbe elaborated that his ancestors, the founders of Chassidism had taken care of the spiritual lives of the Jews from Eastern Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria.
“Even today there are many who come to Israel and are cut off from any connection to Yiddishkheit and undergo a spiritual holocaust,” the Rebbe cried out in pain. “Therefore, we must continue to stay here and send the children to institutions where there is a genuine Jewish education.”
As YWN has previously reported, a delegation of prestigious Rabbonim have traveled to Toronto, Chicago and other cities to raise millions of dollars to provide the many French Jews who have immigrated to Israel in recent years with the opportunity to receive a proper education within the Charedi school system.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
the last time a satmar rebbe said not to go to israel but stay in hungary
the jews ended up in aushwitz
lets hope mistakes dont get repeated!
I don’t understand. So who is going to protect them from the Muslim terrorists? If it has been proven that there is a real present sakana for a frum Yid to live in France and there are options as to where one can go (unlike Europe, when Hitler took over), how can they stay? If Israel, according to this Rebbe, presents a terrible spiritual danger, so why can’t he invite them to come live in Williamsburg or some other Frumeh seviva? Why davka to stay in France?
It is amazing the amount of Chesed and work on behalf of Klal Yisroel around the world, including for non-Chasidim, that Satmar does.
If the Rebbe tells the French Yidden to stay in France then we have to do what we could to strengthen Yiddishkeit in France.
On the wrong side of history.Again.
Typical satmar behavior.
“Your place is here and not to immigrate to Israel.” Sounds just like what European Jews were told before the Holocaust.
Your place is here Practice what you preach, and you stay in France, instead of cozy Williamsburg.
I’m surprised that nobody learns from the past. Before WWII as antisemitism was spreading in Europe there were Rabbonim who discouraged emigration to Eretz Yisroel. Sadly, although unintentional, this advice sent many to their untimely deaths. How can someone repeat past mistakes without taking a lesson from recent history?!
seems to me there are many Torah schools in Eretz Yisroel that a Jew can send his children to….
It’s amazing how much of a parallel with the Meraglim in the Dor HaMidbar this presents. The Meraglim were the leaders of the nation, and felt that Am Yisrael was better off in the Midbar, where they were fed by HKB”H and had nothing to do but learn, rather than entering Eretz Yisrael, where they’d have the burden of parnassa and the need to fight the seven nations to deal with. This was the view of ten of the twelve Meraglim – a strong majority – but the right answer was that of Kalev and Yehoshua – “Tova ha’aretz me’od me’od” – the land is very, very good.
I have lost all respect for the various feuding Satmar factions and their leaders. Their belief that Hashgacha Pratis ended in 1948, and that all thereafter is a Ma’ase Satan, and their maintenance of that stance to the detriment of their followers and all other Jews, is self-serving and destructive.
an Israeli Yid
Jews in the State of Israel face a greater terror threat than the Jews in France. Furthermore, it has been proven from past experience of many Jews moving to Israel that the government works overtime — unfortunately successfully in the past — to shmad them against the Torah or otherwise turn frum Jews into chilonim through pubic schooling, etcetera. Hence the rabbonim shlita (including Rav Dovid Feinstein shlita and others), led by the Satmar Rebbe, are working to avoid such a catastrophe by encouraging French Jewry to build up their Torah community in France.
Where’s the communicated content tag?
Isn’t this the same think the other Satmarer rebbe told Jews in Europe in the 1940’s?
Joseph, you are 100% correct.
Rav Malkiel Kotler, Rav Dovid Feinstein, and Reb Z”L Teitelbaum responded to the desperate appeal of the Kalover Rebbe (l’ refuah shelaima) who has been working tirelessly for decades to strengthen Yiddishkeit in communities where it is very tenuous at best. These three gedoilim have traveled together and successfully raised millions to establish mosdos for the French olim arriving in EY. They have not stopped with this noble cause.
Just as was done with the Yemenites when they arrived to EY, the medina persuades the French newcomers that all schools are Jewish – of course, with terrible consequences for these people whose frumkeit is not very strong to begin with (unlike the Yemenites who were very, very, frum, and still their mesora was mockingly decimated.)
Regarding the reasons that many French Jews have chosen to stay in (or even return to) their country are varied.
1 – Upon coming to EY they have a major problem with the language.
2 – Upon coming to EY they are placed in ghetto-like housing.
3 – Upon coming to EY they are confronted with major financial challenges. Most of these French olim had secure jobs and businesses in France and have not been able to establish themselves at all. They have become third-class citizens in their new home.
Some have subsequently moved to Montreal, Canada where they speak the same language and have a greater chance of assimilating into the Jewish community there – with their dignity intact.
The Satmar Rebbe and the Pshevorsker Rebbe were not looking for new causes to champion – they have way more than they can possibly handle. They were beseeched by the Rabbanim and Roshei Yeshiva in France that their mosdos were facing closure for lack of financing, and though the majority of the denizens there are Sephardic, leave it up to Satmar to always answer the call!!
To politicize this is criminal! Where are all of you when it comes to any cause outside of your own sphere? Who is it who always responds with effort and money whatever and wherever the need is – notwithstanding the affiliation? It is very easy to trash Satmar, but never to consider the chesed that they – way beyond any other kehila – provide.