Thursday Dec 5 2002

The Rebbe's stick is Broken

By GIMPEL the SHISTER, HasidicNews.com Writer

WILLIAMSBURG (HN) - Last week, another Satmar wedding took place. This time it was the youngest son of the Satmar Rebbe, Rav Shalom Eliezer Teitelbaum, who married off his son Joel.

Shalom Eliezer is known to be aligned with his brother Aaron in the Zalmen-Aaron conflict. Yet, the Satmar Rebbe was honored to be the "Mesader Kiddushin" and had accepted the offer.

On the night of the wedding, the crowd was all set for the Chupah but the Rebbe hadn't arrived yet. Later it was revealed that Zalmen Leib also had a "Siddur Kiddushin" to perform that night and since he wanted to attend his brother's wedding together with his father (rather than being isolated in a pro-aaron crowd) he had instructed the Rebbe's people that they wait for him.

When the Rebbe and Zalmen Leib finally arrived to the wedding, Shalom Eliezer and Aaron's people were outraged. They refused to allow Zalmen up on the "bima" (platform) where the chupa was staged. The Rebbe's people then announced that the Rebbe won't be performing "siddur Kiddushin until Zalmen is allowed up, at which point a brawl erupted. The highlight of the skirmish was that the Rebbe's stick was broken. Zalmen's people apparently blamed Aaron's side for this and publicized this event widely.

Soon after the Chupa, Lipa Teitelbaum, a son of the Rebbe, stood in-between the Rebbe and Aaron so as to prevent Aaron from approaching his dad. Someone then suddenly shoved Lipa out of the way and Aaron managed to shake hands with his dad and say "mazel tov".

The Rebbe did not return later for after-meal dancing, apparently in protest for the way they treated him and Zalmen during the Chupa.