
Representatives of both Satmar kehillos and of two Satmar rabbanim gathered in Monsey on Thursday for a historic goral to determine the distribution of prized yerushah items belonging to the Divrei Yoel and other Satmar Rebbes, including the Kedushas Yom Tov zy’a and the Berach Moshe zy’a.
The proceedings, held at the home of R’ Lipa Friedman and attended by sons and gabbaim of the Admorim Harav Aharon Teitelbaum shlita and Harav Zalman Leib shlita, as well as the Zenta Rav shlita and Harav Sholom Eliezer Teitelbaum shlita, Rav of the 15th Avenue Satmar shul, were organized into four packages, with each party drawing lots for their respective share of the items.
The goral for the first package, belonging to Harav Aharon was conducted by R’ Moshe Friedman, the former gabbai of the Berach Moshe, who also received the package on Harav Aharon’s behalf.
The goral for the second package, belonging to Harav Zalman Leib was conducted by R’ Eliezer Kestenbaum, a prominent philanthropist and close confidant of the Berach Moshe, who received the package on Harav Zalman Leib’s behalf.
The goral for the third package, belonging to the Zenta Rav, was conducted by R’ Meir Hirsch, a Rosh Kehillah of Rav Zalman Leib’s kehillah, who received the package on behalf of the Zenta Rav.
The goral for the fourth package, belonging to Rav Shalom Eliezer was conducted by R’ Chaim Shlomo Fischer, the gabbai of Harav Aharon, who received the package on behalf of the 15th Avenue kehillah.
Among the most significant results: the Sefer Torah that the Divrei Yoel himself brought in — a deeply emotional item for the kehillah — fell to Harav Zalman Leib. The letter of the Divrei Chaim to the Kedushas Yom Tov also went to Harav Zalman Leib, as did the Rashi tefillin of the Berach Moshe and the Sefer Torah of the Rebbe zt”l. The Megillah was received by Rav Shalom Eliezer Teitelbaum’s kehillah on 15th Avenue, and the Menorah of the Kedushas Yom Tov went to the Zenta Rav.
Harav Aharon’s package included an extensive collection of historic items: a ksav of the Yismach Moshe with a kamea; the shtreimel of the Berach Moshe and his chair from 550 Bedford Avenue; a k’sav rabbonus of the Berach Moshe from 5740; a Shas from 5711 belonging to the Divrei Yoel; a Sefer Toras Chaim from the Yismach Moshe and Yetev Lev valued at $75,000; golden becher of the Divrei Yoel zt”l from 5714; golden bechers of the Berach Moshe; a Rabbeinu Tam of the Kedushas Yom Tov; the shtreimel of the Berach Moshe; a silver walking stick of the Berach Moshe; a set of Shas from 5704 of the Berach Moshe; and the historic tefillin of the Kedushas Yom Tov.
According to the organizers of the goral, the packages of Rav Aharon and Rav Zalman Leib both are worth an estimated $2.7 million each.