Million-Dollar March

Who are these wealthy chassidim, who are making such large contributions and funding the establishment of Satmar institutions throughout the world?

At an annual Satmar-kollel dinner in Boro Park one recent Motzaei Shabbos the Satmar Rebbe Rav Aharon Teitelbaum peppered his keynote speech with words of mussar urging his listeners to open their wallets and donate generously to the institutions of the chassidus.

This was no surprise to an audience known for its over-the-top philanthropy but the bombshell fell when the Rebbe continued speaking about his impending end-of-February trip to EretzYisrael announcing the criteria for accompanying him. “We are going to EretzYisraelfor a family simchah and when we go there we try to get the maximum benefit out of the trip. Along with our family simchah we will lay the cornerstone for a new building for a girls’ school in Bnei Brak and we will celebrate a chanukas habayis for a new talmud Torah building in Yerushalayim all so that our chassidim in Eretz Yisrael can get some chizuk. I’m inviting only the philanthropists of our community who will take it upon themselves to finance our new projects in the Holy Land.”

The Rebbe’s words were unprecedented even in Satmar. For the first time the Rebbe had drawn a line stating clearly that he wasn’t looking for a traveling entourage. This was solely about helping establish the institutions of the chassidus inEretzYisrael.

And the response wasn’t long in coming. Immediately after the dinner the Rebbe left Boro Park and traveled to the home of Reb Yehuda Mandel in Williamsburg where a private MelavehMalkahmeal was held. The seudah was attended by a small number of affluent Satmar chassidim and was targeted for the new building inBneiBrak. On the spot six chassidim donated half a million dollars each — and the Rebbe personally invited each of them to join him on his trip.