Satmar

Satmar (Yiddish: סאַטמאַר; Hebrew: סאטמר) is a group in Hasidic Judaism founded in 1905 by Joel Teitelbaum (1887–1979) in the city of Szatmárnémeti in the Kingdom of Hungary (now Satu Mare in Romania), which was called Satmar in Yiddish. It is a branch of the Siget Hasidic court. Following World War II, it was re-established in New York and has since grown into one of the largest Hasidic dynasties in the world, comprising around 26,000 households and a population of nearly 300,000. Satmar is characterized by ultraconservatism, complete rejection of modern culture, and strong religious anti-Zionism. The community sponsors a comprehensive education and media network in a distinct variety of Galician Yiddish, which is also the primary language used by its members. Satmar also sponsors and leads the Central Rabbinical Congress, which serves as an umbrella organization for other highly conservative, anti-Zionist, and mostly Hungarian-descended ultra-Orthodox communities. Following the death of Joel Teitelbaum in 1979, he was succeeded by his nephew, Moshe Teitelbaum. Since Moshe's death in 2006, the dynasty has been divided between his two sons, Aaron and Zalman Leib, each leading separate communities and institutions. According to research by Marcin Wodziński, around 2016, the group consisted of 26,078 households, making up 20.2% of the world's Hasidic population and being the largest Hasidic group in the world.