in Williamsburg.
"We," he states simply, as fact
*
but not as boast, "had come
BROOKLYN, N. Y. — On a - The rundown character of Wil- through the Hitler holocaust. We
500-acre tract in the New Jersey liamsburg becomes clear when came here from Rumania and
meadowlands, 45 miles or so one visits the largest of six H u n g a r y, Czechoslavokia and
from the teeming slums of Brook- schools conducted by the Satmar Yugoslavia, through Auschwitz
lyn's Williamsburg, ground will Rebbe. One walks several blocks and other death camps and
be broken for a new housing de- from the nearest elevated plat- through the D.P. camps. Now
velopment and an industrial park. form, past rubble and ruins, with we are building out in the coun-
On one side of the broad high- musty, grim y, old tenements try. Now we shall have our
way splicing the area, there will along the side streets, to reach home."
"Out there," continues Rabbi
rise at the beginning 400 new the school house bearing a sign,
homes, split-level houses and in English and Hebrew: "United Friedman, "we shall live in an
ranch-style cottages, each with Talmudical Academy Torah atmosphere where our children
its own yard and landscaped V'Yirah." Under that sign one will have fresh air and sunshine,
lawn, simultaneously, there will notes, on the facade, `the identifi- and where our adults will feel
be built a synagogue and a cation "No. 43". Thus the place free again."
school with grades from kinder- is spotted as a former public
And one of his greatest sources
garten through rabbinical semi- school building. Inquiry from the of pride lies in the application
nary, a mikvah (ritual bath), and Board of Education brings the to this ultra-Orthodox group of
a matzoh bakery. There will be information that No. 43. an ele- an ultra-modern term like "total
a shopping center with at least mentary school, had first been and absolute security." The Sat-
built in 1884; enlarged twice in mar followers are not creating a
15 stores.
Across the highway, in the 1892 and 1896. made into a vo- new ghetto — they are creating
100-acre industrial park, there . cational high school, finally "sur- a new, free society. Their pros-
will be a number of factories— rendered" in 1957. That word pect will not be a religious com-
one making furniture, several "surrender" means that the munity — "it will be a non-
medium • sized garment enter- building was no longer con- sectarian community," says Rabbi
prises, a knitting mill. Two hun- sidered usable for public school Friedman. "We will pay taxes to
dred of the homes will be ready purpose s. Now the Satmar the township. We will be part of
for occupancy by next May. By Rebbe's largest school is located an integrated whole there, our
the fall of 1963, the public build- there — in quarters ranging in neighbors will know we have
ings are scheduled to be com- age from 78 years to 66 years. created something there and even
One enters the school build- increased the tax ratables."
pleted. The High Holy Days of
*
1963 will be celebrated in the ing with sympathy for these slum
dwellers who could find a haven
new synagogue.
Non-Jews will be able to buy
no better than New York's homes there, if they choose to
* * *
Thus, a dream dreamed by the I throw - away, east - off, "surren- live there. If any one wants to
Satmar Rebbe — one of the dered," condemned properties. open a business there that con-
greatest of Hassidic rabbis in I But once inside, that feeling flicts with Jewish law and tra-
I vanishes. For in the school office, dition — even including the
the world — will be realized.
A vast, self-contained develop- one talks with Satmar Rebbe's sale of non-kosher foods, "even
ment, costing ultimately at least right-hand man. He is Rabbi Leo- pork products" — they will be
$20,000.000, will become the pold F r i e d m a n, a handsome free to do so.
world center for the many tens of vigorous, grey-bearded man of
"We don't have to worry about
thousands of Satmar Hassidim 60, who is the executive vice- our children and youth," says
I
president
of
the
rebbe's
congre-
in this country and in Israel, in
Rabbi Friedman. "After all, if
Brazil and Argentina, in Uru- gation, the spark-plug of the en- lwe had to shield them from temp-
guay, Canada and Belgium — tire enterprise which includes the i tations — there are certainly
and in many other scattered, I new project to be built in New many temptations right here. in
smaller Jewish communities Jersey.
Williamsburg. Our people will
In this school building alone— not be tempted away from our
around the world.
The Satmar Rebbe — his legal one of six he supervises on be- ways. We are sure of them. Let
name, as an American citizen, is half of the rebbe — Rabbi Fried- other people live as they wish.
Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum — man conducts classes for 2,000 Only, let them leaVe us to our
is a 75-year scholar who barely boys and girls, with girls' classes ways."
escaped from Hitler's clutches running from kindergarten
Those ways are apparent. The
during World War II. The center through the fourth grade. Al- smallest of the boys wear ear-
of his vast Hassidic sovereignty together, the educational estab- locks and the traditional garb of
now is Williamsburg, an area lishment which he runs in six' the H a s si d i c adherents. The
of Brooklyn which is so run down separate schools includes 98 littlest of the girls recite the
that there is scarcely a block classes, 63 male Hebrew teach- blessings in Hebrew. A play pe-
that is not marked for razing as ers, and seminary heads, 104 , riod in one of the lower grades
part of New York City's slum other -teachers, 3,012 students, includes Hassidic melodies as
120 young men preparing for rhythmic .accompanient to physi-
clearance program.
At his 1,200-member Brooklyn the rabbinate — a school system cal exercises. In the very center
synagogue, Congregation Yetev- with a total budget of $1,000,000 of the Williamsburg slum, the
Lev, the venerable rebbe presides a year.
school is an island of meticulous .
There is nothing apologetic cleanliness, quiet deportment
over the approximately 10,000
New York adherents to his ultra- about Rabbi Friedman, and the and serious learning divided
Orthodox group. Some of his inquirer who came there with equally during the school day be-
Hassidim live in the sprawling pity leaves with the pride gen- tween general studies conforming
metropolis. But the majority live erated by Rabbi Friedman.
to the highest curricular require-
ments of the State and City —
plus Yiddish and Hebrew. up to
Biblical studies and the Talmud.
Happy New Year
Rabbi Friedman's self-assur-
ance and high competence are
most impressive to the visitor.
His Jewishness is c o n t a g i o u s,
while his understanding of in-
13015 W. Chicago, Detroit Michigan
tricate problems like finances
and taxes, building codes and
dealings with city, state, town-
ship and industrial development
authorities in New Jersey seem
HAPPY HOLIDAY
staggering to the layman.
Roosevelt Cole Jr. Moving 5- Express
Ordained a rabbi at the age of
19, he never held a congregation-
2 Men $9.50 per hour — 3 Men $12.50 per hour
al post until invited to take on
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his present job here by the Sat-
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mar Rebbe in 1947. In his home
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town, at Sevlu s, in Czecho-
slovakia, he worked in the bank
DETROIT 6, MICH.
1602 W. PHILADELPHIA
owned by his father, became di-
rector of that bank, and held that
position until 1944. "Then, one
Happy New Year to Our Friends and Patrons
day, they came into the bank,"
he says. They, of course, are the
Nazis. He was taken directly
from the bank to Auschwitz.
Specializing in Rubbish and Garbage Removal
"Somehow, I lived." Those words
With or Without Containers
sound like a Psalm in praise of
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28816 PALM BEACH, Warren
the deity.
"Here," concludes Rabbi Fried-
FO 6-2270
1640 E. McNICHOLS RD.
man, "we have answered Hitler
Here, and in our new community,
we shall continue our answer.
Our community lives, thrives.
Come to see us in our new syna-
Happy New Year Shalom Aleichem
gogue, mi yirtzah ha-Shem, dur-
ing the High Holy Days in 1963."
BY SAUL CARSON
(Copyright, 1962, Jewish
Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
CADIEUX - APPLIANCE SERVICE
15216 Wyoming
TE 4-4032
The almond tree takes 21 days
from the time it blossoms to
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Rabbah XII, 7.
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Season's Best Wishes
NEW YEAR GREETINGS
BRANDT BROS.
INC.
W. H. BELTER
Heating Contractors
Boilers Repaired and Replaced
Distributors of
U.S. Tires and Batteries
6154 BIVOUAC
VI 1-3475
1931 East Jefferson
LO 8-3055
NEW YEAR GREETINGS
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BOSCO'S
BARBER SHOP
BLUESTEIN BROS.
6 Barbers — Manicuring
Aid Conditioned
For Your Comfort
Dealer in Scrap Materials
3195 BELLEVUE
18989 LIVERNOIS
UN 1-9717
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Happy New Year to Our Friends and Patrons
SON
Kosher Meat & Poultry Market
COHEN &
26035 Coolidge
LI 7-4121
Happy Holiday Greetings
PROGRESSIVE INDUSTRIES CO.
Designers and Manufacturers of Dies, Fixtures, Gouges
8770 Linwood
TY 7-7550
Greetings
JOHN A. BROOKS, INC.
BROOKS LAWN SPRINKLER CO.
Originator cf Lawn Underground Sprinkling System
Rain's Only Rival Since 1915
20122 Livernois
UN 3-9650
Happy New Year Greetings
BROOK'S PACKING CO.
Wholesale Meats
14210 Grand River
VE 5-4853-4
Happy New Year to Our Friends and Patrons
BIFF'S GRILL
ELLIOTT GENERAL HOSPITAL
COMMERCIAL REMOVAL
Best Wishes for a
Happy New Year
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Open to the public 24 hours
230 W. McNichols
27015 Van Dyke,. Warren
TO 6-9655
SL 7-9788
New Year Greetings
BLUE FLASH CHEMICAL CO.
Detroit, Michigan
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BANK OF COMMERCE
Resources over $66,000,000
Hamtramck
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DOROTHY BENNETT BEAUTY SCHOOL
10705 West 7 Mile
UN 4-9408
59 - THE D ETR OIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, September 28, 19 62
Sat- mar Hasidim Build Own. U.S. Town/