One of the longest-running and most sensitive chapters in modern Satmar history reached a dramatic moment Thursday afternoon as the yerusha and treasured cheftzei kodesh of the late Satmar Rebbe, the Beirach Moshe zt”l, were formally divided among the yorshim nearly two decades after his petirah.
The historic meeting took place under a veil of secrecy at the home of philanthropist Reb Lipa Friedman on the outskirts of Monsey, bringing together representatives of all four branches of the family to oversee the final division of the yerusha through a lottery system.
Participating on behalf of the yorshim were representatives of the families of the Satmar Rebbes of Kiryas Yoel and Williamsburg, as well as the descendants of the Beirach Moshe’s other sons. The drawing was witnessed by prominent Satmar rabbanim to ensure complete transparency and fairness.
The milestone comes just months after both Satmar factions jointly signed a rare and unprecedented public letter calling for the return of all seforim, kisvei yad, and cheftzei kodesh belonging to the Beirach Moshe’s yerusha.
As previously reported by YWN, the historic kol koreh represented a major breakthrough after nearly twenty years of stalled efforts following the bitter Satmar split that occurred after the Beirach Moshe’s petirah. The letter warned that anyone holding items belonging to the yerusha was obligated to return them immediately so the distribution could finally proceed according to the Rebbe’s wishes.
Behind the scenes, extensive negotiations had been underway for years between representatives of both sides. During the past year, thousands of items were carefully catalogued, authenticated, and appraised.
The collection includes rare seforim, handwritten manuscripts, personal belongings, and priceless cheftzei kodesh passed down through generations of Satmar and the broader dynasty of “Atzei Tamarim,” stretching from the Yismach Moshe through the Divrei Yoel and ultimately to the Beirach Moshe himself.
Sources familiar with the process estimate the collection’s value at several million dollars.
Among the most treasured items are rare kisvei yad and sacred objects connected to generations of Satmar Rebbes. One package reportedly included the Rabbeinu Tam tefillin of the Kedushas Yom Tov, while another contained a menorah that belonged to the famed Rebbe, alongside other irreplaceable artifacts.
According to the Beirach Moshe’s tzava’ah, the cheftzei kodesh and seforim were to be divided equally among his four sons. To accomplish this, experts spent months creating four carefully balanced packages, each equal not only in monetary value but also in historical and spiritual significance.
Each package contained a unique combination of seforim, kisvei yad, and cheftzei kodesh so that no package would be considered more valuable or prestigious than another. A formal goral was then conducted to determine which package each family would receive.
The process marks the culmination of years of work by the Beirach Moshe’s longtime trusted meshamesh, Reb Moshe Friedman, known throughout Satmar as “Moshe Gabbai,” who had been entrusted by the Rebbe during his lifetime with responsibility over the yerusha together with longtime confidants and askanim.
Many of the items remained inaccessible for years due to the well-known division within Satmar following the Rebbe’s petirah. Approximately a decade ago, efforts began to secure and preserve the collection, and in recent years the process accelerated significantly. Following the publication of the family’s kol koreh before Pesach, additional valuable items were returned by chassidim and associates who had possessed them for years, allowing the final inventory to be completed.
Observers noted that beyond the immense monetary value involved, the successful completion of the process represents a remarkable achievement given the complexity of the yerusha and the nearly twenty years of division that followed the Beirach Moshe’s petirah.
Sources tell YWN that an additional date has been set for another meeting of the family, where a second lottery will be held.
Many within Satmar view the event as the closing of a painful chapter that has lingered since the Rebbe’s passing and as a significant demonstration of cooperation among the various branches of the family.
Adding a personal dimension to the historic gathering, the meeting took place in the home of Reb Lipa Friedman just days before the wedding of his first daughter, transforming his home into the setting for one of the most significant and emotionally charged moments in Satmar history in recent decades.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
