American Shtetl: The Making of Kiryas Joel, a Hasidic Village in Upstate New York

497 Pages·2022·41.038 MB·English

by  Nomi M. Stolzenberg, David N. Myers

American Shtetl

American Shtetl
the making of kiryas joel, a hasidic
village in upstate new york
nomi m. stolzenberg
david n. myers
prince ton university press
princet on & oxford
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ISBN 978-0-691-19977-1
ISBN (e- book) 978-0-691-22643-9
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Contents
Illustrations vii
Acknowl edgments ix
prologue: Approaching Kiryas Joel 1
part i: the past and pre sent of the shtetl
chapter 1: Life in the Shtetl 27
chapter 2: Satmar in Eu rope 82
chapter 3: Satmar in Amer i ca: From Shtetl to Village 115
part ii: law and religion in the village
and beyond
chapter 4: Not in Amer i ca? 165
chapter 5: Only in Amer i ca! 222
chapter 6: The Law of the Land (Is the Law) 277
part iii: conflict, competition, and the
future of kiryas joel
chapter 7: “Two Kings Serving the Same Crown”:
The Great Schism in Kiryas Joel and Beyond 337
v
vi Contents
epilogue: Leaving Kiryas Joel 376
Notes 397
Glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish Terms 445
List of Personalities 449
Index 455
Illustrations
I.1: Overview of Kiryas Joel (4930) 2
I.2: Sign Warning against Immodesty in Kiryas Joel 5
1.1: Aerial Photo of Kiryas Joel over Time 29
1.2: Population Density of Kiryas Joel 35
1.3: Man Walking in Front of Typical Multiunit
Apartments in Kiryas Joel 35
1.4: Audience of Satmar Men and Boys Gathered to
Hear R. Aaron Teitelbaum 37
1.5: Young Boy on Big Wheel 45
1.6: Men in Study Hall in Main Aroni Synagogue 47
1.7: Graves of Alta Faiga (1912–2001), R. Joel Teitelbaum
(1887–1979), and R. Moshe Teitelbaum (1914–2006) at
Main Kiryas Joel Cemetery 54
1.8: R. Aaron Lighting Lag Ba- Omer Fire, 2019 55
1.9: Women at Lag Ba- Omer Cele bration under a Sign for
Water, 2019 55
1.10: Crowd of Men and Boys Gathered for Lag Ba- Omer
Cele bration 56
1.11: Kiryas Joel Public School 57
1.12: Key Sites in Kiryas Joel 80
2.1: R. Joel Teitelbaum Greeting Romanian King
Carol II in 1936 106
vii
viii Illustrations
5.1: Main Aroni Synagogue at Back of Which Is Disputed
“Rebbetsin’s Shul” 229
7.1: R. Moshe Teitelbaum, Second Satmar Rebbe 338
7.2: Hasid Kissing the Hand of R. Aaron Teitelbaum 342
7.3: Major Annexations in Kiryas Joel 372
acknowle dgments
Work on this book has been a source of amazement, exhilaration, frus-
tration, patience, and impatience over the past fifteen years. During that
time, we incurred debts to a legion of scholars, students, and inter-
viewees. From the very beginning until the end, we were assisted by
Chris McKenna, the crack reporter for the Times Herald- Record in Mid-
dletown. Chris knows more about politics in Orange County and Kiryas
Joel than almost anyone in the world. He was boundlessly generous in
sharing his knowledge, wisdom, and tips. In a very real sense, this book
wouldn’t have been pos si ble without him.
At the outset of this proj ect, Barry Trachtenberg provided vital re-
search assistance and ethnographic analys is. Already at that point, as an
early- career gradu ate student, Barry understood the multiple layers of
our historical and legal interests and helped to build up an archive of
materials that has furnished us to this day. Barry has since gone on to
have a productive scholarly career of his own, but his work for us was
foundational.
For his unparalleled range of bibliographic knowledge and network
of contacts, we thank the inimitable and irrepressible Menachem Butler.
Among other gifts, he opened the door to a number of acquaintances
in the Satmar world who proved to be invaluable guides.
Among our Satmar sources, regardless of which faction they be-
longed to, our meetings were almost always productive and pleasant.
Even though we appeared as outsiders, we were always treated with
courtesy and re spect. Frequently, we would be told by an interviewee
that he or she did not have much time to talk. And frequently, we would
have to excuse ourselves after two or more hours to get to the next
ix