Religion: King of All Rabbis

To 30,000 Hasidim, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum. leader of Brooklyn’s famed Williamsburg Hasidic community, is “king of all rabbis, holiest of all Jews, greatest benefactor of our generation.” Last week, the aging (73), frail, militantly anti-Zionist rabbi was in the Holy Land, rousing new support for his private war against the state of Israel.

Arriving aboard Turkey’s S.S. Istanbul (he refuses to travel on Israeli boats because the Jewish crews must work on the Sabbath), Teitelbaum was welcomed by a crowd of black-robed, bearded Jews, who had waited along Haifa’s docks under a burning sun. A few yards away, well segregated from their men, stood the women, sweating heavily under their enveloping black garments, which left only hands and face exposed to the air. The rabbi walked down the gangplank supported by two of the Israeli policemen that he recently compared to “Hitler’s Gestapo.” When photographers tried to take pictures, Teitelbaum covered himself, mumbled, “Thou shalt not make unto thee graven images.”

Orders for Advice. Journeying to Jerusalem in a ten-car special train rented by his followers (for $1,500), the king of rabbis was greeted by banners spanning entire blocks of the Orthodox quarter—including Joel Street, named in his honor. From his suite in the neighborhood’s top hotel, vacated for him and his party of 50, he handed out blessings and advice (tantamount to orders) to the hundreds that queued up for hours to see him. Occasionally, he leaned back in an armchair and dozed while others prayed. Teitelbaum has not slept in a bed for 50 years.

His partisans hark back to the Hasidim (pious ones) who flourished in 18th century Poland. But unlike other modern Hasidic sects—which are devoted to a kind of cheerful mysticism and have no objections to Israel—Teitelbaum’s followers are fanatically opposed to most aspects of modern life, including military service, voting, movies and TV, mixed gatherings of men and women. They live in self-imposed ghettos, speak only Yiddish since they consider Hebrew sacred and reserved for prayers. Their opposition to Israel rests on two beliefs: 1) only the Messiah can establish a Jewish state, and any human attempt is sacrilegious: 2) the Israeli government is offensive to God for such practices as putting women in military service, secular education, etc.

Money for Influence. In his campaign, Rabbi Teitelbaum has strong financial backers, and two of them were with him in Israel last week—Brooklyn Manufacturer (shortening) Israel Supnik and London Real Estate Operator Getzel Berger. With their help four years ago, Teitelbaum had offered $15 worth of foodstuffs to anyone refusing to vote in Israel’s 1955 elections. In Jerusalem last week, he preached a repeat performance, persuaded many of his followers to turn over their identity cards to his aides—which means that they will not be able to vote in Israel’s November general elections.

The rabbi also laid the cornerstones for several major Hasidic projects in Israel, including a new five-story rabbinical-study center, a new housing project near Tel Aviv, an old people’s home. Perhaps his most dramatic operation concerns Tel Aviv’s long-embattled public swimming pool, which the Hasidim consider an outrage because it permits mixed bathing. Teitelbaum and his backers are trying to buy the pool from the two collectives that own it, are reported ready to offer $140,000. If the offer is turned down, Teitelbaum will order mass demonstrations by his followers. Says one of his spokesmen: “The deportment of men and women in this sinful place will bring his wrath upon the city and the Holy Land.”