A group of Maryland and Virginia Jews joined forces to pull off a display of achdus—by pulling a stranded Satmar Rebbe off a grounded plane and arranging for a suite with a sefer Torah at the Dulles Marriott, along a minyan for shachris and mincha and breakfast.
Kiryas Joel residents reached out to a Baltimore contact at 7:30 a.m. this morning to inform him that the Rebbe’s flight was being diverted to Dulles and to ask for his help.
The Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, would need to say Kaddish for his mother, and the Aeromexico flight from Mexico to New York was forced to land at Dulles after heavy snows snarled air traffic in and out of New York City.
Community members organized a minyan an a suite was also reserved for the Rebbe at the nearby Dulles Marriott, comprising a dining room for shacharis/minchah and brunch, and a private side room for the Rebbe.
Simultaneously, Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Washington, D.C. Director of American Friends of Lubavitch, was contacted by Satmar Chassidim in Kiryas Joel.
Rabbi Shemtov used his government contacts to arrange for the Satmar Rebbe’s earlier departure from the aircraft and very quick passage through customs, though the plane and its passengers were delayed on the tarmac after landing for about three hours.
The Satmar Rebbe continued his unplanned excursion to Virginia with a trip to the recently constructed Chabad mikvah in Fairfax, Virginia, which was especially opened for him by Rabbi Shalom Deitsch, the head shliach of Northern Virginia.
The Rebbe then was driven to Baltimore’s Union Station for a train ride to Newark, New Jersey, where another car awaited the Rebbe to transport him back to Kiryas Joel.
Gershon Schlesinger, Chairman of Satmar’s United Jewish Community Advocacy Relations and Enrichment (UJCare), told VIN News: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the Chabad emissary Reb Levi Shemtov who went out of his way to make sure that the Rebbe had a warm mikvah.”
He added, “It was mamesh a kiddush hashem and we are extremely thankful to the Baltimore community volunteers who join the minyan and for bringing the food.”
Rabbi Shemtov told VIN News: “Someone commented that so many people were taken away from their work today because of this. I told them, they were wrong. The Lubavitcher Rebbe taught us all to help anyone no matter who they are. It was a big zchus to be able to do what we did today.”
Rabbi Deitsch S”L”T”A”
CHAZZAK u BARUCH.
Milko
Very we must be united very nice nB H
I’m a big admirer of Satmar and Lubavitch. These pictures are heartwarming! I had the zechus to go into the Satmar Rebbe a few months ago when I was visiting NY. He’s a very warm, great person.
R L Shem Tov
Rabbi shuki get a coat 😉
then you know he is such a veremeh yid he doesnt need a coat.
where are you rabbi adler- you are the worlds best rabbi- to know you is to love you- keep up your great work!!! so happy to see the ahavas yisroel
those of you who think this is no big deal must be very young.for those of us who remember how it used to be,to see the satmer rebbe sitting and eating a meal with the rebbe’s shaliach trully is gevaldik,moshiachdik.
Rabbi Shokie get a coat 🙂
Rabbi Shemtov is the best!
Will bring Moshiach Now!!!!!
Was Rabbi Adler There from Fairfax???
The Satmer Rebbe would be impressed to meet the Erech Shais einekel, a Chabad Shaliach!
Rabbi Adler Rocks!!!!
I was reading the comments and just waiting for someone to speak up like Number 15 did. We Lubavitchers owe a huge debt of gratitude to the S.B.C. Thank G-d for this opportunity for us to reciprocate a little for the chesed they bestow on ALL Yidden in medical crisis, regardless of affiliation, every single day.
Satmar Rebbe is an old good friend with Chabad, The rebbe visit palm spring every year for 3 weeks and he daven in Chabad, The past Motze Shabes was a nice shve Bruches in Boro park for satmar rebbe grand son and the rebbi of chbad in palm spring came, No big deal
Several years ago, my wife was in Beth Israel Hospital. Satmar Bikur Cholim was there every day with hot chicken soup and a good word. They also recommended the best doctor in the place for my wife’s condition. Everybody has their strengths. It’s good to see yidden helping each other.
Yes, it is normal to help a fellow Yid, but is newsworthy when it is the Satmar Rebbe. BH, Chabad assists and gets assisted by Satmar every day of the year. It happens quite often on Shlichus.
Go Shuky! YK-NYC
finally we are together again. I hope this lasts 100% because Moshiach is on his way!!!!
Baruch Hashem Rabbis Deitsch and Shemtov had the opportunity and ability to help the Satmar Rebbe.
I hope that such acts of kindness and achdus are shown not only at times of emergency.
Mi K’Amcha Yisrael.
Thank you COL for sharing this with us.
Good Shabbos to all
to a mirror?
Now this is a good story of achdus and ahavas Yisroel that will help bring moshiach!
Yeshar Koach to all!
when you need mohammed, you take him off the mountain. too bad they only believe in us when they are stuck. we are B”H around every day of the year, and at any time of the night or day.
NBK
I am not surprised,as there’s more to unite us and bring out the good in us all, & BH it was only a snow storm that was needed to reveal this.
I am proud to be one of Am Yisroel and a Lubavitcher.
When did you ever go to sleep and dream that one day you’d be hosting Stamar in Virginia, let alone the Satmar Rebbe himself. Only in Chabad! Kol Hakovod!!!
why do we have to make a big deal about things which are supposed to be a standard with which we live. one jew helped another jew, excellent now get on with life
My dear friend Rabbi Sholom Ber Deitsch, please wear a coat. It’s cold outside!!!
kol hakavod
from italy