I am Satmar Chassidish AMA

emee2

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 9:03 am

amother Firebrick wrote:

How is it possible to say you "live according to the derech" of your chasidus if you admit to watching movies, having unfiltered internet, going to non-Jewish schools and encouraging your children to do all of the same of these?! This sounds more like cognitive dissonance.

I guess everyone has to do as they see fit. I have a rav that I am very close to and he knows about my decisions so I feel very comfortable with the way I am raising my family. I did not say anything about unfiltered Internet or non Jewish schools and perhaps I wasn’t clear but the only thing I have encouraged my children to do is to go to college. One of my children wants to be a doctor and the other a dietician and both of these require university education. I’m ok with that and it is not looked down upon in my chassidus or at least not in my circles 🤷🏽‍♀️

amother

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 10:11 am

amother Trillium wrote:

My question went unanswered and garnered no sympathetic responses
So I will post again and hope to receive a response.
Is there a judgmental attitude in terms of tznius, especially towards others who aren’t chassidish?
Amongst each other you noted it’s “horror” if you wear black stockings, and that thin stockings aren’t acceptable. No problem but…
Regarding other Jews - are you ok with their level of tznius and aware of the standard basic Halacha in terms of what applies to them? Hold them as keeping “lower” than you?
My SIL is satmar and hurt me before when it came to tznius by calling me nebach. It was not appropriate especially as we were secluded in a place where there was a very slim chance of men coming.
No fake responses, please be real

As a general rule, no, we are not judgemental towards other people's tznius, especially if their standards are similar to ours. (Not my personal belief, I believe as long as you are following a derech Hashem that has a mesorah you're all good).

There are people though that believe that the way they do things is the only way to do things and will react accordingly. Is your sister in law generally a my way or the highway type of person?

amother

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 10:15 am

amother Firebrick wrote:

How can one justify dropping their full level of tznius based on the idea that the chance men will see them is only slim? And, perhaps, what you are assuming is an okay but only a "lower" level of tznius is really not so okay objectively.

It still did not make it right for her sister in law to call her a 'nebach' for not following the sil's ideals.
There is actually a pretty big spectrum of what tznius actually is. We choose to adhere to a really narrow part of it and that's OK, as long as we don't push away others that don't fit into our really narrow lane

amother

Petunia

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 10:18 am

amother Trillium wrote:

No. I’m sorry you were hurt by one ignorant person who happens to be Satmar. I’ve only ever been accepted by them. My husband’s family as well as neighbors and colleagues.

giftedmom

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 10:21 am

Very telling how this thread exploded. Let me just say this. Unlike other chassidusen who are more homogeneous, Satmar is like autism in that if you met one Satmar person you’ve met one Satmar person.
It’s a huge spectrum. It encompasses every type you can think of. Satmar people generally don’t bring the rebbe or chassidus into every life decision, it’s more of a culture and tribe than anything else. Which means there is a very big variety.
So when you ask a question, keep that in mind, unless you insist on being narrow-minded that is

Amelia Bedelia

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 10:35 am

amother OP wrote:

The shabbos menu stays the same every week with minor additions or subtraction
Friday night- Kiddush, challah, (dips), fish - gefilte and or salmon - most satmar people poach it but I usually do baked fish, soup with lukshin (lo kashin) meat, farfel ( our aveiros should be farfallen/fall away) tzimmes- I usually don't make it cuz no-one in my family likes it, potato kugel, on a special shabbos we add an additional kugel I.e. noodle, yerushalmi, apple etc. Compote, dessert, and a fresh apple- I'm sure there's a reason but I don't know what it is.

Shabbos Day- kiddush, challah, (dips), fish, eier mit tzvibel/eggs and onions because we didn't experience the taste of onions in the mohn, also because onions are betzel in lashon hakodesh and we are batzel in Hashems shadow, liver/leberlech/live ehrlich with faith, cholent, kishka, compote, dessert

I'll usually do a leafy green salad as well, but that's not traditional

Most chassidim do this for the most part, not just Satmar. Not necessarily makpid about everything, for example, not everyone does tzimmes.
Never heard of the apple (besides Rosh Hashanah)

Last edited by Amelia Bedelia on Fri, Oct 06 2023, 10:38 am; edited 1 time in total

amother

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 10:37 am

Amelia Bedelia wrote:

Most chassidim do this for the most part, not just Satmar. Not necessarily makpid about everything, for example, not everyone does tzimmes.

I don't do tzimmes either, nobody in my family touches it.

Amelia Bedelia

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 10:37 am

amother Firebrick wrote:

How often do non-Satmar people join Satmar? Are they coming both from other Chasidish as well as from non-Chasidish (ie Yeshivish, Modern Orthodox, etc.)? Any Baal Teshuvos? Do any Geirim join Satmar?

Shmelke Diamond who used to write for the Ami (I still see his writing there occasionally) is a Satmarer BT.
Isn't there also a Satmar community of Sephardi origin in Argentina? And I believe they also helped the Yemenites, some of who became Satmar chassidim

amother

Fri, Oct 06 2023, 3:01 pm

giftedmom wrote:

I love this line, I'm going to steal it