Congregation Yetev Lev D'Satmar (Rodney Street, Brooklyn)
History
The synagogue was constructed to replace the previous main Satmar synagogue on Bedford Avenue, which could not accommodate the congregation's growing membership. It is now the main synagogue for followers of Zalman Teitelbaum, son of the deceased Satmar rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum.
The monument of the Sigeter Rebbe, Yekusiel Yehuda Teitelbaum (1808–1883), spells Yetev with two yuds, whereas the Congregation Yetev Lev D'Satmar on Rodney Street spells Yetev with only one.
Controversy
In October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a whistleblower reported to authorities that a wedding planned to attract 10,000 worshippers at the synagogue, in contravention of regulations regarding public gatherings. Governor Andrew Cuomo directed that the wedding of the grandson of Rabbi Zalman Teitelbaum could not proceed on the basis of a health order that read "...the owners or occupants of the venue to immediately cancel or postpone any event in excess of the 50 person gathering limit." A much smaller event involving the Rabbi's family went ahead. A month later, another wedding was held, this time for the grandson of Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, held at the rival Hooper Street synagogue, organised in private, attracting an estimated 7,000 worshippers, also in contravention of health orders. The Hooper Street congregation was fined $15,000 and the government of New York City placed a cease-and-desist order on the building.