Trump Meets Satmar Rebbes in New York Ahead of Midterm Elections

President Donald Trump hosted leading rabbis and rebbes from the Satmar Hasidic dynasty in New York for a Rosh Hashanah meeting, described by the community as "historic." The gathering included the two brothers who lead the separate factions of the large Hasidic group, which comprises tens of thousands of followers.

The meeting occurred as Trump seeks to garner support from the Orthodox Jewish community for Republican candidates in the upcoming November midterm elections. The president has maintained ties with the community since his business career in New York.

During the approximately 30-minute meeting, the rabbis presented several requests concerning the Orthodox community in the U.S. and Israel. A key issue raised was "educational decrees" in New York, where authorities are demanding that Hasidic schools increase core subject hours and accept oversight. The rebbes also asked Trump to advocate for the cancellation of mandatory military service for Haredi men in Israel, though reports indicate the president did not respond to this specific request.

Additionally, the rabbis appealed to Trump to pardon Haredi individuals imprisoned in American jails. Rabbi Aaron of Satmar met privately with the president initially to make this request. The Hasidic community hopes the meeting will yield "practical implications on the matter."