Trump Hosts Satmar Rebbes in Pre-Election Meeting

President Donald Trump hosted leading American rabbis and Rebbes for a Rosh Hashanah meeting in New York, described by the Hasidic community as "historic." The gathering included the two brothers who lead the separate factions of the Satmar Hasidic dynasty, the largest in New York with 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 meeting lasted about half an hour.

During the discussion, the rabbis presented several requests concerning the Orthodox community in the U.S. and Israel. A key issue raised was "the education decree," a New York state regulation requiring Hasidic schools to increase core subject hours and accept oversight. The Rebbes also asked Trump to advocate for the cancellation of mandatory military service for Haredim in Israel, though reports indicate the president did not respond to this request.

A significant portion of the conversation focused on the rabbis' plea for the release of Haredi men serving prison sentences in American facilities. Rabbi Aaron of Satmar met privately with Trump initially to request clemency for these prisoners before the other rabbis joined. The anti-Zionist Hasidic community in New York hopes the meeting will yield "practical implications on the matter."

Trump has maintained ties with New York's Orthodox community since his business career. His need for their support in districts where Republican candidates are running makes this meeting particularly important for him at this time.