25 April, 2006
Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum, the spiritual leader of the largest Hassidic Jewish group in the United States, has died at age 91. His passing is to set off a battle for succession between his two sons, Aaron and Zalmen, who each claim to be the legitimate successor, and observers said there could be a protracted power struggle. Rabbi Teitelbaum led tens of thousands of Satmar Jews, an orthodox sect largely concentrated in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn (New York). Police began cordoning off streets in anticipation that a large crowd might gather, according to witnesses quoted by the 'Reuters' news agency.
