WATCH: Satmar Rebbe at Boro Park Dinner: "American Buchirim in Eretz Yisroel are Hefker"

By BoroPark24 Staff

At the annual Satmar Mosdos dinner in Boro Park on Motzei Shabbos, the Satmar Rebbe, shlit”a, delivered a powerful and heartfelt address focusing on his recent visit to Eretz Yisroel.

While the Rebbe spoke warmly of his meetings with leading gedolei rabbanim and roshei yeshivah, he expressed deep concern over the situation of American bochurim currently learning in Yerushalayim.

The Rebbe warned that many bochurim from chutz la’aretz are spending significant amounts of time outside the structured framework and supervision of their yeshivos. As a result, they are being exposed to negative street influences that pose serious spiritual dangers to their neshamos.

He strongly cautioned parents against assuming that sending a bochur to learn in Eretz Yisroel is automatically the best choice for every boy. The distance from home, combined with insufficient oversight, can lead even strong and committed bochurim to experience a decline in their yiddishkeit and frumkeit.

The Rebbe painfully described seeing bochurim wandering the streets hefker, without purpose or direction. He also noted the narrow sidewalks in certain areas of Yerushalayim, which often lead to unintentional physical contact between men and women - a matter of serious concern from a tznius perspective.

Additionally, the Rebbe addressed the ongoing and intensifying pressure of the military draft on bnei yeshivah. He said the bochurim are living in a state of real uncertainty and fear, with the constant threat of arrest or forced conscription hanging over them.

The Rebbe urgently called upon the crowd to take these dangers seriously, to carefully weigh the risks before sending bochurim to Eretz Yisroel at this time, and to intensify tefillos for the protection of all Torah learners there.