Tonight, the 26th of Av, marks the 46th Yahrtzeit of the Satmar Rebbe, Reb Yoel Teitelbaum Zatzal – the Divrei Yoel.
Each year, thousands make their way to the Kever, which is located in Kiryas Yoel, Monroe, New York.
Below is a rare video of the Rebbe Zatzal in Arizona, released a few years ago. The video was published with the following description.
The Satmar Rebbe visited Tucson, Arizona for Chanuka 1971. This film was produced and belonged to R’ Shmuel Zanvil Schwartz o”h of Los Angeles, a talmid of the Rebbe and released by his family after his petrira. Some of the individuals seen in the film are R’ Shmuel Zanvil Schwartz, R’ Yosef Yitzchok Isaac Kohn, his son Rav Menachem Kohn (later of Cleveland), R’ Yisroel Sochet and R’ Yisroel Gruen all of Los Angeles, CA. Other notables seen are the Rebbe’s gabboyim, Rav Yosef Ashkenazy, Rav Ezriel Glick and Rav Mayer Deutsch.
I remember while he was alive my chasidische rebbe in yeshiva and the rebbe of my shul called him the Gadol Hador. The Summer Sunday which he was nifter I couldn’t find a minyan for Mincha/Maariv in Boro Park, I was one of 3 people whom showed up in my shul and no rebbe, and they showed on TV cars overflowing out of Monroe and parked all along Route 17 Quickway; and many older chasidishe woman were in shock and crying and some said that he was never supposed to die because he was Moshiach. 5 years later in 1984 after I got my 1st car a chasson on my block asked me if I can drive him to Monroe as he must visit the Rebbes grave before his wedding so we went and I got engaged shortly after and that chusid always tells that “ see, you went to the rebbe and you got married shortly after” .
Nice Video: It shows the Rebbe wearing the same eyeglasses frame as Rav Yeruchem & the Bobover Rebbe in the early 60’s had also worn that same model. It’s called the Arnel by Tart Optical owned by a secular Jew Julius Tart. The frames were Made in Manhattan. 45 years ago I visited the Tart Frame factory located at 135 W. 27 st ( in the garment district) Julius Tart owned the entire building the frame factory was on the 4th and 5th floors. The 6 & 7 floor was a lens lab called Eyeglasses Inc. the 8 & 9 floors was an eyeglass case factory called Classic Case Co. .
In the late 80’s as imports grew Tart downsized to Middletown, NY , after only 2 years there Julis Tarts only son bought himself a new Corvette, while going close to 100 mph on route 17 slid into the back of a truck and got killed and that was the end of Tart Optical, but the lens lab still remained in Manhattan, I bought the remainder of the Arnel frames which they had, they gave me them for $5 each and I dropped them off by R’ Yeruchem.
The Satmar Rebbe’s cheap Arnel frame probably sold in Auction for more than the cost of a house.