The Frieda Vizel Podcast

video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/NtFI3NL4dFE?si=zOhqSNq6aijFxcc4

In September 2026, the Satmar community experienced a major historic event. After decades of the community being split into two rival factions, the two brothers who led the rival factions met again. But not just anywhere, but at the White House. After so much time of hurt and estrangement, the rabbis wished each other a sweet year before heading into the White House to meet with the president, Trump, and advocate on behalf of their Jewish community. 

This is a great time to look back at how this split happened and record some oral history. Yumi Lowy grew up Satmar and paid a lot of attention to the battles. These are his memories. As is the case with oral histories, other people will have other stories. I so look forward to more perspectives in the comments.

Follow Yumi Lowy on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/yumilowy/

For more on the early battles in Kiryas Joel, watch my interview with lawyer Michael Sussman: https://youtu.be/jcz0xmkm10s
My interview with Hasidic reporter Joseph Kornbluh: https://youtu.be/4MPf67ftXME
My reflections before the Trump visit: https://youtu.be/_UjXlnOVdug
Reb Aaron Teitelbaum and AI: https://youtu.be/vUhamjWR_vA

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this podcast: https://youtu.be/_UjXlnOVdug

In September 2026, news broke that Hasidic Rabbis will meet with president Trump. This was revealed when the Satmar Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum stepped up to his congregation on Shabbos and pre-emptively told his community that although he accepted an invite to sit with the president, he doesn't want the teenage boys to get too into it and excited about it. In this video, I unpack, from my own personal experience, what I think motivated the speech, what I think motivates the visit, and a little context on the Hasidic community's relationship to America.

To watch the full video of my maroon binders, click here:
https://youtu.be/ZRhOovJLcBY

Some other thoughts on politics - here about NYC mayor Mamdani:
https://youtu.be/FMgh3_O13Hg

My interview with Hasidic reporter Jacob Kornbluh who covers the Mamdani beat
https://youtu.be/4MPf67ftXME

A conversation with a Satmar woman (Pearl!) about the dynasty:
https://youtu.be/tPiKqDCtyIo

0:00 Personal reflection
2:58 Rabbi's address to students
8:23 Analyzing the visit
11:28 Political controversy
12:21 Historical context
14:17 Personal intersections

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/Yy4Tzw-UAUc

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this interview: https://youtu.be/vEkKjydfG3g

The Hasidic village of Kiryas Joel is an unusual community in the state of New York. It's all Hasidic, very insular. It is shaped around the Satmar Hasidic code of behavior which includes speaking Yiddish, strict gender roles, and insularity from secular society. The community is so gendered that growing up male versus growing up female are completely different experiences. I, as this channel host, have shared much about the female experience. However, there is little I know about the male experience. Through my network of people from Kiryas Joel, I recently got to know Shia Friedman - who is a rare example of someone from Kiryas Joel who is willing to talk on my channel on the record. We sat down to chat, primarily to understand his life as a male who grew up Hasidic. Obviously, Shia's story reflects only Shia's experience, but it can give us some insights just as my experience gives us some insight as well.

We talk about the school day of Hasidic boys, the relationship to teachers, the expectations of learning an extreme amount, the lack of English and secular education, attitudes towards women, marriage rituals, and stepping out of the box. I think there's a lot that's covered in this brief episode, and I so look forward to your thoughts. 

Shia's instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/shia__friedman/
My instagram is: https://www.instagram.com/friedavizel/

Check out some of my other videos on Kiryas Joel:

What it was like for me to grow up in Kiryas Joel
https://youtu.be/uHu_17N9GdE

My response to the Tyler Oliviera video on Kiryas Joel
https://youtu.be/ZlWRN4jo-CA

Interview with lawyer Michael Sussman on the early years of kiryas joel
https://youtu.be/jcz0xmkm10s

Interview with Fradel Neuman who comes from Kiryas Joel
https://youtu.be/HoTzWaF7dU8

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.

Video link to this episode: https://youtu.be/vUhamjWR_vA

In this video, I provide a translation and analysis of a powerful Yiddish speech by the Grand Rabbi of the Satmar Hasidic sect, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum. He addresses what he describes as the "new Satan" threatening today's generation: Artificial Intelligence.

I offer a unique context as someone who grew up in the community. I share personal stories, including a poignant encounter at my son's opsherin, to illustrate the complex relationship between Hasidic leadership, tradition, and the relentless march of technology.

In this video, we explore:
-The Rabbi's Warning: How AI is viewed as a "mutation" of past technological temptations like computers and smartphones.
-The "Kosher Phone" Dilemma: Why even filtered devices are now seen as gateways to unsupervised access to the world.
-Cultural Preservation: The community's ingenious and sometimes desperate tactics for balancing modern necessity with spiritual isolation.
-A Personal Journey: I reflect on how the internet changed my own life and why I find the Rabbi’s cautionary stance more logical than many might expect.

Timestamps: 
00:00 Introduction: My background and the significance of the speech 
01:18 Personal story: Meeting Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum 
08:24 The Hasidic community’s "dance" with technology 
11:52 The Recording Begins: The "Flaming Speech" against the new Satan 
17:09 Why AI is seen as a mutating evil inclination 
21:05 The history of Hasidic solutions: Filters and bans 
25:22 The "woe to us" dilemma: Why the Rabbi chose to speak out 
30:25 How AI chatbots are accessed via kosher phone numbers 
33:50 My reflections: Is the Rabbi’s warning extreme or insightful?

Join the conversation: How do you think we should manage the influence of AI on children and vulnerable communities? Does the Hasidic approach offer any lessons for the secular world, or is it too extreme? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-frieda-vizel-podcast--5824414/support.