WASHINGTON — A group of Hasidic Jewish community leaders from New York and New Jersey met with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the White House Thursday, the first such gathering at the executive mansion in nearly five decades.
Trump, who boasts strong support among the Orthodox community, welcomed his guests into the Oval Office while Vance joined the group following the conclusion of a press briefing.
Also attending the meeting was Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who represents large Orthodox and Hasidic communities in Rockland County, including Monsey and New Square. Representatives from the Hasidic communities in Kiryas Joel; Lakewood, NJ; and Williamsburg, Brooklyn were also present.
“Today was an opportunity, for the first time in over 50 years, for the president of the United States to meet with the grand rabbis of the largest Hasidic sect, the visually, visibly Hasidic community, visibly Jewish people, such as myself,” participant Yosef Stettner told reporters afterward.
“We had the opportunity to thank the president for everything that he does for the United States.”
The visit was arranged by the White House Faith Office, which is led by pastor Paula White-Cain, and the administration said the meeting was the first of its kind since 1979.
According to the official Satmar X account, Grand Rebbe Aaron Teitelbaum of Kiryas Joel recited a rare Jewish blessing reserved for kings in the Oval Office and presented a leather-embossed copy of the prayer to the president.
Trump won about 35% of the Jewish vote in 2024, according to Pew Research Center estimates, while the Harvard Cooperative Election Study estimated the figure at 36%.
The commander in chief’s showing was the best among Jewish voters by a Republican since the 1980s — as he focused on fighting antisemitism during Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Several key members of the Trump administration are Jewish, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law.
Three of Trump’s grandchildren are also Jewish after the president’s daughter, Ivanka, converted to Judaism prior to marrying Kushner in 2009.
Notably, the Satmar movement holds that Jews cannot create a sovereign state before the arrival of the Messiah, giving an element of tension to their meeting with Trump — who has frequently described himself as the most pro-Israel president in US history.
Since returning to office, Trump has closely partnered with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in attempting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
