כ״ב אלול ה׳תשפ״ו | September 3, 2026

Rebbes and Askonim Meet with President Trump

Leading Chassidishe Rebbes and rabbonim representing several major kehillos were received by President Donald Trump on Thursday for a rare joint audience in the Oval Office.

President Donald J. Trump meets with Rabbis for Rosh Hashanah, Thursday, September 3rd, 2026, in the Oval Office at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

By Anash.org reporter

Leading Chassidishe Rebbes and rabbonim representing several of the largest frum communities in the United States were received by President Donald J. Trump at the White House on Thursday, culminating in an approximately half-hour audience in the Oval Office.

The delegation included the Satmar Rebbe of Kiryas Yoel, Harav Aharon Teitelbaum; the Satmar Rebbe of Williamsburg, Harav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum; the Bobover Rebbe, Harav Benzion Halberstam; the Vizhnitz-Monsey Rebbe, Harav Yisroel Hager; Rosh Yeshiva of Lakewood Rabbi Aryeh Malkiel Kotler; and Harav Aharon Mendel Twersky, representing his father, the Skverer Rebbe, Harav Dovid Twersky.

The visit was several months in the making. Martin Marks, Special Assistant to the President and White House Director of Jewish Engagement, worked with communal figures to arrange the audience.

Congressman Mike Lawler was also involved in efforts surrounding the visit and joined the rabbonim at the White House.

Before entering the Oval Office, the rabbonim met with senior administration officials in the Roosevelt Room. The discussion included chinuch and protecting the independence of frum schools, along with assistance and religious accommodations for Jewish prisoners in federal institutions.

Vice President JD Vance unexpectedly joined the Roosevelt Room session, greeted the rabbonim and spent time speaking with them. During the conversation, he also took interest in the different styles of traditional Chassidishe attire represented among the delegation.

The rabbonim then proceeded to the Oval Office, where Trump spent approximately half an hour with them. Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and former senior White House adviser was also present.

During the conversation, the rabbonim thanked Trump for the First Step Act and for his administration’s efforts to expand access to IVF treatment. The meeting was warm and cordial, with Trump engaging the rabbonim directly throughout the conversation and displaying a notably warm rapport with the delegation. Before they left, Trump presented the Rebbes with presidential coins.

The trip to Washington nearly ran into difficulty when a flight carrying members of the delegation was delayed and threatened to prevent them from reaching the White House on schedule. After an askan brought the problem to Congressman Pat Ryan, whose district includes Kiryas Yoel, Ryan contacted Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The flight was ultimately cleared to proceed, though the delay pushed the audience with Trump later into the afternoon.

The two Satmar Rebbes shook hands and spoke briefly with one another during the visit. After the joint Oval Office audience, Harav Aharon Teitelbaum remained for a separate private meeting with Trump lasting approximately ten minutes.

Accompanying askonim also met several senior administration figures during the visit, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The proceedings were closed to the press, with reporters not permitted inside the Oval Office during the audience.

The last comparable White House meeting with a delegation of leading Chassidishe Rebbes took place nearly 47 years ago, when President Jimmy Carter received Satmar, Bobov, Vizhnitz and other rabbonim in December 1979.