June 16, 2016 “Bagleiten,” a Satmar tradition
This bagleiten video is from June 30, 2016, in Williamsburg, Bedford Avenue corner Ross Street, on the streets around the residence of the Satmar Rebbe Zalmen Leib Teitelbaum.
On the evenings culminating any of the three holidays, Passover, Shavuos and Sukkos, Williamsburg streets around the primary Satmar shul of each of Satmer’s two factions swell into crowds for the bagleiten procession, a ceremonial final walk home by the rebbe, who’s accompanied by men dancing to blasting music and women spectating from behind police barricades. This marks the end of the holiday with the Rebbe.
The bagleiten ends with the rebbe’s short address to his followers from the balcony of his residence, in which he’s summarizing a spiritual takeaway of the holiday, calling for invigorated spiritual focus in the individual’s and families’ lives, and for standing guard against influences hampering such commitments. The address is traditionally followed by a call-and-response of “Yechi adoneinu moreinu verabeinu” (long live our master, teacher and rabbi), after which the men resume dancing for a while.