Sighet, Romania - A delegation of 250 Satmar Chassidim from the United States and England are accompanying the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, on a three day visit to the Romanian city of Sighet, to commemorate the restoration of the ohel of the Rebbe's grandfather's and grand Rabbi's of Sighet, Rabbi Chaim Zvi Teitelbaum known as the Atzei chaim and his father R' Chananyah Yom Tov Lipa Teitelbaum, (also) known as the Kedushas Yom Tov, and his father Rabbi Yekusiel Yida Teitelbaum known as the Yetev Lev.

The ohel was recently restored after the roof was damaged when kvittelach that were placed in the cracks were ignited by candles that were lit at the kever.

After davening and breakfast this morning, the delegation proceeded to the Sighet cemetery.  The Rebbe was received by Hari Marcus, president of the Sighet branch of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania, who welcomed the chassidim to the city, followed by three hours of davening at the ohel of the Kedushas Yom Tov.

The group will travel to (Satmar) Satu Mare tomorrow in order to daven at the Shul where the first Satmar Rebbe,  Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, davened before World War II and is expected to visit a local holocaust memorial as well.  The delegation will spend Shabbos in the nearby Romanian town of Maramures.

Currently, there are 100 Jews living in Sighet and plans are underway to build a Shul, a mikvah and a beis medrash.

Gary Schlesinger Executive Board Chairman United Jewish Community Advocacy Relations and Enrichment released the following statement on the Rebbis trip:

After some long years of hard work and untold efforts on behalf of "ADMAS KODESH" a division of United Jewish Community Advocacy Relations and Enrichment (UJcare) and under the personal guidance of the Satmar Rebbe Shli"ta Reb Aharon Teitelbaum and some dedicated members of the royal Teitelbaum family, I am proud to say that today is a Historic day, Today is the Yahrtzeit of the holy Kedushas Yom Tov the father of our holy Rabbi the Divrei Yoel ztz"l, so the Rebuilding of Old Siget and the transfer of important Jewish properties of 4 generations of forefathers of the Satmar family dynasty to their grandchildren means that history will be preserved and kept as a memorial for years to come

A special thanks to the London Vaad known as The Committee for the Preservation of Jewish Cemeteries in Europe under the auspicious of Rabbi Elyukim Schlesinger who sent experts during the construction period to observe and guide on the rebuilding of the Ohel where 4 generations of the Teitelbaum dynasty are buried, the plan is now to rebuild the old shul complex, and the Teitelbaum family home and the original mikvah from the Yetev Lev Ztz"l, generous donations from satmar Chassidim are still needed to complete this historic project.