Let's Play the Family Feud

The Satmar sect of Hasidic Jews who are largely based in Williamburg, Brooklyn, buried their spirital leader, Rebbe Moses Teitelbaum earlier this week at Kiryas Joel in Orange County, New York. The sect had been divided since he split leadership duties between two of his sons, Aaron and Zalman. The contents of a will may finally put an end to the split, which apparently puts his son Zalman in charge, but ongoing lawsuits put an uneventful resolution in doubt.

As The Post reported yesterday, Zalman was named his father's successor. As proof, supporters produced the grand rabbi's will, which reads, "[Zalman] shall occupy my position and succeed me without any shortfall, for effective immediately I have granted him the position."

Copies of the document, written in Yiddish about five years ago, were handed out last night to hundreds who had gathered in front of Teitelbaum's home on Ross Street and Bedford Avenue.

The state Appellate Division briefly reversed an earlier ruling putting an Aaron Teitelbaum supporter in charge of the Satmar board of directors and its $500 million in assets, including real-estate holdings, yeshivas, cemeteries, summer camps, social services and a matzo factory, sources said.

That means Zalman now has control of the board, although Aaron's side plans to continue an appeal.

Aaron's side has long said the grand rabbi's failing health and Alzheimer's at the time of the will's writing cast the document into doubt.

And you think your family is dysfunctional? This is a squabble over who leads a congregation with 100,000 people, hundreds of millions of dollars in assets, and you can be sure there will be hard feelings between the sides when all is said and done.