Samuel Heilman
PER
Heilman Samuel Heilman
Samuel Heilman, a distinguished professor of sociology at Queens College who studies Orthodox Jewish sects, said he did not expect the grand rabbi to clear up the succession issue now. He said that the Satmars were probably the largest Hasidic sect in the country and certainly the biggest in New York. Samuel Heilman, a distinguished professor of sociology at Queens College who studies Orthodox Jewish sects, said he did not expect the grand rabbi to clear up the succession issue now. Professor Heilman said that they often have many sons and they want to keep them in the business, so succession is a real problem. He also added that Satmars were probably the largest Hasidic sect in the country and certainly the biggest in New York. In his 27 years at the helm, Moses Teitelbaum has presided over explosive growth of the communities that Joel established in New York after fleeing the Holocaust and helped his followers fight off pressure to assimilate, Professor Heilman said. 