As vigil continues for grand rebbe, authorities prepare for mourners

Monroe - The enormity of what the death of 92-year-old Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum will mean to the Monroe-Woodbury area may come as a shock to newcomers. Streets will be closed and main highways will be jammed with mourners rushing to the Village of Kiryas Joel to bury their grand rebbe and spiritual leader before sundown. The rabbi was still in grave condition at Mt. Sinai Hospital, in New York City at press time. He has reportedly been ill since last November. His condition stabilized until this past week when it deteriorated to the point that his family was called to his bedside. A contingency plan headed by the New York State Police will go into effect immediately when they are notified of the rabbi’s death. Everything will depend, however, on the day and time of death, said Sgt. Donald Brietzke of the Monroe barracks. In 1979, mourners came in droves when Kiryas Joel founder Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum died. Many abandoned their cars on the Quickway and ran up the embankments to attend the funeral. Now, 27 years later, not only has the population in Kiryas Joel increased ten-fold but so has the surrounding communities of Monroe and Woodbury. When the grand rebbe of the Satmar sect dies, he will be transported in a hearse from either the hospital or a Brooklyn synagogue. The hearse will have a State Police escort to the Village of Kiryas Joel. The volume of traffic will be a key factor in determining whether the Monroe-Woodbury schools will be closed. If the schools are closed, they will be utilized as parking lots for the overflow traffic. Kiryas Joel buses would be used to transport the mourners to the funeral. Local tow truck operators have been placed on call to tow illegally parked vehicles, Brietzke said. Monroe-Woodbury Superintendent John Canzoneri has indicated closing or implementing an early dismissal would be an option. The primary entrances to the village of Kiryas Joel are Bakertown Road, off County Road 105, and Schunnemunk Road off Route 208. The areas where the heaviest volume of traffic is expected will be on Route 32 at the NYS Thruway exit, Dunderburg Road, County Route 105, and Route 208. Crowd control at the burial site is another issue. A person who touches the casket as it is carried through the crowd to the burial site is considered “blessed.” The Kiryas Joel synagogue holds approximately 2,000 persons. The overflow will spill into the streets. Police estimate 100,000 mourners will attend the funeral. Monroe Mayor John Karl said the Monroe Police Department will work hand-in-hand with the State Police and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “The village has an emergency plan ready to implement,” the mayor said. “Our job will be to keep the traffic moving.” Karl said some roads in the village will be closed but will be open to residents who live there. Fire departments and ambulance corps also will be on call. Mombasha Fire Chief Jeff Mahran said they have met with the county fire coordinator and Kiryas Joel’s fire coordinator. “We will be manning the fire stations and assessing the situation,” Mahran said. “Our main concern is to provide the proper fire service with the increased traffic.”