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Issues 40-157 of the weekly of the Edah ha-Hareidis. The group was founded by R. Joseph Hayyim Sonnenfeld and R. Isaac Yeruham Diskin in 1919. R. Sonnenfeld was named the first Chief Rabbi of the Edah ha-Hareidis, a position he held until his passing in 1932. He was succeeded by R. Joseph Tzvi Dushinsky, followed by R. Zelig Reuven Bengis, who was succeeded by the Satmar Rebbe, Grand Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum. R. Teitelbaum lived in the United States, but held the chief rabbi of the Edah ha-Hareidis. The anti-Zionist stance of the Edah is supported by the book Vayoel Moshe, written by R. Teitelbaum, which is regarded by the group as the standard used for all issues relating to the modern State of Israel. The official position of the Edah, includes rules not to accept any funding from the Israeli government, nor to accept Israeli citizenship through the Law of Return.
Despite the anti-Zionist stance of the Edah ha-Hareidis, a fragile cooperation is maintained with the state-run Chief Rabbinate (for example, for the purpose of registering marriages and divorces). On the other hand, converts to Judaism who convert through the Edah HaCharedis (like converts through all non-government organizations), are not recognized as Jews by the state for the purpose of obtaining Israeli citizenship via the Law of Return.
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