Satmar Hassidim in Kiryas Joel
Satmar Hassidim in Kiryas JoelReuters

The Hasidic community of Kiryas Joel in New York has become what is said to be the first official haredi town in the United States, JTA reported Sunday.

On January 1, Kiryas Joel became known as the town of Palm Tree, when it officially split from the Town of Monroe located in New York’s Orange County.

The new town is a town is made up of the 164 acres Kiryas Joel had annexed from Monroe and 56 additional acres.

In November of 2017, more than 80% of the residents of Monroe Township voted in favor of approving a split into two separate cities.

Kiryas Joel’s roots date back to the mid-1970s, when Hasidic Jews began settling in the area under the guidance of Satmar Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum.

Palm Tree, the town’s new name, is an English translation of the Satmar Rebbe’s surname, Teitelbaum.