Satmar Hasidim
Satmar HasidimNati Shohat/Flash90

Together with other haredi communities, Satmar has raised some $2 million in recent days to accelerate the reform promoted by the US administration to provide leniency for prisoners and detainees on white-collar crimes.

It is unclear whether this represents a "Rubashkin Effect", who was released a year ago, or the high-profile arrests being made in the US haredi community. Satmar stalwarts claim the current policy is overly strict and any initiative to ease it is vital and welcome.

Fundraising was done using the popular "matching" method whereby every dollar donated is matched a dollar. As part of the campaign, it was made clear that while President Trump "will not stay forever in the White House, the prisoners will rot there for their whole lives."

This week a gala event took place in New York to mark the anniversary of Jewish prisoner Rabbi Shalom Rubashkin's release, who last year received a surprising pardon by President Trump.