Vizhnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager. Vizhnitz (ויז׳ניץ or וויזשניץ) is the
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
name of
Vyzhnytsia
Vyzhnytsia (; ; german: link=no, Wischnitz; pl, Wyżnica; ro, Vijnița; ; ) is a town located in the historical region of Bukovina, on the Cheremosh River in Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vyzhnytsia ...
, a town in present-day
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
(then, a village in Austrian
Bukovina
Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
).
Followers of the
rebbe
A Rebbe ( yi, רבי, translit=rebe) or Admor ( he, אדמו״ר) is the spiritual leader in the Hasidic movement, and the personalities of its dynasties.Heilman, Samuel"The Rebbe and the Resurgence of Orthodox Judaism."''Religion and Spiritua ...
s of Vizhnitz are called ''Vizhnitzer
Hasidim
Ḥasīd ( he, חסיד, "pious", "saintly", "godly man"; plural "Hasidim") is a Jewish honorific, frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods. It denotes a person who is scrupulous in his observ ...
''.
History of dynastic leadership
Menachem Mendel Hager
Menachem Mendel Hager was born on May 17, 1830, in
Kosiv
Kosiv ( uk, Ко́сiв) is a city located in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Kosiv Raion (district). Kosiv hosts the administration of Kosiv urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: ...
. He was the son of Rabbi Chaim Hager of Kosiv, and the son-in-law of Rabbi
Israel Friedman of Ruzhyn
Israel Friedman of Ruzhyn ( he, ישראל פרידמן מרוז'ין) (5 October 1796 – 9 October 1850Assaf, ''The Regal Way'', p. 170.), also called Israel Ruzhin, was a Hasidic '' rebbe'' in 19th-century Ukraine and Austria. Known as ''Der ...
. He was appointed Rebbe at the age of 24, and soon after, he moved to Vyzhnytsia, a small town close to Kosiv. As his reputation grew, so did his followers. He became known and admired for his charitable acts, sincerity in prayer, and love for
Eretz Yisrael
The Land of Israel () is the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. Related biblical, religious and historical English terms include the Land of Canaan, the Promised Land, the Holy Land, and Palestine (see also Israe ...
. In his older years, he endeavored to emigrate there. He had two sons, Reb Boruch and another, Reb Yaakov Dovid, who died during his lifetime. His son-in-law was the son of Rabbi
Yehoshua Rokeach
Rabbi Yehoshua Rokeach (1825 – February 3, 1894), known as the ''Mitteler Ruv'', was the second Rebbe of the Belz Hasidic dynasty. He combined Torah scholarship with practical common sense to guide thousands of Hasidim and to fight the Haskal ...
of
Belz
Belz ( uk, Белз; pl, Bełz; yi, בעלז ') is a small city in Lviv Oblast of Western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, located between the Solokiya river (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administ ...
, Reb Shmuel of Sokal. His Torah thoughts were published under the title ''Tzemach Tzaddik''. He died on October 18, 1884, and was buried in Vyzhnytsia. His son Reb Boruch took his place, becoming the second Rebbe of Vizhnitz.
Boruch Hager
Boruch Hager was born in 1845 and was named after Rabbi
Boruch of Medzhybizh
Rabbi Boruch of Medzhybizh (1753–1811), was a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov.
Reb Boruch (known in his childhood as Reb Boruch'l, a Yiddish diminutive, and subsequently as ''Reb Boruch'l HaKadosh'') was the first major "rebbe" of the Hasidic m ...
at the behest of his grandfather,
Yisroel Friedman of
Ruzhyn. In 1885, aged 40, he inherited the mantle of leadership from his father, Menachem Mendel Hager, and became rebbe to thousands of Hasidim. He led them for only eight years until his death in 1892. His Torah thoughts were collected in ''Imrei Boruch'' by his son-in-law. Eight of his sons became rebbes in different locals: His eldest, Reb Yisroel, succeeded him in Vyzhnytsia; Reb Chaim became rebbe in
Ottynia; Reb Moshe in
Suceava
Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central and Eastern E ...
; Reb Shmuel Avrohom Abba in
Horodenka
Horodenka ( uk, Городе́нка, pl, Horodenka, occasionally ''Horodence'', yi, האראדענקע ''Horodenke'') is a city located in Kolomyia Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in Western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Horodenka urba ...
; Reb Yaakov Yitzchok Dovid in
Storozhynets
Storozhynets ( uk, Сторожинець, ; ro, Storojineț; see below for other names) is a small city located in Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine, north of the border with Romania. It hosts the administration of Sto ...
; Reb Pinchos in
Borsha; Reb Feivish in Zelishtshik; Reb Yechiel Michel succeeded his brother in Horodenka. Another son, Reb Sholom, died in his youth. His sons-in-law were Reb Shmuel Dov Chodorov of Petriva; Reb Mordechai Chodorov of
Kolomea
Kolomyia, formerly known as Kolomea ( ua, Коломия, Kolomyja, ; pl, Kołomyja; german: Kolomea; ro, Colomeea; yi, ), is a city located on the Prut River in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast (province), in western Ukraine. It serves as the admini ...
, who published ''Imrey Boruch''; Reb Sholom Yosef Friedman of Sadigur-Chernovitz.
Yisroel Hager
Yisroel Hager was born on August 20, 1860. He was the first-born son of Rabbi Boruch Hager. He married the daughter of Rabbi
Meir Horowitz of
Dzhikov. In 1875, he moved to his father-in-law's house and studied at great length with his brother-in-law Rabbi Yehoshua of Dzikov. Three years later he returned to Vyzhnytsia and became very close to his grandfather, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager. In 1893 he was appointed as rebbe in Vyzhnytsia. The young rebbe invigorated the dynasty and attracted many more followers from the surrounding provinces. He established many
Talmud Torah
Talmud Torah ( he, תלמוד תורה, lit. 'Study of the Torah') schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of religious school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary educat ...
s, and also a yeshiva, to which he appointed his son Rabbi Menachem Mendel as
rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
. When
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
broke out he was forced to move to Grosswardein (
Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The county seat, seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the ...
). He lived there until his death on 2 June 1936. In 1949, his remains were transferred to Israel and re-interred in Zichron Meir,
Bnei Brak
Bnei Brak or Bene Beraq ( he, בְּנֵי בְּרַק ) is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an are ...
.
Hager had 5 sons and six daughters. Four of his sons became Rebbes:
*Reb Menachem Mendel of
Visheve
*Reb
Chaim Meir (Chayim Meir'l), who inherited his father's position in Grosswardein
*Reb Eliezer of Vyzhnytsia, author of ''Demesek Eliezer''
*Reb Boruch of
Siret
Siret (; german: Sereth; hu, Szeretvásár; uk, Серет, Seret; yi, סערעט, Seret) is a town, municipality and former Latin bishopric in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Bukovina. Siret is ...
, founder of the Seret-Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty
Chaim Meir Hager
After the
Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
, Reb Chaim Meir settled in
Bnei Brak
Bnei Brak or Bene Beraq ( he, בְּנֵי בְּרַק ) is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an are ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, to build a community there. Disciples from pre-war Europe gathered around him, and formed a comprehensive net of educational and communal institutions. He became a spiritual mentor of the
Agudas Yisrael party in the Israeli
Knesset
The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
. Agudas Yisrael won substantial government aid for Bnei Brak and affiliated communities, in return for its support in coalition governments.
[The Roots of Hasidism: The Two Viznitz's (nyc-architecture.com)](_blank)
Reb Chaim Meir had two sons: the older Moshe (Reb Moshelle), and the younger Mordechai (Reb Mottele).
Reb Chaim Meir's sons-in-law include Rabbis
Yidele Horowitz Grand Rabbi Yidele Horowitz (September/03/1897– June 14/1989), popularly known as Reb Yidele, was the Rebbe of Dzikov, who spent his last years in London, England. Although known as a formidable scholar and a man of exceptional character, he s ...
,
Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss
Rabbi Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss (15 February 1902 – 14 June 1989), commonly known as the ''Minchas Yitzchak'' after the Responsa he authored, was the rabbi of the Edah HaChareidis in Jerusalem] at the time of his death, but his Halakha, halakhic i ...
(both were married to Reb Chaim Meir's daughter, Miriam), and
Yisrael Friedman (Pashkaner Rebbe), Yisrael Friedman (married to Reb Chaim Meir's daughter, Tziporah. Their son is
Hoshea Friedman
Hoshea Friedman-Ben Shalom (1959 - ) is a brigadier general in the IDF. Biography
Hoshea Friedman-Ben Shalom was born in Reshafim, a kibbutz in northeastern Israel. When he was 3 years old, his family moved to Sa'ad, a religious kibbutz in the Ne ...
).
Moshe Yehoshua Hager
Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, was the Vizhnitser Rebbe in Bnei Brak. He died on March 13, 2012, aged 95. He had two sons and four daughters. His elder son is Rabbi
Yisroel, named after his grandfather, the "Ahavas Yisroel"; his other son is Rabbi
Menachem Mendel Menachem Mendel (Menahem Mendl) is a masculine Jewish first name. The name is sometimes used as either just Menachem or just Mendel. Menachem means to console or comfort, Mendel is a diminutive of Menachem. In 2005, Menachem was the 79th most pop ...
, named after the founding Vizhnitzer Rebbe, author of ''Tzemach Tzaddik''. Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua's sons-in-law are famous rabbis. The eldest daughter married Rabbi
David Twersky, the
Skverer Rebbe of
New Square
New Square ( yi, שיכון סקווירא, Shikun Skvir) is an all-Hasidic village in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States. It is located north of Hillcrest, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of New Cit ...
, New York. One daughter married Rabbi
Yissachar Dov Rokeach, the
Belzer Rebbe from
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
. One daughter married Rabbi
Aaron Teitelbaum
Aaron Teitelbaum (born 20 October 1947) is one of the two Grand ''Rebbe''s of Satmar, and the chief rabbi of the Satmar community in Kiryas Joel, New York.
Background
Aaron Teitelbaum is the oldest son of the late Grand Rabbi of Satmar Moshe ...
, the
Satmar
Satmar (Yiddish: סאַטמאַר, Hebrew: סאטמר) is a Hasidic group founded in 1905 by Grand Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum, in the city of Szatmárnémeti, Hungary (now Satu Mare in Romania). The group is an offshoot of the Sighet Hasidic dynast ...
Rebbe from
Kiryas Joel, New York. The youngest daughter married Rabbi Menachem Ernster, the
rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva ( he, ראש ישיבה, pl. he, ראשי ישיבה, '; Anglicized pl. ''rosh yeshivas'') is the title given to the dean of a yeshiva, a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primar ...
of the Vizhnitz
Yeshiva
A yeshiva (; he, ישיבה, , sitting; pl. , or ) is a traditional Jewish educational institution focused on the study of Rabbinic literature, primarily the Talmud and halacha (Jewish law), while Torah and Jewish philosophy are s ...
in Bnei Brak.
[ The head ]rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
s, also known as ''Admorim'' ( he, אדמו"ר, which is the acronym
An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...
for "אדונינו מורינו ורבינו" ''"Adoneinu Moreinu V'Rabeinu"'', "our master, our teacher, and our rabbi"), are located currently in Bnei Brak
Bnei Brak or Bene Beraq ( he, בְּנֵי בְּרַק ) is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an are ...
and Haifa
Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
in Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, and in Monsey, New York
Monsey (, yi, מאנסי, translit=Monsi) is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of Airmont, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of Spring Valley. The ...
. Rabbi Yisroel Hager has inherited his father's community. He is known for his love and devotion to עם ישראל, just like his great grand father who he's named after. He has around 7,500 followers worldwide. He has three sons and four daughters; his oldest son, Rabbi Chaim Meir, leads a kehilla in Borough Park, Brooklyn, New York. His other two sons live in Bnei Brak; his oldest daughter married Rabbi Boruch Shamshon Hager, son of the Viznitzer Rebbe in Beit Shemesh
Beit Shemesh ( he, בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ ) is a city located approximately west of Jerusalem in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of in .
History Tel Beit Shemesh
The small archaeological tell northeast of the modern city wa ...
; his second daughter married Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Meizlish, Rav of shikun Satmar in Bnei Brak
Bnei Brak or Bene Beraq ( he, בְּנֵי בְּרַק ) is a city located on the central Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean Israeli coastal plain, coastal plain in Israel, just east of Tel Aviv. A center of Haredi Judaism, Bnei Brak covers an are ...
; his third daughter is married to Reb Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum from Beit Shemesh; and his youngest daughter is married to Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager from Bnei Brak.
Mordechai Hager
Rabbi Mordechai Hager
zt"l, born in 1922, was the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in
Monsey until his passing in 2018. Following the death of his father
Rabbi
A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
Chaim Meir Hager of
Bnei Brak, Israel, tens of thousands of Vizhnitz hasidim followed him. At the time of his passing, he was the oldest hasidic rabbi in the world. He was known for his devotion to learning Torah: he studied 18 hours a day and asked his Chasidim to study at least two hours every day. He had about 30,000 followers internationally.
Rabbi Mordechai died on March 16, 2018 (29 Adar 5778), at
Mount Sinai Hospital. The funeral was held with the attendance of 100,000 mourners. He was buried in the Vishnitzer Cemetery in
Monsey, New York.
Rabbi Mordechai bore 14 children, 8 sons and 6 daughters. His sons and grandson serve as leaders of his followers in the United States and internationally: Rabbi Yisroel in
Monsey, New York
Monsey (, yi, מאנסי, translit=Monsi) is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Ramapo, Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of Airmont, east of Viola, south of New Hempstead, and west of Spring Valley. The ...
; Rabbi Mendel in
Kiamesha Lake, New York
Kiamesha Lake is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in the town of Thompson, in east-central Sullivan County, New York, United States. The zip code for Kiamesha Lake is 12751.
Kiamesha Lake is located on Route 42, between Monticello and Fa ...
; and Rabbi Yitzchok Yochonon in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a Neighborhoods in Brooklyn, neighborhood in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Bedford–Stuyvesant to the s ...
. The other sons serve internationally: Rabbi Eliezer in
Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
; Rabbi Dovid in London; Rabbi Aharon in Canada headquartered in
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...
, his youngest son, Rabbi Buroch Shamshon, in
Beit Shemesh
Beit Shemesh ( he, בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ ) is a city located approximately west of Jerusalem in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of in .
History Tel Beit Shemesh
The small archaeological tell northeast of the modern city wa ...
, Israel; and his grandson Rabbi Yakov Yosef, son of eldest son Rabbi Pinchus Shulem, in
Boro Park
Borough Park (also spelled Boro Park) is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City. The neighborhood is bordered by Bensonhurst to the south, Dyker Heights to the southwest, Sunset Park to the west, ...
, Brooklyn.
Lineage of the Vizhnitz-Kosov dynasty
See also
*
Vyzhnytsia
Vyzhnytsia (; ; german: link=no, Wischnitz; pl, Wyżnica; ro, Vijnița; ; ) is a town located in the historical region of Bukovina, on the Cheremosh River in Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Vyzhnytsia ...
*
List of Hasidic dynasties
A Hasidic dynasty is a dynasty led by Hasidic Jewish spiritual leaders known as rebbes, and usually has some or all of the following characteristics:
* Each leader of the dynasty is often known as an ''ADMOR'' (abbreviation for '' ADoneinu MOreinu ...
References
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust. Page 1405
External links
The Two Vizhnitz (Rabbis)Rav Mendel Hager - The Av Beis Din - exclusive websiteVideos of the Seret Viznitz Rebbe ztz"l
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