Vizhnitz is the name of a Hasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Menachem Mendel Hager. Vizhnitz is the Yiddish name of Vyzhnytsia, a village in present-day Ukraine. Followers of the rebbes of Vizhnitz are called Vizhnitzer chasidim.
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Menachem Mendel Hager was born on May 17, 1830 in Kosiv. He was the son of Rabbi Chaim Hager of Kosiv and the son-in-law of Rabbi Israel Friedman of Ruzhyn. 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. 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 of Belz, 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 was born in 1845 and was named after Rabbi Boruch of Medzhybizh at the behest of his grandfather, Yisroel Friedman of Ruzhyn. In 1885, aged 45, he inherited the mantle of leadership from his father, Menachem Mendel Hager, and became rebbe to thousands of chasidim. He led them for only 8 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; Reb Shmuel Avrohom Abba in Horodenka; Reb Yaakov Yitzchok Dovid in Storozhynets; 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, who published Imrey Boruch; Reb Sholom Yosef Friedman of Sadigur-Chernovitz.
Yisroel Hager was born on August 20, 1860. He was the firstborn son of Rabbi Boruch Hager. He married the daughter of Rabbi Meir Horowitz of Dzikov. In 1875 he moved to his father-in-laws house and studied at great length with his brother-in-law Rabbi Yehoshua of Dzikov. 3 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 new life into the chassidus and it attracted many more followers from the surrounding provinces. He established many Talmud Torahs and also a yeshiva to which he appointed his son Rabbi Menachem Mendel as rosh yeshiva. When the First World War broke out he was forced to move to Grosswardein. He lived there until his death in Oradea on 2 June 1936.[1] In 1949, his remains were transferred to Israel and re-interred in Zichron Meir.
His sons were Reb Menachem Mendel of Visheve, Reb Chaim Meir (Chayim Mei'rel), who inherited his fathers position in Grosswardein; Reb Eliezer of Vyzhnytsia; Reb Boruch of Siret and Reb Shmuel Abba who died young. He also had six daughters.
It was Reb Chaim Meir who settled in Bnei Brak, Israel building a community after the Holocaust. 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 in the Israeli Knesset managing to extract significant concessions and financial aid from the ruling governments in return for their support of the ruling party or coalition.[2]
Reb Chaim Meir had two sons, the older Moshe and the younger Mordechai. While Moshe was raised and educated in the community, Mordechai preferred to study Talmud in the Satmar Yeshiva in Brooklyn becoming attracted to the Satmar's outlook. He was somewhat resented back home in Viznitz for this act signaling a departure from the traditional Viznitz style.[2]
The head rabbis are also known as Admorim (Hebrew: אדמו"ר, which is the acronym for "אדונינו מורינו ורבינו" "Adoneinu Moreinu V'Rabeinu", "Our master, our teacher and our rabbi"), who are located currently in Bnei Brak and Haifa in Israel and Monsey, New York.
Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua (Moshelle) Hager, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Bnei Brak has two sons and four daughters. His oldest son is Rabbi Yisroel, he is now the de facto leader in Vizhnitz. His son Rabbi Menachem Mendel, named after the founding Vizhnitzer Rebbe, author of Tzemach Tzaddik, is Av Beis Din of the Vizhnitzer congregation in Bnei Brak. His sons-in-law are famous rabbis. The eldest daughter married Rabbi David Twersky, the Skverer Rebbe of New Square, NY. One daughter married Rabbi Yisachar Dov Rokeach, the Belzer Rebbe from Jerusalem. One daughter married Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe from Kiryas Joel, NY. The youngest daughter married Rabbi Menachem Ernster, the rosh yeshiva of Vizhnitz Yeshiva in Bnei Brak.
There has been a bitter succession struggle between Yisrael Hager and Menachem Mendel Hager, two sons of Moshe Hager. As reported it has unfolded in stages:[3] In the late 1980s Yisrael Hager, the oldest son of the rebbe of Vizhnitz, was dismissed as rabbi of Kiryat Vizhnitz. Rumors spread that the person behind the dismissal was Leah Hager, wife of the Rebbe, who died more than ten years ago, was the most important woman in Vizhnitz holding great influence over her husband. In the early 2000s, the widowed Rebbe remarried at the age of 85. The vacuum created by the death of the wife-mother paved the way back for the dismissed son as pressure was exerted by his Hasidim and by his brother, Rabbi Mordechai Hager in America, to return the exiled son. Then in 2007 Menachem Mendel decided to open his own synagogue and to start his own Yeshiva. Since 2005, there has been an open struggle between the brothers as their father ages rapidly.[3]
Rabbi Mordechai (Mottele) Hager is the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Monsey, New York. He is known for his devoutness and asceticism. He was a student of the Puppa Rov, Rabbi Yosef Greenwald, and considers himself a disciple of the late Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar. His sons serve as leaders of his followers synagogues, including the Viznitz satellite community in Kiamesha Lake, New York, in Sullivan County.
Rabbi Eliezer Hager is the Seret-Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Haifa, Israel, he is a first-cousin of the rebbes of Bnei Brak and Monsey. He is the older of two sons of Rebbe Boruch Hager, zt"l, author of Mekor Baruch, who was a son of the Ahavas Yisroel. There is also a Shotz-Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Haifa, Israel, a nephew of the Seret-Vizhnitzer Rebbe.
Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov Kohn, the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe of Jerusalem was a student of the late Rebbe Chaim Meir of Vizhnitz, as well as the present Rebbe Moshe Yehoshua of Vizhnitz and has adopted many of the customs of Vizhnitz.
Vizhnitzer Chassidim are uniquely dressed in that they are the only group − besides Stropkov − who wears their hat bow on the right side, not left, which makes it appear backwards compared to similar hats.
