Difference between revisions of "Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)"

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''Vizhnitz''' (sometimes '''Viznitz''' or '''Wiznitz''') is the name of a [[Hasidic dynasty]] founded by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager. Vizhnitz ('''ויז׳ניץ''' or '''וויזשניץ''') is the [[Yiddish]] name of [[Vyzhnytsia]], a town in present-day [[Ukraine]] (then, a village in Austrian [[Bukovina]]).
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{{short description|'''Hasidic dynasty of the Hager family from Vyzhnytsia, Bukovina; main centres in Bnei Brak, Haifa and Kaser (Monsey), with communities in Brooklyn, Montreal and London'''}}
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{{Hasidic sidebar}}
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{{Infobox religious group
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| name         = Vizhnitz
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| type          = [[Hasidic dynasties|Hasidic dynasty]]
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| founder      = [[Menachem Mendel Hager]] (1830–1884)
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| founded_date  = {{Start date|1854}}
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| founded_place = [[Vyzhnytsia]] (Vizhnitz), Bukovina (now Ukraine)
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| headquarters  = [[Bnei Brak]]; [[Kaser]], New York
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| leader_title  = Rebbe
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| leader_name  = [[Yisroel Hager]] (Bnei Brak, born 1945); [[Yisroel Hager (Monsey)|Yisroel Hager]] (Monsey)
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| languages    = Yiddish
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| notes        = Branch of the Kosov–Vizhnitz dynasty. The ''New York Times'' put the Israeli branch at 5,000 families (2012) and the American branch at roughly 5,000 families, or 30,000 people (2018).<ref name="NYT2012" /><ref name="NYT2018" />
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}}
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'''Vizhnitz''' (also '''Viznitz''' or '''Wiznitz''') is a [[Hasidic dynasties|Hasidic dynasty]] of the Hager family. It is the main branch of the Kosov–Vizhnitz dynasty, and takes its name from the town of Vyzhnytsia in Bukovina, now in Ukraine.<ref name="YIVO" /> After the Holocaust it was rebuilt in two main centres in [[Israel]], [[Bnei Brak]] and [[Haifa]]. A later branch, which grew out of disputes over the succession, is active in New York.<ref name="YIVO" /> The ''New York Times'' reported in 2012 that the dynasty numbered 5,000 families in Israel and perhaps as many in North America.<ref name="NYT2012" />
  
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Followers of the [[rebbe]]s of Vizhnitz are called ''Vizhnitzer [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidim]]''.
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== History ==
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=== Kosov and Vizhnitz ===
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The Kosov–Vizhnitz dynasty was founded by [[Menachem Mendel of Kosov]] (c. 1768–1825), who served as rabbi of [[Kosiv]] from 1790 and became a rebbe after 1802. His eldest son, [[Chaim Hager of Kosov]] (c. 1795–1854), succeeded him in Kosiv. After Chaim's death most of his Hasidim followed his youngest son, [[Menachem Mendel Hager]] (1830–1884), who set up a court in Vyzhnytsia and served there as both rabbi and rebbe. He married Miryam, a daughter of [[Israel Friedman of Ruzhyn]]. YIVO notes that these family links helped the dynasty strengthen its hold on Transylvania and Subcarpathian Rus'. His teachings were published as ''Tsemach tsadik'' (1885).<ref name="YIVO" />
  
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==History of dynastic leadership==
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His eldest son, [[Boruch Hager]] (c. 1845–1893), was rebbe of Vizhnitz for a short time. Most of Boruch's sons became rebbes in Otynia, Horodenka, Storozhynets, Zalishchyky, Suceava and Borșa. The most prominent branch descended from his eldest son, [[Yisroel Hager]] (1860–1936), who succeeded him in Vizhnitz.<ref name="YIVO" /> In 1903 Yisroel founded the Ahavat Yisrael yeshiva; it closed in 1914 and was reopened in 1922 by his son Eliezer.<ref name="YIVO" />
  
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===Menachem Mendel Hager===
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When the First World War broke out, Yisroel moved the court to [[Oradea]] (Grosswardein) in Transylvania. Between the wars he was the most influential rebbe of the dynasty, and almost all of his sons became rebbes, in Oradea, [[Siret]], Vișeu de Sus (Vishiva) and Vizhnitz.<ref name="YIVO" /> The ''New York Times'' reported that Russian soldiers killed many of Vyzhnytsia's Jews during the war, which forced the dynasty to move to Grosswardein.<ref name="NYT2018" />
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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.
 
  
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===Boruch Hager===
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YIVO notes that the Vizhnitz rebbes were involved in disputes with other Hasidic leaders, including a long rivalry with the Teitelbaum family. In the 20th century some Vizhnitz leaders were leaders of [[Agudat Yisrael]] and opposed Zionism, while others showed sympathy for settlement in Palestine and even for the [[Mizrachi]] movement.<ref name="YIVO" /> Music and ''nigunim'' (melodies) have had a prominent place in the dynasty since its beginnings.<ref name="YIVO" />
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Boruch Hager was born in 1845 and was named after Rabbi [[Boruch of Medzhybizh]] at the behest of his grandfather, [[Yisrael Friedman of Ruzhin|Yisroel Friedman]] of [[Ruzhin (Hasidic dynasty)|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]]; Reb Shmuel Avrohom Abba in [[Horodenka]]; Reb Yaakov Yitzchok Dovid in [[Storozhynets]]; Reb Pinchos in [[Borşa|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.
 
  
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===Yisroel Hager===
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=== Israel ===
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Some members of the dynasty, among them the rebbes of Borșa, were killed in the Holocaust. Three sons of Yisroel settled in the Land of Israel:<ref name="YIVO" />
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* [[Chaim Meir Hager]] (1887–1972);
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* Eliezer Hager (1891–1946);
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* [[Boruch Hager (Seret)|Boruch Hager]] (c. 1895–1964), who led the Seret branch.
  
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Yisroel Hager was born on August 20, 1860. He was the first-born son of Rabbi Boruch Hager. He married the daughter of Rabbi [[Ropshitz (Hasidic dynasty)#Lineage|Meir Horowitz]] of [[Tarnobrzeg|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]]s, and also a yeshiva, to which he appointed his son Rabbi Menachem Mendel as [[rosh yeshiva]]. When [[World War I]] broke out he was forced to move to Grosswardein ([[Oradea]]). He lived there until his death on 2 June 1936.<ref>[http://edocs.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/volltexte/2008/38052/original/Israelit_1936_23.pdf ''Der Israelit'', 4 June 1936, p. 13] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719103629/http://edocs.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/volltexte/2008/38052/original/Israelit_1936_23.pdf |date=July 19, 2011 }}</ref> In 1949, his remains were transferred to Israel and re-interred in Zichron Meir, [[Bnei Brak]].
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They renewed Vizhnitz in two centres, Bnei Brak and Haifa.<ref name="YIVO" />
  
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Hager had 5 sons and six daughters. Four of his sons became Rebbes:
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Chaim Meir's son [[Moshe Yehoshua Hager]] became head of the Bnei Brak community in 1972.<ref name="NYT2018" /> He died in Bnei Brak on 14 March 2012, aged 95. Tens of thousands of Hasidim attended his funeral. The ''New York Times'' described him as a participant in Israeli politics who "encouraged moderation on issues like the expansion of settlements in the occupied territories".<ref name="NYT2012" /> The [[International Court of Justice]] found in 2024 that Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem "have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law".<ref name="ICJ2024" />
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*Reb '''Menachem Mendel of [[Vişeu de Sus|Visheve]]'''
 
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*Reb '''[[Vizhnitz (Hasidic dynasty)#Chaim Meir Hager|Chaim Meir]]''' (Chayim Meir'l), who inherited his father's position in Grosswardein
 
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*Reb '''Eliezer of Vyzhnytsia''', author of ''Demesek Eliezer''
 
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*Reb '''Boruch of [[Siret]]''', founder of the Seret-Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty
 
  
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===Chaim Meir Hager===
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His son [[Yisroel Hager]] (born 1945) is the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Bnei Brak.<ref name="JPostPrayer" />
  
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After the [[Holocaust]], Reb Chaim Meir settled in [[Bnei Brak]], [[Israel]], 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 [[Agudat Yisrael|Agudas Yisrael]] party in the Israeli [[Knesset]]. Agudas Yisrael won substantial government aid for Bnei Brak and affiliated communities, in return for its support in coalition governments.<ref name="nyc-architecture1">[http://www.nyc-architecture.com/WBG/wbg-jewish.htm The Roots of Hasidism: The Two Viznitz's (nyc-architecture.com)] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123205040/http://www.nyc-architecture.com/WBG/wbg-jewish.htm |date=January 23, 2011 }}</ref>
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=== United States ===
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[[Mordechai Hager]] was born in Oradea on 20 July 1922, a son of Chaim Meir Hager. During the Second World War the family escaped to Bucharest, where he married Feige Malka Twersky, a daughter of the Skverer Rebbe. After her death a few months later he married her sister, Sima Mirel. Unable to obtain a visa for Palestine, he emigrated to the [[United States]] in 1948 with his father-in-law.<ref name="NYT2018" />
  
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Reb Chaim Meir had two sons: the older Moshe (Reb Moshelle), and the younger Mordechai (Reb Mottele).<ref name="nyc-architecture1"/>
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He settled in [[Williamsburg]], where he headed the Viznitz synagogue at 6 Lee Avenue. In the 1960s he moved his followers to [[Monsey]] in the town of Ramapo, New York. In 1990 his followers set up their own village, [[Kaser]], which the ''New York Times'' described in 2018 as having 5,300 residents in one-tenth of a square mile, the most densely populated municipality in the state.<ref name="NYT2018" /> In 2012 the newspaper called Kaser "an almost exclusively Viznitz village in Rockland County".<ref name="NYT2012" />
  
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Reb Chaim Meir's sons-in-law include Rabbis [[Yidele Horowitz]], [[Yitzchok Yaakov Weiss]] (both were married to Reb Chaim Meir's daughter, Miriam),<ref>[https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=35390&st=&pgnum=435&hilite= Invitation written by Reb Yisroel Hager to the wedding of his granddaughter Miriam and Reb Yidele Horowitz] (in [[Hebrew]])</ref> and [[Yisrael Friedman (Pashkaner Rebbe)|Yisrael Friedman]] (married to Reb Chaim Meir's daughter, Tziporah. Their son is [[Hoshea Friedman]]).<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ehrlich|first=Aryeh|date=6 October 2014|title=Legacy of Many Threads|url=http://www.mishpacha.com/Browse/Article/4529/Legacy-of-Many-Threads|journal=[[Mishpacha]]|issue=530|access-date=21 October 2014}}</ref>
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Hager died of liver failure at [[Mount Sinai Hospital]] in Manhattan on 16 March 2018, aged 95. The ''New York Times'' wrote that, like most Hasidim, he believed Israel should not have been created as a state before the Messiah came. However, he accepted it as a practical reality and honoured the Haredi legislators who took part in the Israeli government. This stance often put him at odds with [[Satmar]].<ref name="NYT2018" /> He opposed the public school district created for disabled pupils in [[Kiryas Joel]]. He was also unhappy that Orthodox Jews who did not send their children to public schools dominated the board of the [[East Ramapo Central School District]], which includes Kaser.<ref name="NYT2018" />
  
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===Moshe Yehoshua Hager===
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He had eight sons and six daughters. His eldest son, Pinchas Sholom, died in 2015. The seven surviving sons each head a Vizhnitz congregation in [[London]], Montreal, Israel, New York City or [[Kiamesha Lake]], New York:<ref name="NYT2018" />
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Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, was the Vizhnitser Rebbe in Bnei Brak. He died on March 13, 2012, aged 95.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/nyregion/rabbi-moshe-y-hager-hasidic-leader-dies-at-95.html?_r=3 Rabbi Moshe Hager, a Hasidic Leader, Dies at 95 ]</ref> He had two sons and four daughters. His elder son is Rabbi [[Yisroel Hager (The second)|Yisroel]], named after his grandfather, the "Ahavas Yisroel"; his other son is Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel Hager|Menachem Mendel]], 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 (Skverer Rebbe)|David Twersky]], the [[Skver (Hasidic dynasty)|Skverer]] Rebbe of [[New Square, New York|New Square]], New York. One daughter married Rabbi [[Yissachar Dov Rokeach (fifth Belzer rebbe)|Yissachar Dov Rokeach]], the [[Belz (Hasidic dynasty)|Belzer]] Rebbe from [[Jerusalem]]. One daughter married Rabbi [[Aaron Teitelbaum]], the [[Satmar (Hasidic dynasty)|Satmar]] Rebbe from [[Kiryas Joel]], New York. The youngest daughter married Rabbi Menachem Ernster, the [[rosh yeshiva]] of the Vizhnitz [[Yeshiva]] in Bnei Brak.<ref name="israelnationalnews">{{cite web|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/153741|title=Vizhnitzer Rebbe Passes Away at 95|last=Benari|first=Elad|date=14 March 2012|access-date=19 March 2012|work=[[Arutz Sheva]]}} The head [[rabbi]]s, also known as ''Admorim'' ({{lang-he|אדמו"ר}}, which is the [[acronym]] for "אדונינו מורינו ורבינו" ''"Adoneinu Moreinu V'Rabeinu"'', "our master, our teacher, and our rabbi"), are located currently in [[Bnei Brak]] and [[Haifa]] in [[Israel]], and in [[Monsey, New York]]. 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]]; his second daughter married Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Meizlish, Rav of shikun Satmar in [[Bnei Brak]]; 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.
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* [[Yisroel Hager (Monsey)|Yisroel]]
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</ref>
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* Mendel
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* Yitzchok Yochonon
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* Aron
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* Dovid
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* Eliezer
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* Boruch
  
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===Mordechai Hager===
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In September 2026 the "Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey" was part of a delegation of Hasidic leaders who met President [[Donald Trump]], Vice President [[JD Vance]] and [[Jared Kushner]] at the White House.<ref name="YWNTrump" />
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[[File:The Great Synagogue of Vizhnitz Beit Shemesh.jpg|thumb|The Great Synagogue of Vizhnitz [[Beit Shemesh]], with a new [[Holy Ark]]]]
 
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{{Main|Mordechai Hager}}
 
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Rabbi Mordechai Hager [[zt"l]], born in 1922, was the  Vizhnitzer Rebbe in [[Monsey, New York|Monsey]] until his passing in 2018.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://5tjt.com/vizhnitz-simcha-complications/ | title=Vizhnitz Simcha Complications | date=18 June 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/235287|title=Second Vizhnitz Rebbe Falls Ill|publisher=[[Israel National News]]|date=20 March 2012|access-date=22 March 2012}}</ref> Following the death of his father [[Rabbi]] [[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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/obituaries/rabbi-mordechai-hager-dead-led-large-hasidic-sect.html|title=Rabbi Mordechai Hager, Leader of Large Hasidic Sect, Dies at 95|last=Berger|first=Joseph|date=2018-03-16|work=The New York Times|access-date=2018-03-23|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
 
  
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Rabbi Mordechai died on March 16, 2018 (29 Adar 5778), at [[Mount Sinai Hospital (Manhattan)|Mount Sinai Hospital]].<ref>http://hamodia.com/2018/03/16/vizhnitzer-rebbe-harav-mordechai-hager/</ref> The funeral was held with the attendance of 100,000 mourners.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://westchester.news12.com/story/37744891/mourners-say-final-farewell-to-grand-rabbi-in-monsey | title=Mourners say final farewell to grand rabbi in Monsey }}</ref> He was buried in the Vishnitzer Cemetery in [[Monsey, New York|Monsey]], New York.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/general/1491750/boruch-dayan-haemmes-levaya-of-vishnitzer-rebbe-of-monsey-zatzal.html | title=BORUCH DAYAN HA'EMMES: Levaya of Vishnitzer Rebbe of Monsey ZATZAL &#91;UPDATED 12:00PM&#93; | date=16 March 2018 }}</ref>            
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{| class="wikitable"
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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]]; Rabbi Mendel  in [[Kiamesha Lake, New York]]; and Rabbi Yitzchok Yochonon    in [[Williamsburg, Brooklyn]]. The other sons serve internationally: Rabbi Eliezer in [[Jerusalem, Israel]]; Rabbi Dovid in London;  Rabbi Aharon in Canada headquartered in [[Montreal, Quebec]], his youngest son,  Rabbi Buroch Shamshon, in [[Beit Shemesh]], Israel; and his grandson Rabbi Yakov Yosef, son of eldest son Rabbi Pinchus Shulem, in [[Boro Park]], Brooklyn.
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|+ Rebbes of Vizhnitz (main line)
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! Rebbe !! Dates !! Seat !! Notes
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|-
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| [[Menachem Mendel Hager]] || 1830–1884 || Vyzhnytsia || Founder of the Vizhnitz court; ''Tsemach tsadik''<ref name="YIVO" />
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|-
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| [[Boruch Hager]] || c. 1845–1893 || Vyzhnytsia || Eldest son<ref name="YIVO" />
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|-
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| [[Yisroel Hager (1860–1936)|Yisroel Hager]] || 1860–1936 || Vyzhnytsia; Oradea from the First World War || Founded Ahavat Yisrael yeshiva, 1903<ref name="YIVO" />
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|-
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| [[Chaim Meir Hager]] || 1887–1972 || Bnei Brak || Rebuilt the dynasty in Israel<ref name="YIVO" />
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|-
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| [[Moshe Yehoshua Hager]] || died 2012 || Bnei Brak || Head of the Bnei Brak community from 1972<ref name="NYT2018" /><ref name="NYT2012" />
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|-
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| [[Mordechai Hager]] || 1922–2018 || Williamsburg; Monsey and Kaser || Head of the American branch<ref name="NYT2018" />
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|-
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| [[Yisroel Hager]] || born 1945 || Bnei Brak || Present Bnei Brak rebbe<ref name="JPostPrayer" />
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|}
  
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==UK==
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== Israeli politics and the army ==
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*[[Vishnitz Girls School]] | [[Wiznitz Cheder School]]
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''Jerusalem Post'' writer Levi Cooper notes that, like other mainstream Hasidim, Vizhnitz Hasidim do not serve in the [[Israel Defense Forces]] and do not actively support soldiers. On the first Shabbat after the attacks of 7 October 2023, Rebbe Yisroel Hager recited a prayer for Jews "who stand in battle against those who hate Israel". The text was not the usual prayer for [[IDF]] soldiers but an older one composed by Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel Reuven Gefner]]. Cooper wrote that there was no historical precedent for the Rebbe's act.<ref name="JPostPrayer" />
  
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==Resources==
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Biale and his co-authors write that between the wars the Vizhnits leadership supported Agudat Yisrael "and did not conduct a campaign against immigration to the Holy Land", unlike the rebbes of [[Munkacs (Hasidic dynasty)|Munkatsh]] and Sighet, including [[Satmar (Hasidic dynasty)|Satmar]].<ref name="BialeBook628">David Biale, David Assaf, Benjamin Brown, Uriel Gellman, Samuel C. Heilman, Moshe Rosman, Gadi Sagiv and Marcin Wodziński, ''Hasidism: A New History'', Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2018, p. 628.</ref> After 1967, they write, the heads of Ger, Vizhnits and Belz "on the whole took a more flexible and dovish stance on the question of the territories that Israel came to control" than the Lubavitcher Rebbe.<ref name="BialeBook713">David Biale, David Assaf, Benjamin Brown, Uriel Gellman, Samuel C. Heilman, Moshe Rosman, Gadi Sagiv and Marcin Wodziński, ''Hasidism: A New History'', Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2018, p. 713.</ref>
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*https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/grand-rabbi-in-israel-pandemic-is-from-god-and-has-nothing-to-do-with-nature/
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== See also ==
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In June 2026 [[Meir Porush]], chairman of [[Shlomei Emunim]], said that an arbitration within [[Agudat Yisrael]] about five years earlier had settled "the power balance between [[Belz]] and Vizhnitz".<ref name="JFeedPorush" /> In September 2026 the Ger, Vizhnitz and Sanz factions signed separately with [[Degel HaTorah]] when the [[United Torah Judaism]] slate was submitted.<ref name="YWNSlate" />
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* [[Vyzhnytsia]]
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* [[Hasidic dynasties]]
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== United Kingdom ==
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Vizhnitz institutions in Britain are concentrated in [[Stamford Hill]] and Clapton, in the London Borough of Hackney.<ref name="GIASWiz" /><ref name="CCFoW" />
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{| class="wikitable sortable"
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|+ Vizhnitz schools in London
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! School !! Address !! Pupils !! Proprietor / head !! Ofsted
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|-
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| [[Wiznitz Cheder School]] || 126b Stamford Hill, London N16 6QT || Boys, 3–11; 61 pupils; opened 21 December 2011 || Proprietor [[Viznitz Limited]]; headteacher Rabbi [[Pesach Akiva Taub]] || Inadequate (October 2021 and January 2024); March 2026 report card: safeguarding standards met<ref name="GIASWiz" /><ref name="OfstedWiz2024" /><ref name="OfstedWiz2026" />
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|-
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| [[Vishnitz Girls School]] || 49 Amhurst Park, London N16 5DL || Girls, 2–16; 504 pupils; opened 2 August 2012 || Proprietor [[Vishnitz Girls School Limited]]; headteacher Mrs [[Leah Weiss]] || Inadequate (March 2022); requires improvement (July 2024)<ref name="GIASVish" /><ref name="OfstedVish" /><ref name="OfstedVishList" />
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|}
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{| class="wikitable sortable"
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|+ Vizhnitz-named charities in England
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! Charity !! Number !! Address (register) !! Trustees (register) !! Finances and notes
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|-
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| [[Friends of Wiznitz Limited]] || 255685 || First Floor, 94 Stamford Hill, London N16 6XS || [[Barry Feldman]], [[Ephraim Gottesfeld]], [[Shulom Feldman]] || Registered 22 April 1968; company 00929964. Orthodox Jewish education, religion and poverty relief; operates in Hackney, Haringey, Israel and the United States. Income £4,734,350 and expenditure £4,526,324 in the year to 31 March 2025<ref name="CCFoW" />
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|-
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| [[Viznitz Limited]] || 1143314 || 126B Stamford Hill, London N16 6QT || [[Mordechai Kahan]], [[Samuel Stein]] || Registered 12 August 2011; company 07569016. Runs Wiznitz Cheder School. Income £702,164 and expenditure £742,432 in the year to 31 March 2025<ref name="CCViznitzLtd" />
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|-
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| [[Vishnitz Girls School Limited]] || 1135285 || 196 Lordship Road, London N16 5ES || Rabbi [[Mordechai Steren]], [[Israel Zieg]], [[Benzion Steiner]] || Registered 29 March 2010; company 06919686. Income £2,651,372 and expenditure £3,010,443 in the year to 31 May 2024<ref name="CCVishnitz" />
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|-
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| [[Viznitz Institutions Trust]] || 1073284 || 8 Jessam Avenue, London E5 9DU || Rabbi [[Mordechai Steren]], [[Izchak Aizik Menachem Vizel]], [[Ahron Shimshon Zelig Deuitch]] || Registered 13 January 1999. Supports people in hardship and the Talmudical College of Viznitz in London; operates in Hackney and Israel. Income £663,506 and expenditure £697,086 in the year to 5 May 2025<ref name="CCVIT" />
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|-
 +
| [[The Viznitz (Keren Nitzchi) Foundation]] || 326581 || 23 Overlea Road, London E5 9BG || [[Henrich Feldman]] (chair), [[Joseph Feldman]], [[Shulom Feldman]] || Registered 29 May 1984. Operates in Israel and the United States. Income £200,073 and expenditure £185,756 in the year to 31 March 2025<ref name="CCKerenNitzchi" />
 +
|-
 +
| [[Kollel Imrei Chaim Wiznitz Trust]] || 1122005 || Flat 3, The Gardens, Clapton Common, London E5 9AZ || [[Leibish Hager]] (chair), [[Shaina Rochel Hager]], [[Yisroel Meir Cohen]], [[Solomon Gluck]] || Registered 17 December 2007. Income £164,624 and expenditure £230,189 in the year to 31 December 2024<ref name="CCKollelIC" />
 +
|-
 +
| [[Kollel Viznitz London]] || 1166611 || 67 Watermint Quay, Craven Walk, London N16 6DN || [[Simon Zieg]] (chair), [[Jehoshua Gross]], [[Yoshua Hochhauser]] || Registered 19 April 2016. Expenditure £1,562 in the year to 31 December 2024<ref name="CCKollelVL" />
 +
|-
 +
| [[Kupath Gemach Trust]] (formerly [[Kupath Gemach Chaim Bechesed Viznitz Trust]]) || 1110323 || 171 Kyverdale Road, London N16 6PS || [[Israel Kahan]], [[Alexander Pifko]], [[Saul Weiss]] || Registered 5 July 2005. Operates throughout London and in Israel and the United States. Income £997,112 and expenditure £1,026,133 in the year to 31 May 2025<ref name="CCKupath" />
 +
|-
 +
| [[Keren Yedidei Beis Viznitz Ltd]] || 1195033 || 30 Plevna Crescent, London N15 6DN || [[Yosef Shlomo Ganz]] (chair), [[Israel Kahan]], [[Nachman Taub]] || Registered 1 July 2021; company 12835710. Operates throughout England and in Israel. Income £501,847 and expenditure £603,938 in the year to 31 August 2025. Taub is also a trustee of [[British Friends of Chatzer Hakodesh Viznitz]]<ref name="CCKYBV" />
 +
|-
 +
| [[Ezer Viznitz Foundation]] || 1161881 || c/o Raffingers LLP, Unit 19–20 Bourne Court, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 8HD || [[Chanoich Muller]] (chair), [[Rachel Stern]], [[Yakov Babad]] || Registered 28 May 2015. Aid to families in distress; operates in Hackney, Haringey, Salford, [[Belgium]], Israel and the United States. Income £4,665,384 and expenditure £4,935,630 in the year to 31 March 2025. Under Charity Commission inquiry (see below)<ref name="CCEzer" /><ref name="ThirdSectorSept" />
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== COVID-19 pandemic ==
 +
In February 2021 ''[[Jewish News]]'' reported that Rebbe [[Yisroel Hager]], head of what it called the second-largest Hasidic group in Israel, had written an opinion piece in the Israeli ''[[Hamodia]]'' during the national lockdown. According to the paper, he wrote that the pandemic came from God and had nothing to do with nature, and that the right response was more prayer and greater piety. He called the schools "the bedrock of Charedi society" and wrote that one must endanger one's life to teach children Torah, as his father had done in the Second World War. He argued that the government had closed Haredi schools while allowing many other activities it regarded as essential, so those who regarded their children's education as essential should do whatever they could to keep it going.<ref name="JNHager2021" />
  
−
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=tumlOiOZvSUC&pg=PA1405 The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust. Page 1405]
+
''Jewish News'' also reported that in November 2020 Hager had denounced Jews who reported breaches of coronavirus restrictions. He urged his followers to protest strongly against Jews who "snitch and inform" on other Jews who opened schools or held celebrations. He said the closure of Haredi schools had caused "unbearable spiritual and material damage", and vowed that they would not close again.<ref name="JNHager2021" />
  
−
==External links==
+
== Controversies ==
 +
=== Allegations and investigations ===
 +
* '''Charity Commission inquiry, 2025.''' In May 2025 the [[Charity Commission for England and Wales|Charity Commission]] opened a class inquiry after HMRC found that 105 charities had cashed cheques worth £22 million with a company in Hackney.<ref name="CCInquiry" /> In September 2025 it added ten more charities to the inquiry, including the Ezer Viznitz Foundation.<ref name="ThirdSectorSept" /> An inquiry is not a finding of wrongdoing.
  
−
* [http://hasidicnews.com/Viznitz.shtml The Two Vizhnitz (Rabbis)]
+
== See also ==
−
* [http://www.wiznitz.com/ Rav Mendel Hager - The Av Beis Din - exclusive website]
+
* [[Vishnitz/Wiznitz non profits in the US]]
−
* [http://www.rebbeclips.com/search/label/seret%20viznitz Videos of the Seret Viznitz Rebbe ztz"l]
+
* [[Friends of Wiznitz Limited]]
 +
* [[Satmar (Hasidic dynasty)]]
 +
* [[Belz (Hasidic dynasty)]]
 +
* [[Skver (Hasidic dynasty)]]
 +
* [[Hasidic dynasties]]
  
−
==See also==
+
== Notes ==
 +
<references>
 +
<ref name="JNHager2021">Jewish News Reporter, [https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/grand-rabbi-in-israel-pandemic-is-from-god-and-has-nothing-to-do-with-nature/ Grand Rabbi in Israel: Pandemic is from God and has nothing to do with nature] ''Jewish News'', 3 February 2021 (full text supplied by David), accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="YIVO">Gad Sagiv, [https://yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Kosov-Vizhnits_Hasidic_Dynasty Kosov-Vizhnits Hasidic Dynasty] ''YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="NYT2012">Joseph Berger, [https://web.archive.org/web/20240623082322/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/nyregion/rabbi-moshe-y-hager-hasidic-leader-dies-at-95.html Rabbi Moshe Hager, a Hasidic Leader, Dies at 95] ''The New York Times'', 15 March 2012 (archived 23 June 2024), accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="NYT2018">Joseph Berger, [https://web.archive.org/web/20251003004127/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/obituaries/rabbi-mordechai-hager-dead-led-large-hasidic-sect.html Rabbi Mordechai Hager, Leader of Large Hasidic Sect, Dies at 95] ''The New York Times'', 16 March 2018 (archived 3 October 2025), accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="ICJ2024">International Court of Justice, [https://www.icj-cij.org/node/204176 Summary of the Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024] ''icj-cij.org'', 19 July 2024, accessed 26 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="JPostPrayer">Levi Cooper, [https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-777143 Israel-Hamas war: A Hassidic rebbe's prayer for soldiers] ''Jerusalem Post'', 8 December 2023, accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="YWNTrump">''The Yeshiva World'', [https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2594035/historic-white-house-visit-inside-rebbes-extraordinary-meetings-with-trump-and-vance.html Historic White House Visit: Inside Rebbes' Extraordinary Meetings With Trump And Vance] ''The Yeshiva World'', 4 September 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="JFeedPorush">Chaya Mushka Rubenstein, [https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/porush-attacks-gur-control-agudat-yisrael Porush Attacks Gur's Control of Agudat Yisrael Party] ''JFeed'', 17 June 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="YWNSlate">''The Yeshiva World'', [https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2595974/after-split-and-hours-of-turmoil-utj-submits-party-slate.html After Split And Hours Of Turmoil, UTJ Submits Party Slate] ''The Yeshiva World'', 9 September 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="GIASWiz">Department for Education, [https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Establishment/Details/137809 Wiznitz Cheder School, URN 137809] ''Get Information about Schools'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="OfstedWiz2024">Ofsted, [https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50247137 Inspection of Wiznitz Cheder School] ''Ofsted'', 30 January – 1 February 2024, accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="OfstedWiz2026">Ofsted, [https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50303727 Wiznitz Cheder School: inspection report] ''Ofsted'', 24 March 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="GIASVish">Department for Education, [https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/Establishments/Establishment/Details/138516 Vishnitz Girls School, URN 138516] ''Get Information about Schools'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="OfstedVish">Ofsted, [https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50257431 Inspection of Vishnitz Girls School] ''Ofsted'', 9–11 July 2024, accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="OfstedVishList">Ofsted, [https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/27/138516 Vishnitz Girls School] ''Ofsted'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCFoW">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/255685/full-print Friends of Wiznitz Limited, charity 255685] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCViznitzLtd">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5017740/full-print Viznitz Limited, charity 1143314] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCVishnitz">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4048388/full-print Vishnitz Girls School Limited, charity 1135285] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCVIT">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/3954106/full-print Viznitz Institutions Trust, charity 1073284] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCKerenNitzchi">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/326581/full-print The Viznitz (Keren Nitzchi) Foundation, charity 326581] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCKollelIC">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4036488/full-print Kollel Imrei Chaim Wiznitz Trust, charity 1122005] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCKollelVL">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5074334/full-print Kollel Viznitz London, charity 1166611] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCKupath">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/4016575/full-print Kupath Gemach Trust, charity 1110323] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCKYBV">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5167582/full-print Keren Yedidei Beis Viznitz Ltd, charity 1195033] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCEzer">Charity Commission, [https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5061819/full-print Ezer Viznitz Foundation, charity 1161881] ''Register of Charities'', accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="CCInquiry">Charity Commission, [https://www.gov.uk/government/news/serious-concerns-over-use-of-22-million-triggers-investigation-by-charity-regulator Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator] ''GOV.UK'', 14 May 2025, accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
<ref name="ThirdSectorSept">Charlie Moloney, [https://web.archive.org/web/20250911233259/https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/commission-investigates-10-further-charities-22m-cashed-cheques-probe/governance/article/1930635 Commission investigates 10 further charities in £22m cashed cheques probe] ''Third Sector'', 1 September 2025 (archived 11 September 2025), accessed 27 October 2026.</ref>
 +
</references>
  
−
*[[Vishnitz/Wiznitz non profits in the US]]
+
[[Category:Hasidic dynasties]]
−
== References ==
+
[[Category:Hasidism]]
−
<references/>
+
[[Category:Israel]]
 +
[[Category:United States]]
 +
[[Category:Stamford Hill]]
 +
[[Category:Hasidic Judaism in the United Kingdom]]
 +
[[Category:Jewish charities in the United Kingdom]]
 +
[[Category:Zionist movement]]
 +
[[Category:Zionist movement UK]]

Latest revision as of 14:51, 29 October 2026

Hasidic dynasty of the Hager family from Vyzhnytsia, Bukovina; main centres in Bnei Brak, Haifa and Kaser (Monsey), with communities in Brooklyn, Montreal and London

Hasidic dynasties
Overview

Hasidic dynasties | Haredi and Hasidic groups in the US | Chabad-Lubavitch movement

Dynasties

Belz | Biala | Bobov | Boyan | Breslov | Chabad-Lubavitch | Chernobyl | Dushinsky | Ger | Karlin-Stolin | Lelov | Munkacs | Nadvorna | Pupa | Rachmastrivka | Sadigura | Sanz-Klausenburg | Sassov | Satmar | Shomer Emunim | Skulen | Skver | Slonim | Spinka | Toldos Aharon | Toldos Avraham Yitzchak | Tosh | Vizhnitz

Founders and early masters

Baal Shem Tov | Dov Ber of Mezeritch | Elimelech of Lizhensk | Shneur Zalman of Liadi | Nachman of Breslov | Moshe Leib of Sassov

Present-day rebbes

Aaron Teitelbaum | Zalman Teitelbaum | Yissachar Dov Rokeach | Yaakov Aryeh Alter | Yisroel Hager | Ben Zion Aryeh Leibish Halberstam | David Twersky | Boruch Meir Yaakov Shochet

20th-century rebbes

Joel Teitelbaum | Aharon Rokeach | Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Politics and communal bodies

Agudat Yisrael | United Torah Judaism | Degel HaTorah | Edah HaChareidis | Neturei Karta | Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations

Places

Uman | Stamford Hill | Williamsburg, Brooklyn | Kiryas Joel, New York | Bnei Brak | Beitar Illit | Modi'in Illit

United Kingdom

Satmar institutions in the UK | Belz Communities | Satmar Kolel

-
Vizhnitz
Founded 1854 Vyzhnytsia (Vizhnitz), Bukovina (now Ukraine)
Founder Menachem Mendel Hager (1830–1884)
Leader Rebbe Yisroel Hager (Bnei Brak, born 1945); Yisroel Hager (Monsey)
Headquarters Bnei Brak; Kaser, New York
Type Hasidic dynasty
Languages Notes

Vizhnitz (also Viznitz or Wiznitz) is a Hasidic dynasty of the Hager family. It is the main branch of the Kosov–Vizhnitz dynasty, and takes its name from the town of Vyzhnytsia in Bukovina, now in Ukraine.[3] After the Holocaust it was rebuilt in two main centres in Israel, Bnei Brak and Haifa. A later branch, which grew out of disputes over the succession, is active in New York.[3] The New York Times reported in 2012 that the dynasty numbered 5,000 families in Israel and perhaps as many in North America.[1]

History

Kosov and Vizhnitz

The Kosov–Vizhnitz dynasty was founded by Menachem Mendel of Kosov (c. 1768–1825), who served as rabbi of Kosiv from 1790 and became a rebbe after 1802. His eldest son, Chaim Hager of Kosov (c. 1795–1854), succeeded him in Kosiv. After Chaim's death most of his Hasidim followed his youngest son, Menachem Mendel Hager (1830–1884), who set up a court in Vyzhnytsia and served there as both rabbi and rebbe. He married Miryam, a daughter of Israel Friedman of Ruzhyn. YIVO notes that these family links helped the dynasty strengthen its hold on Transylvania and Subcarpathian Rus'. His teachings were published as Tsemach tsadik (1885).[3]

His eldest son, Boruch Hager (c. 1845–1893), was rebbe of Vizhnitz for a short time. Most of Boruch's sons became rebbes in Otynia, Horodenka, Storozhynets, Zalishchyky, Suceava and Borșa. The most prominent branch descended from his eldest son, Yisroel Hager (1860–1936), who succeeded him in Vizhnitz.[3] In 1903 Yisroel founded the Ahavat Yisrael yeshiva; it closed in 1914 and was reopened in 1922 by his son Eliezer.[3]

When the First World War broke out, Yisroel moved the court to Oradea (Grosswardein) in Transylvania. Between the wars he was the most influential rebbe of the dynasty, and almost all of his sons became rebbes, in Oradea, Siret, Vișeu de Sus (Vishiva) and Vizhnitz.[3] The New York Times reported that Russian soldiers killed many of Vyzhnytsia's Jews during the war, which forced the dynasty to move to Grosswardein.[2]

YIVO notes that the Vizhnitz rebbes were involved in disputes with other Hasidic leaders, including a long rivalry with the Teitelbaum family. In the 20th century some Vizhnitz leaders were leaders of Agudat Yisrael and opposed Zionism, while others showed sympathy for settlement in Palestine and even for the Mizrachi movement.[3] Music and nigunim (melodies) have had a prominent place in the dynasty since its beginnings.[3]

Israel

Some members of the dynasty, among them the rebbes of Borșa, were killed in the Holocaust. Three sons of Yisroel settled in the Land of Israel:[3]

They renewed Vizhnitz in two centres, Bnei Brak and Haifa.[3]

Chaim Meir's son Moshe Yehoshua Hager became head of the Bnei Brak community in 1972.[2] He died in Bnei Brak on 14 March 2012, aged 95. Tens of thousands of Hasidim attended his funeral. The New York Times described him as a participant in Israeli politics who "encouraged moderation on issues like the expansion of settlements in the occupied territories".[1] The International Court of Justice found in 2024 that Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem "have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law".[4]

His son Yisroel Hager (born 1945) is the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in Bnei Brak.[5]

United States

Mordechai Hager was born in Oradea on 20 July 1922, a son of Chaim Meir Hager. During the Second World War the family escaped to Bucharest, where he married Feige Malka Twersky, a daughter of the Skverer Rebbe. After her death a few months later he married her sister, Sima Mirel. Unable to obtain a visa for Palestine, he emigrated to the United States in 1948 with his father-in-law.[2]

He settled in Williamsburg, where he headed the Viznitz synagogue at 6 Lee Avenue. In the 1960s he moved his followers to Monsey in the town of Ramapo, New York. In 1990 his followers set up their own village, Kaser, which the New York Times described in 2018 as having 5,300 residents in one-tenth of a square mile, the most densely populated municipality in the state.[2] In 2012 the newspaper called Kaser "an almost exclusively Viznitz village in Rockland County".[1]

Hager died of liver failure at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan on 16 March 2018, aged 95. The New York Times wrote that, like most Hasidim, he believed Israel should not have been created as a state before the Messiah came. However, he accepted it as a practical reality and honoured the Haredi legislators who took part in the Israeli government. This stance often put him at odds with Satmar.[2] He opposed the public school district created for disabled pupils in Kiryas Joel. He was also unhappy that Orthodox Jews who did not send their children to public schools dominated the board of the East Ramapo Central School District, which includes Kaser.[2]

He had eight sons and six daughters. His eldest son, Pinchas Sholom, died in 2015. The seven surviving sons each head a Vizhnitz congregation in London, Montreal, Israel, New York City or Kiamesha Lake, New York:[2]

  • Yisroel
  • Mendel
  • Yitzchok Yochonon
  • Aron
  • Dovid
  • Eliezer
  • Boruch

In September 2026 the "Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Monsey" was part of a delegation of Hasidic leaders who met President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Jared Kushner at the White House.[6]

Rebbes of Vizhnitz (main line)
Rebbe Dates Seat Notes
Menachem Mendel Hager 1830–1884 Vyzhnytsia Founder of the Vizhnitz court; Tsemach tsadik[3]
Boruch Hager c. 1845–1893 Vyzhnytsia Eldest son[3]
Yisroel Hager 1860–1936 Vyzhnytsia; Oradea from the First World War Founded Ahavat Yisrael yeshiva, 1903[3]
Chaim Meir Hager 1887–1972 Bnei Brak Rebuilt the dynasty in Israel[3]
Moshe Yehoshua Hager died 2012 Bnei Brak Head of the Bnei Brak community from 1972[2][1]
Mordechai Hager 1922–2018 Williamsburg; Monsey and Kaser Head of the American branch[2]
Yisroel Hager born 1945 Bnei Brak Present Bnei Brak rebbe[5]

Israeli politics and the army

Jerusalem Post writer Levi Cooper notes that, like other mainstream Hasidim, Vizhnitz Hasidim do not serve in the Israel Defense Forces and do not actively support soldiers. On the first Shabbat after the attacks of 7 October 2023, Rebbe Yisroel Hager recited a prayer for Jews "who stand in battle against those who hate Israel". The text was not the usual prayer for IDF soldiers but an older one composed by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Reuven Gefner. Cooper wrote that there was no historical precedent for the Rebbe's act.[5]

Biale and his co-authors write that between the wars the Vizhnits leadership supported Agudat Yisrael "and did not conduct a campaign against immigration to the Holy Land", unlike the rebbes of Munkatsh and Sighet, including Satmar.[7] After 1967, they write, the heads of Ger, Vizhnits and Belz "on the whole took a more flexible and dovish stance on the question of the territories that Israel came to control" than the Lubavitcher Rebbe.[8]

In June 2026 Meir Porush, chairman of Shlomei Emunim, said that an arbitration within Agudat Yisrael about five years earlier had settled "the power balance between Belz and Vizhnitz".[9] In September 2026 the Ger, Vizhnitz and Sanz factions signed separately with Degel HaTorah when the United Torah Judaism slate was submitted.[10]

United Kingdom

Vizhnitz institutions in Britain are concentrated in Stamford Hill and Clapton, in the London Borough of Hackney.[11][12]

Vizhnitz schools in London
School Address Pupils Proprietor / head Ofsted
Wiznitz Cheder School 126b Stamford Hill, London N16 6QT Boys, 3–11; 61 pupils; opened 21 December 2011 Proprietor Viznitz Limited; headteacher Rabbi Pesach Akiva Taub Inadequate (October 2021 and January 2024); March 2026 report card: safeguarding standards met[11][13][14]
Vishnitz Girls School 49 Amhurst Park, London N16 5DL Girls, 2–16; 504 pupils; opened 2 August 2012 Proprietor Vishnitz Girls School Limited; headteacher Mrs Leah Weiss Inadequate (March 2022); requires improvement (July 2024)[15][16][17]
Vizhnitz-named charities in England
Charity Number Address (register) Trustees (register) Finances and notes
Friends of Wiznitz Limited 255685 First Floor, 94 Stamford Hill, London N16 6XS Barry Feldman, Ephraim Gottesfeld, Shulom Feldman Registered 22 April 1968; company 00929964. Orthodox Jewish education, religion and poverty relief; operates in Hackney, Haringey, Israel and the United States. Income £4,734,350 and expenditure £4,526,324 in the year to 31 March 2025[12]
Viznitz Limited 1143314 126B Stamford Hill, London N16 6QT Mordechai Kahan, Samuel Stein Registered 12 August 2011; company 07569016. Runs Wiznitz Cheder School. Income £702,164 and expenditure £742,432 in the year to 31 March 2025[18]
Vishnitz Girls School Limited 1135285 196 Lordship Road, London N16 5ES Rabbi Mordechai Steren, Israel Zieg, Benzion Steiner Registered 29 March 2010; company 06919686. Income £2,651,372 and expenditure £3,010,443 in the year to 31 May 2024[19]
Viznitz Institutions Trust 1073284 8 Jessam Avenue, London E5 9DU Rabbi Mordechai Steren, Izchak Aizik Menachem Vizel, Ahron Shimshon Zelig Deuitch Registered 13 January 1999. Supports people in hardship and the Talmudical College of Viznitz in London; operates in Hackney and Israel. Income £663,506 and expenditure £697,086 in the year to 5 May 2025[20]
The Viznitz (Keren Nitzchi) Foundation 326581 23 Overlea Road, London E5 9BG Henrich Feldman (chair), Joseph Feldman, Shulom Feldman Registered 29 May 1984. Operates in Israel and the United States. Income £200,073 and expenditure £185,756 in the year to 31 March 2025[21]
Kollel Imrei Chaim Wiznitz Trust 1122005 Flat 3, The Gardens, Clapton Common, London E5 9AZ Leibish Hager (chair), Shaina Rochel Hager, Yisroel Meir Cohen, Solomon Gluck Registered 17 December 2007. Income £164,624 and expenditure £230,189 in the year to 31 December 2024[22]
Kollel Viznitz London 1166611 67 Watermint Quay, Craven Walk, London N16 6DN Simon Zieg (chair), Jehoshua Gross, Yoshua Hochhauser Registered 19 April 2016. Expenditure £1,562 in the year to 31 December 2024[23]
Kupath Gemach Trust (formerly Kupath Gemach Chaim Bechesed Viznitz Trust) 1110323 171 Kyverdale Road, London N16 6PS Israel Kahan, Alexander Pifko, Saul Weiss Registered 5 July 2005. Operates throughout London and in Israel and the United States. Income £997,112 and expenditure £1,026,133 in the year to 31 May 2025[24]
Keren Yedidei Beis Viznitz Ltd 1195033 30 Plevna Crescent, London N15 6DN Yosef Shlomo Ganz (chair), Israel Kahan, Nachman Taub Registered 1 July 2021; company 12835710. Operates throughout England and in Israel. Income £501,847 and expenditure £603,938 in the year to 31 August 2025. Taub is also a trustee of British Friends of Chatzer Hakodesh Viznitz[25]
Ezer Viznitz Foundation 1161881 c/o Raffingers LLP, Unit 19–20 Bourne Court, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 8HD Chanoich Muller (chair), Rachel Stern, Yakov Babad Registered 28 May 2015. Aid to families in distress; operates in Hackney, Haringey, Salford, Belgium, Israel and the United States. Income £4,665,384 and expenditure £4,935,630 in the year to 31 March 2025. Under Charity Commission inquiry (see below)[26][27]

COVID-19 pandemic

In February 2021 Jewish News reported that Rebbe Yisroel Hager, head of what it called the second-largest Hasidic group in Israel, had written an opinion piece in the Israeli Hamodia during the national lockdown. According to the paper, he wrote that the pandemic came from God and had nothing to do with nature, and that the right response was more prayer and greater piety. He called the schools "the bedrock of Charedi society" and wrote that one must endanger one's life to teach children Torah, as his father had done in the Second World War. He argued that the government had closed Haredi schools while allowing many other activities it regarded as essential, so those who regarded their children's education as essential should do whatever they could to keep it going.[28]

Jewish News also reported that in November 2020 Hager had denounced Jews who reported breaches of coronavirus restrictions. He urged his followers to protest strongly against Jews who "snitch and inform" on other Jews who opened schools or held celebrations. He said the closure of Haredi schools had caused "unbearable spiritual and material damage", and vowed that they would not close again.[28]

Controversies

Allegations and investigations

  • Charity Commission inquiry, 2025. In May 2025 the Charity Commission opened a class inquiry after HMRC found that 105 charities had cashed cheques worth £22 million with a company in Hackney.[29] In September 2025 it added ten more charities to the inquiry, including the Ezer Viznitz Foundation.[27] An inquiry is not a finding of wrongdoing.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Joseph Berger, Rabbi Moshe Hager, a Hasidic Leader, Dies at 95 The New York Times, 15 March 2012 (archived 23 June 2024), accessed 27 October 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Joseph Berger, Rabbi Mordechai Hager, Leader of Large Hasidic Sect, Dies at 95 The New York Times, 16 March 2018 (archived 3 October 2025), accessed 27 October 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 Gad Sagiv, Kosov-Vizhnits Hasidic Dynasty YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe, accessed 27 October 2026.
  4. ↑ International Court of Justice, Summary of the Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 icj-cij.org, 19 July 2024, accessed 26 October 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Levi Cooper, Israel-Hamas war: A Hassidic rebbe's prayer for soldiers Jerusalem Post, 8 December 2023, accessed 27 October 2026.
  6. ↑ The Yeshiva World, Historic White House Visit: Inside Rebbes' Extraordinary Meetings With Trump And Vance The Yeshiva World, 4 September 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.
  7. ↑ David Biale, David Assaf, Benjamin Brown, Uriel Gellman, Samuel C. Heilman, Moshe Rosman, Gadi Sagiv and Marcin Wodziński, Hasidism: A New History, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2018, p. 628.
  8. ↑ David Biale, David Assaf, Benjamin Brown, Uriel Gellman, Samuel C. Heilman, Moshe Rosman, Gadi Sagiv and Marcin Wodziński, Hasidism: A New History, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2018, p. 713.
  9. ↑ Chaya Mushka Rubenstein, Porush Attacks Gur's Control of Agudat Yisrael Party JFeed, 17 June 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.
  10. ↑ The Yeshiva World, After Split And Hours Of Turmoil, UTJ Submits Party Slate The Yeshiva World, 9 September 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Department for Education, Wiznitz Cheder School, URN 137809 Get Information about Schools, accessed 27 October 2026.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Charity Commission, Friends of Wiznitz Limited, charity 255685 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  13. ↑ Ofsted, Inspection of Wiznitz Cheder School Ofsted, 30 January – 1 February 2024, accessed 27 October 2026.
  14. ↑ Ofsted, Wiznitz Cheder School: inspection report Ofsted, 24 March 2026, accessed 27 October 2026.
  15. ↑ Department for Education, Vishnitz Girls School, URN 138516 Get Information about Schools, accessed 27 October 2026.
  16. ↑ Ofsted, Inspection of Vishnitz Girls School Ofsted, 9–11 July 2024, accessed 27 October 2026.
  17. ↑ Ofsted, Vishnitz Girls School Ofsted, accessed 27 October 2026.
  18. ↑ Charity Commission, Viznitz Limited, charity 1143314 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  19. ↑ Charity Commission, Vishnitz Girls School Limited, charity 1135285 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  20. ↑ Charity Commission, Viznitz Institutions Trust, charity 1073284 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  21. ↑ Charity Commission, The Viznitz (Keren Nitzchi) Foundation, charity 326581 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  22. ↑ Charity Commission, Kollel Imrei Chaim Wiznitz Trust, charity 1122005 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  23. ↑ Charity Commission, Kollel Viznitz London, charity 1166611 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  24. ↑ Charity Commission, Kupath Gemach Trust, charity 1110323 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  25. ↑ Charity Commission, Keren Yedidei Beis Viznitz Ltd, charity 1195033 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  26. ↑ Charity Commission, Ezer Viznitz Foundation, charity 1161881 Register of Charities, accessed 27 October 2026.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Charlie Moloney, Commission investigates 10 further charities in £22m cashed cheques probe Third Sector, 1 September 2025 (archived 11 September 2025), accessed 27 October 2026.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Jewish News Reporter, Grand Rabbi in Israel: Pandemic is from God and has nothing to do with nature Jewish News, 3 February 2021 (full text supplied by David), accessed 27 October 2026.
  29. ↑ Charity Commission, Serious concerns over use of £22 million triggers investigation by charity regulator GOV.UK, 14 May 2025, accessed 27 October 2026.
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