Menachem Mendel Hager Menachem Mendel Hager was born on May 17, 1830, in
Kosiv, now in Western Ukraine. He was the son of Rabbi Chaim Hager of Kosiv, the grandson of
Menachem Mendel Hager of Kosov, his namesake, 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 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 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 locales: 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 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 Torahs, 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. In 1949, his remains were transferred to Israel and re-interred in Zichron Meir,
Bnei Brak. 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, founder of the Seret-Vizhnitz Hasidic dynasty
Chaim Meir Hager 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
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. Reb Chaim Meir had two sons: the older Moshe Yehoshua (Reb Moshelle), and the younger Mordechai (Reb Mottele). Moshe Ernster and
Yisrael Friedman (married to Reb Chaim Meir's daughter, Tziporah. Their son is
Hoshea Friedman).
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, 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 York. One daughter married Rabbi
Yissachar Dov Rokeach, the
Belzer Rebbe from
Jerusalem. One daughter married Rabbi
Aaron Teitelbaum, the
Satmar Rebbe from
Kiryas Joel, New York. The youngest daughter married Rabbi Menachem Ernster, the
rosh yeshiva of the Vizhnitz
Yeshiva in Bnei Brak.
Mordechai Hager , with a new
Holy Ark Rabbi Mordechai Hager, born in 1922, was the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in
Monsey until his death in 2018. Following the death of his father
Rabbi Chaim Meir Hager of
Bnei Brak, Israel, thousands of Vizhnitz hasidim followed him. When he died 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 3,000 to 5,000 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; Rabbi Mendel in
Kiamesha Lake, New York; and Rabbi Yitzchok Yochonon in
Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The other sons serve internationally: Rabbi Eliezer in
Jerusalem, Israel or in Lakewood; 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. ==Lineage of the Vizhnitz-Kosov dynasty==