Boro Park Scion of Viznitz Dynasty Appointed Viznitzer Dayan in Bnei Brak

Excitement pulsed through the Viznitzer chassidim of Rebbe Yisroel of Viznitz-Bnei Brak this past Wednesday night as the Rebbe announced a major appointment with long-term consequences for the chassidus.

Rav Chaim Meir Hager is the first descendant of the Rebbe’s grandfather, the Imrei Chaim of Viznitz, zt”l, to be born after his passing, and thus the first to be named for him. This past Wednesday night, at the tish commemorating the ninth yohrtzeit of the Yeshuos Moshe of Viznitz, the Rebbe was machtir his son as the official Av Beis Din of Kiryas Viznitz in Bnei Brak.

Rav Chaim Meir—who is known as a tremendous talmid chochom, a phenomenal, inspiring orator, and an extraordinary askan and ba’al chessed—has made his home in Boro Park for the last decades, having married the daughter of the Nirbater Rov of Boro Park, Rav Aaron Teitelbaum, shlit”a.

In his remarks upon this historic appointment, the Viznitzer Rebbe proclaimed: “He is a ben achar ben from my grandfather, and he is named Chaim Meir after him. I am asking that the oilem should accept his leadership, and that all should say mazel tov! To which the emotional crowd thundered “mazel tov!”

This comes on the heels of the Rebbe’s appointment of two of his other sons to positions in Viznitzer communities around Eretz Yisroel, and what makes this appointment historic is that this position of Av Beis Din was once held by none other than the Rebbe himself, during the lifetime of his father the Yeshuos Moshe.

As this prince of the Viznitzer dynasty departs Boro Park for the cradle of his ancestors, he is sure to contribute great things for this towering Chassidic movement for many years to come.