Vizhnitz Rebbe Holds Reception

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Levi Amit

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe, R’ Mendel Hager, hosted a delegation of Crown Heights rabbis at the home he is vacationing in in the neighborhood, a few doors down from Lubavitch Headquarters.

Visiting him were Rabbi Leibel Groner, who served as the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s secretary for over 4 decades, and members of the Crown Heights Beis Din, Rabbi Yaacov Schwei and Rabbi Yosef Braun.

The warm meeting took place at the house that philanthropist Sholom Ber Drizin made available for the Vizhnitzer Rebbe during his stay in New York to meet his chassidim and strengthen his institutions.

The Vizhnitzer Rebbe, who has met Rabbi Groner on prior occasions, expressed his great pleasure in meeting him once again. He went on to speak with great warmth about the Rebbe.

He noted his extreme delight to see Crown Heights in such “a hustle and bustle with Torah and Chassidus.” The neighborhood was once home to many Chassidic communities. The Rebbe insisted on staying put despite rampant crime at the time.

Also in attendance were Oholei Torah school dean Rabbi Hershel Lustig, Oholei Torah mashpia Rabbi Nachmen Yoisef Twersky, Chovevei Torah mashpia Rabbi Shlomo Sternberg, mohel Rabbi Yisroel Heller, and R’ Shlomo Holtzberg, Rosh Hakollel Tiferes Levi Yitzchok.

The meeting was coordinated by Crown Heights activist R’ Eli Slavin, who previously accompanied the Vizhnitzer Rebbe on an impromptu tour of 770 Eastern Parkway at 2:00 AM.

As recently Crown Heights played host to the International Kinus Hashluchim, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe spoke about his admiration of the Shluchim’s work and mentioned that he witnessed first-hand their dedication during his travels.

He also spoke with emotion about the connection between the Rebbe and his father, the fifth Vizhnitzer Rebbe, R’ Moshe Yehoshua Hager OBM, known as the Yeshuos Moshe.