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at The 92nd Street Y, New York. Supported by The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity
Nov 06, 1969
Great-grandson of the Maggid of Mezeritch, Rabbi Israel’s unconventional Hasidic path—that of luxury--was accepted by all of his distinguished contemporaries. What was the meaning of the luxury? It attracted many Hasidim, giving a sense that even in exile Jews can live as princes. But there must be more: did he believe himself the Messiah? No. But Rabbi Israel was obsessed with bringing the Messiah. Like the Berdichever, Rabbi Israel was the Jew’s advocate, “guiding and consoling” not with miracles but with common sense. Professor Wiesel concludes: “I would like to see [the Rizhener] as a tragic visionary with the gift to view things with painful clarity.” Vizhnitz, the Hasidism to which Professor Wiesel belongs, descends from Rizhin.
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