Monday January 21 3:12 PM ET

Viz'nitz'e brothers reconcile after an 18-year-old bitter conflict

By GIMPEL the SHISTER, HasidicNews.com Writer

BNEI BRAK, ISRAEL (HN) - In what is, no doubt, a major turning point in the Hasidic world, the Viz'nitz'e Rebbe from Monsey, Reb Mottelle visited his brother , the Viz'nitz'e Rebbe in Bnei Brak, in a gesture of reconciliation, to mark the end to an acrimonious 18-year-old conflict between the two brothers.

The Viz'nitz'e conflict dates back to as soon as the former Viznitz'e Rebbe Reb Chayim Me'irel passed away in Israel in 1982. The brothers never got along very well, as the elder Moshelle was raised in the Viznitz atmosphere while his younger brother Mottelle was raised in the far more rigid and radical "Satmar" environment. Reb Mottelle left home to attended the Satmar Yeshiva in Williamsburg, US, against the wish of his father, the then Viznitz'e Rebbe. Reb Moshelle would condemn Reb Mottelle for his non-Viznitz approach to Hasidus and Reb Mottelle would renounce his brother as being to "Agidistish" (associated with the Agudas Yisrael organization, participating in the secular and anti-messianic Zionist government).

Naturally, Once Reb Chayim Me'irel passed away, each brother attracted their own followers, Reb Moshelle in Bnei Brak, and Reb Mottelle in Monsey NY. After Reb Moshelle made the decision to oust his son Yisrultche from Bnei Brak, The conflict intensified, as Reb Mottelle publicly criticized his brother's drastic move and openly supported Srultche. The brothers never spoke to each other directly in all those years.

Several months ago, a major bone of contention was removed, as Reb Moshelle reconciled with his son Srultche and he called him back to Bnei Brak and appointed him to an honorable leadership position within the community. Mendel, the younger son of Reb Moshelle, who was running the show till then was dethroned. This major historic event paved the way for this, even greater moment in the Viz'nitz community and in Hasidic life in general.

Tens of thousands of Hassidim from various Hasidic sects, in addition to the two Viznitz'e Rebbe's followers witnessed last week in Bnei Brak the unthinkable. The two Rebbe's met publicly face-to-face after a two-decade bitter conflict and fell into each other arms as onlookers were crying bewilderedly out of emotion.

This event has a major impact on Hasidic sect relationships reaching far beyond Viznitz. The Skver'e Rebbe, from New Square, the Belz'e rebbe from Jerusalem and the Rav of Kiryat Joel, Aaron are all brother-in-laws married to the three daughters of the Viznitz'e Rebbe, Reb Moshelle. This event, therefore rearranges the whole entire puzzle as Reb Mottelle is now fully accepted in those communities. In fact, the two Viznitz'e brothers were attending the same wedding along with the Skver Rebbe, as Hassidim from all four dynasties participated in what was one of the biggest, merriest and most momentous Rebbish'e weddings in decades.