History of painting: Child gave gift to Vizhnitzer Rebbe

Amit Reif-Tagari, a student of Nechalim yeshiva near Petah Tikva, gave last night (Thursday) towards his bar mitzvah which will be this coming Shavuot, the picture of the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzadik of Vizhnitz zt"l – to his descendant the Rebbe of Vizhnitz.

The image of the Tzemach Tzaddik is the only one, and it has belonged to the Reif family for over 120 years.

The story begins with the great grandmother of the bar mitzvah boy, R' Avraham Reif z"l, who was born in 5635 in the city of Kitov, Galicia, and was sent to study at Vizhnitz and was privileged to get close to the third Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzadik, the son of the Rebbe the Imrei Baruch.

At the age of 19 he came to America, and over the years sent money and managed to bring his entire family to America as well. When his parents arrived - in 5766 - they brought with them the picture of the Rebbe. According to the grandfather Avraham Reif, they grew at home while the painting was hanging on the wall permanently.

In 5732 when his grandfather died, his coffin was brought for burial at the Vizhnitz plot in Petah Tikvah, and from the previous Rebbe the Yeshuos Moshe of Vizhnitz zt"l, they came to see the picture that hung in the home of the bar Mitzvah boys' family. The drawing copied with a black and white sketch, and, to date it appears in the books of the Vizhnitz chassidus.

Yoni Reif, the father of the bar mitzvah boy, told Behadrey Haredim that now - for the bar mitzvah, and as part of a campaign of giving, his son Amit was received by the Vizhnitzer Rebbe in his home in Bnei Brak, and gave him a color copy in the presence of a crowd of Hasidim. The excitement at the Rebbe was great, and now anyone who will come to the Rebbe for a brocha, can see the picture of the Tzemach Tzadik zt"l.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!