Vizhnitz . Vizhnitz  Bney Brak by Amit Sha’al The Vizhnitz community is a Hassidic court whose center is in the city of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv. Its origin is in the town of Vizhnitz, now Ukraine, and Yiddish, the language of the Jews of Europe, is still very common in the neighbourhood. At the head of the community stands Rabbi Hager. Some other branches of the community are located in New York and Haifa. In the main synagogue. Rabbi Hager, center, with the men of his court, during a mass service. A boy carrying a crate of chickens during the Kaparot ritual. Yom Kippur is the most sacred day in the Jewish calendar, when the Jews fast and pray all day asking God to forgive them for all their sins in the previous year.  The day before Yom Kippur, they buy a chicken, and while turning it around their head and saying a special prayer, they believe they are delivering all their sins into the chicken.  The chicken is then slaughtered. Boy looking at a crate of chickens. A boy and a chicken during the Kaparot ritual. An Ultra Orthodox man holding a chicken and blessing his son during the Kaparot ritual. A crowd of people being frightened by a chicken (full of sin) that managed to escape the slaughter during the Kaparot ritual. A boy looking at a pile of slaughtered chickens during the Kaparot ritual. Hands of a crowd during a mass service. Two Ultra Orthodox men during a service. A boy in a mass service for Sukkoth. A crowd in a mass service for Sukkoth. The shadows of Ultra Orthodox men on the synagogue wall. Street scene in Vizhnitz. Twelve year old boy, dressed-up and smoking a fake cigarette, during Purim day (Purim). One of Purim's commandments is to masquerade. A group of drunken youngsters during Purim day. One of Purim's commandments is to get drunk. An Ultra Orthodox man walking into the dark.