Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk

Early Chassidic leader, disciple of the Maggid of Mezeritch and prime disseminator of Chasidut in White Russia and Lithuania. In the winter of 1772, he traveled with Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi to meet with the Vilna Gaon, with the aim of convincing him to rescind his ban on Chasidism, but they did not succeed in gaining entry to the Gaon and the meeting did not take place. In 1777, he headed the emigration of 300 of his followers to the Holy Land. He first settled in Safed, but facing persecution from the Turks, he relocated to Tiberias, where he is buried. The works containing his teachings are: "Pri Ha'Aretz", Pri Ha'eitz" and "Likutei Amarim".