Yisrael Alter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rabbi Yisrael Alter

Rabbi Yisrael Alter (October 12, 1895 - February 20, 1977) who was also known by the title of his Torah work's as the Beis Yisrael was a Hasidic rebbe ("spiritual leader") who led the Ger chasidic sect as its sixth rebbe. He succeeded his father Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter and he was the Gerrer Rebbe from 1948 until his death in 1977. The dynasty began in the Polish town of Góra Kalwaria (known as "Ger" in short), the birthplace of Rabbi Yisroel.

He escaped from Poland during the Holocaust and moved to the Palestine in 1940. His wife, daughter, son and grandchildren were killed in the Holocaust, a fact he did not learn until 1945. He remarried, but had no children. Following the death of his father in 1948, he became a forceful leader of his growing followers in the Ger chasidic movement as well as becoming very active in the political life of the State of Israel. He would go around at night by himself to the various yeshivas, even the non chasidic ones, and check on the students. He would also have an especially good student called (by an agent of his) to talk to him thereby gaining a lot of new and outstanding followers.

He left a great impression on all walks of life that came in contact with him and was highly respected by all chasidic circles. His idea was to elevate every person to somehow become one level higher than his present state. There are countless stories from individuals (chasidim and non-chasidim) who met the Rebbe, which relate how he had a tremendous spiritual impact on them and how this strong impression will never leave them. What makes this even more impressive is that many of these encounters with the Rebbe were for a very short period of time.

Rabbi Yisrael became a powerful force within the Agudat Israel of Israel party and guided its work in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, concluding alliances with various other political parties to further the causes of Haredi Judaism in the Jewish state.

He died of cancer in 1977 and left no surviving children. He was succeeded by his brother Rabbi Simchah Bunim Alter who became the seventh rebbe of Ger. After his death his widow performed chalitsa on Rabbi Simchah Bunim, in accordance with Torah law.