Ger (Hasidic dynasty)

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Peshischa Hasidism
Rebbes & Disciples
Rebbes
Disciples
Other
Ger Hasidic Dynasty
Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter with his entourage
Total population
11,859 families (2016)
Founder
Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter
Regions with significant populations
Israel, United States, Western Europe
Religions
Hasidic Judaism

Ger (Yiddish: גער, also Gur, adj. Gerrer) is a Polish Hasidic dynasty originating from the town of Góra Kalwaria, Poland, where it was founded by Yitzchak Meir Alter (1798–1866), known as the "Chiddushei HaRim". Ger is a branch of Peshischa Hasidism, as Yitzchak Meir Alter was a leading disciple of Simcha Bunim of Peshischa (1765–1827). Before the Holocaust, followers of Ger were estimated to number in excess of 100,000,[1] making it the largest and most influential Hasidic group in Poland.[2][3] Today, the movement is based in Jerusalem, and its membership is estimated at 11,859 families, as of 2016, most of whom live in Israel, making Ger the largest Hasidic dynasty in Israel.[4][5] However, there are also well-established Ger communities in the United States and in Europe.[5] In 2019, some 300 families[6] of followers led by Shaul Alter, split off from the dynasty led by his cousin Yaakov Aryeh Alter.[7] [8]

  1. ^ Estēr Farbšṭeyn (1 October 2007). Hidden in Thunder. Feldheim Publishers. p. 82. ISBN 978-965-7265-05-5. Retrieved 31 July 2013. During this venerated rebbe's lifetime, the Ger court spread farther than ever before; some estimates of the number of his followers before the Holocaust exceed 100,000.
  2. ^ Skolnik, Fred; Berenbaum, Michael (2007). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Vol. 8. Macmillan Reference USA. p. 424. ISBN 978-0-02-865936-7. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  3. ^ Spector, Shmuel; Wigoder, Geoffrey (2001). The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life: Before and During the Holocaust. NYU Press. p. 1430. ISBN 978-0-8147-9356-5. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  4. ^ Simeon D. Baumel (2006). Sacred Speakers: Language And Culture Among The Haredim In Israel. Berghahn Books. p. 35. ISBN 978-1-84545-062-5. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  5. ^ a b Wodzinski, Marcin (2018). Historical Atlas of Hasidism. Princeton University Press. p. 207.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference JPost was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Religious Affairs: The Gerrer rebellion". The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com. Retrieved 2020-12-03.
  8. ^ "Followers Of Rav Shaul Alter Purchase 40 Million NIS Property Near Jerusalem Entrance". www.baltimorejewishlife.com. 13 September 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.