Ger, or
Gur is a
HasidicHasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
dynasty originating from Ger, the
YiddishYiddish is a High German language of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, spoken throughout the world. It developed as a fusion of German dialects with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages and traces of Romance languages...
name of
Góra KalwariaGóra Kalwaria is a town on the Vistula River in the Mazovian Voivodship, Poland, about 25 km southeast of Warsaw. It has a population of about 11,000 . The town has significance for both Catholic Christians and Hasidic Jews...
, a small town in
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.
Prior to
the HolocaustThe Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, Ger was probably the largest and most important Hasidic group in Poland. Today it is one of the largest Hasidic dynasties in the world, along with the
Chabad-LubavitchChabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
and
SatmarSatmar is a Hasidic movement comprising mostly Hungarian and Romanian Hasidic Jewish Holocaust survivors and their descendants. It was founded and led by the late Hungarian-born Grand Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum , who was the rabbi of Szatmárnémeti, Hungary...
dynasties. It is now based in
Jerusalem. The
rebbeRebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
s who lead the movement have the family name of Alter. The founder of this group was Rabbi
Yitzchak Meir AlterYitzchak Meir Alter , is considered to be the first Rebbe of the Ger Hasidic dynasty, which he founded in the town of Góra Kalwaria , Poland. He was also known as the Chidushei HaRim for his Torah books...
(1798–1866), known as the Chiddushei HaRim after his primary scholarly work by that title.
History
After the death of the
Kotzker RebbeMenachem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotzk, better known as the Kotzker Rebbe was a Hasidic rabbi and leader.-Life:Born to a non-Hasidic family in Goraj near Lublin, Poland, he became attracted to Hasidim in his youth. He was known for having acquired impressive Talmudic and Kabbalistic knowledge at a...
in 1859, the vast majority of his Hasidim chose Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, the Kotzker Rebbe's brother-in-law and his closest disciple, as their new
rebbeRebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
. At the time, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir lived in
WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and led the main Kotzker
shtiebelA shtiebel is a place used for communal Jewish prayer. In contrast to a formal synagogue, a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business which is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large...
there (on ul. Zelazna). Shortly after accepting the leadership of the Kotzker Rebbe's Hasidim, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir was appointed as Rav and
Av Beit DinAv Beit Din, Av Beis Din, or Abh Beyth Diyn . was the second-highest ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Commonwealth period. He presided over the Sanhedrin in the absence of the Nasi, and was the chief of the Sanhedrin when it sat as a criminal court...
(head of the rabbinical court) of Ger. Relocating to Ger, he became the founding rebbe of the Gerrer dynasty. During his seven years of leadership, the Chassidus flourished, causing it to be known as the "seven years of plenty".
After Rabbi Yitzchak Meir's death in 1866, his Hasidim wanted his eighteen-year old grandson, Rabbi
Yehudah Aryeh Leib AlterYehudah Aryeh Leib Alter , also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes, was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the av beis din and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland , and succeeded the Rebbe, Reb Heynekh of Alexander, as Rebbe of the Gerrer...
, to succeed him. When Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib refused to accept this position, most of the Hasidim became followers of the elderly Hasid, Rabbi
Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen LevinChanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin of Aleksander served as the rebbe of a community of thousands of Hasidim during the "interregnum" between the Chidushei HaRim of Ger and the Sfas Emes.- Biography :...
, formerly rabbi of
PrushnitsPrzasnysz is a town in Poland. Located in the Masovian Voivodship, about 110 km north of Warsaw and about 115 km south of Olsztyn, it's the capital of Przasnysz County. It has 18,093 inhabitants . One of the most important towns in Mazovia during the Middle Ages. City laws - 1427.-Famous...
and Krushnevits and now retired to Alexander. After Rabbi Chanokh Heynekh died in 1870, Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib (who became known posthumously as the Sfas Emes) acceded to the request of the Hasidim to become their next rebbe. Despite his youth, he was quickly accepted amongst the rebbes of Poland as one of their own.
The Gerrer movement flourished under the leadership of Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib and his eldest son and successor, Rabbi
Avraham Mordechai AlterAvraham Mordechai Alter , also known as the Imrei Emes after the works he authored, was the third Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1905 until his death in 1948. He was one of the founders of the Agudas Israel in Poland and was influential in establishing a network of...
(known as the Imrei Emes). In 1926, in a bold departure for Polish Hasidim, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai established a
yeshivaSfas Emes Yeshiva is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, serving the Gerrer Hasidic community. Founded in 1925 in the Mekor Baruch neighborhood of Jerusalem, two blocks north of the Mahane Yehuda Market, it was one of the few Hasidic yeshivas in Israel in the early twentieth...
in
Jerusalem, naming it for his father, the Sfas Emes. The first
rosh yeshivaRosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
was Rabbi Nechemiah Alter, a brother of the Imrei Emes. Today the yeshiva remains the flagship of the Gerrer yeshivas. A branch was set up in
Tel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, later to be called Yeshivas Chiddushei HaRim.
Distribution of Gerrer Hasidim
Almost all Gerrer Hasidim living in pre-war
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(approximately 200,000 Hasidim) perished during the Holocaust. Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter, who managed to escape, set about the task of rebuilding the movement in the British Mandate of Palestine.
Under its post-war leaders, the movement began to flourish again. Presently, on major occasions such as Shavuos, more than 12,000 Hasidim may gather in the main Gerrer
beth midrashBeth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
.
Large communities of Gerrer Hasidim exist in
Ashdod,
Bnei Brak,
Jerusalem, and
Tel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
,
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, as well as in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Lakewood,NJ,
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
,
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
,
Antwerp,
ZurichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. Several satellite communities have also been established in small towns in Israel, such as
Arad in the
NegevThe Negev is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The Arabs, including the native Bedouin population of the region, refer to the desert as al-Naqab. The origin of the word Neghebh is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'...
desert, Hatzor HaGlilit in the Galilee, Kiryat Harim Levin in
Tel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, Beit Shemesh and Kiryat Gat. Ger maintains a well-developed educational network of
Talmud TorahTalmud Torah schools were created in the Jewish world, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of public primary school for boys of modest backgrounds, where they were given an elementary education in Hebrew, the Scriptures , and the Talmud...
s,
yeshivaYeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
s, and
kollelA kollel is an institute for full-time, advanced study of the Talmud and rabbinic literature. Like a yeshiva, a kollel features shiurim and learning sedarim ; unlike a yeshiva, the student body of a kollel are all married men...
s, as well as Beis Yaakov schools for girls. Its leaders dominate the
Agudat IsraelAgudat Yisrael began as the original political party representing the ultra-Orthodox population of Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
religious movement and political party in Israel.
Israel
- Beis Yisroel (Ashdod)
- Pnei Menachem (Beit Shemesh)
- Meor Yisroel (Bnei Brak)
- Beir Re-em (Bnei Brak)
- Imrei Emes (Bnei Brak)
- Tiferes Moshe Betsalel (Bnei Brak)
- Sifsei Tsadik (Hatsor)
- Sfas Emes Yeshiva
Sfas Emes Yeshiva is an Orthodox Jewish yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel, serving the Gerrer Hasidic community. Founded in 1925 in the Mekor Baruch neighborhood of Jerusalem, two blocks north of the Mahane Yehuda Market, it was one of the few Hasidic yeshivas in Israel in the early twentieth...
(Jerusalem)
- Ner Yisroel (Jerusalem)
- Tiferes Moshe Betzalel (Jerusalem)
- Neizer Yisroel (Rishon LeZion)
- Yeshiva for gifted students (Rishon LeZion)
- Yeshivat Chiddushei HaRim (Tel Aviv)
USA
- Mesivta Beis Yisrael (Borough Park)
- Yeshiva Ketana Ger (Borough Park)
- Yeshivas Yagdil Torah (Borough Park)
- Yeshiva Gevoha (Borough Park)
- Beis Yaakov D'chasidei Ger
Ger may refer to:*Ger , a Hasidic dynasty from Góra Kalwaria*Ger , the javelin of the Germanic tribe of the Teutons*Germany *German language *Granular endoplasmic reticulum *Gross Enrollment Ratio...
(Borough Park)
- Gerrer Kollel (Borough Park)
- Mechina
Identifying features of Ger
The men are distinguished by their dark Hasidic garb, and by their pants tucked into their socks called hoyzn-zokn (not to be confused with the
breechesBreeches are an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down, with separate coverings for each leg, usually stopping just below the knee, though in some cases reaching to the ankles...
, called halber-hoyzn, worn by some other Hasidic groups). They wear a round felt hat, and a high, almost-pointed kapel. On Shabbos and
Jewish holidayJewish holidays are days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. In Hebrew, Jewish holidays and festivals, depending on their nature, may be called yom tov or chag or ta'anit...
s, married men wear the high circular
fur hatA shtreimel is a fur hat worn by many married haredi Jewish men, particularly members of Hasidic groups, on Shabbat and Jewish holidays and other festive occasions. In Jerusalem, the shtreimel is also worn by 'Yerushalmi' Jews...
of the Polish Hasidim, called a
spodikA spodik is a tall fur hat worn by some Hasidic Jews, particularly members of sects originating in Congress Poland. Spodiks are to be distinguished from shtreimels, which are a similar type of fur hat worn by Hasidim...
by Galitzyaners (not to be confused with the much flatter
shtreimelA shtreimel is a fur hat worn by many married haredi Jewish men, particularly members of Hasidic groups, on Shabbat and Jewish holidays and other festive occasions. In Jerusalem, the shtreimel is also worn by 'Yerushalmi' Jews...
worn by married men in Hasidic groups which do not hail from
Congress PolandThe Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
).
Ger follows the way of the
Kotzker RebbeMenachem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotzk, better known as the Kotzker Rebbe was a Hasidic rabbi and leader.-Life:Born to a non-Hasidic family in Goraj near Lublin, Poland, he became attracted to Hasidim in his youth. He was known for having acquired impressive Talmudic and Kabbalistic knowledge at a...
in stressing service of God in a sharp and objective way, as opposed to the mystical and spiritual orientation of other Hasidic groups. Ger also places much emphasis on
TalmudThe Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
study. During both Friday night and Shabbos morning services, worshippers take a break — usually one hour long — which is devoted to Torah study.
Hebrew is spoken, unlike other Chasidic Movements where Yiddish is used.
The 5th Gerrer Rebbe
Under the leadership of the fifth Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi
Yisrael AlterYisrael Alter, , also known as the Beis Yisroel after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1948 until 1977....
(known as the Beis Yisrael), Ichud Mosdos Gur (Union of Gerrer Institutions) was established as the responsible body for funding all the educational institutions within the orbit of Ger in Israel. The Ichud is currently responsible for funding about 100 such institutions.
The Beis Yisrael put great emphasis on purity and holiness, and will always be remembered as the Rebbe who rebuilt Ger after the terrible destruction of World War II.
Gerrer dynastic leadership
- Note: The alternate name for each rebbe (given in italics) is the name by which the rebbe is known after his death. This sobriquet, traditionally bestowed by his successor upon his acceptance of the mantle of leadership, is used as the title for his collected writings, which are published posthumously; by extension, it is also used to refer to the rebbe himself. During his lifetime, the given name of the rebbe is not used; he is simply referred to as "The Rebbe, shlita [may he live long]".
- Grand Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter
Yitzchak Meir Alter , is considered to be the first Rebbe of the Ger Hasidic dynasty, which he founded in the town of Góra Kalwaria , Poland. He was also known as the Chidushei HaRim for his Torah books...
(1798 – March 10, 1866), also known as the Chiddushei HaRim. Notable student of the Kotzker RebbeMenachem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotzk, better known as the Kotzker Rebbe was a Hasidic rabbi and leader.-Life:Born to a non-Hasidic family in Goraj near Lublin, Poland, he became attracted to Hasidim in his youth. He was known for having acquired impressive Talmudic and Kabbalistic knowledge at a...
and a prominent contemporary posekPosek is the term in Jewish law for "decider"—a legal scholar who decides the Halakha in cases of law where previous authorities are inconclusive or in those situations where no halakhic precedent exists....
. Assumed leadership of the Hasidim in 1859.
- Grand Rabbi Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin
Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin of Aleksander served as the rebbe of a community of thousands of Hasidim during the "interregnum" between the Chidushei HaRim of Ger and the Sfas Emes.- Biography :...
of Alexander. Rebbe from 1866 to 1870. Often referred to as "The Rebbe, Reb Heynekh".
- Grand Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter
Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter , also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes, was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the av beis din and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland , and succeeded the Rebbe, Reb Heynekh of Alexander, as Rebbe of the Gerrer...
(1847–1905), also known as the Sfas Emes. Born in Warsaw, Poland. Died in Góra KalwariaGóra Kalwaria is a town on the Vistula River in the Mazovian Voivodship, Poland, about 25 km southeast of Warsaw. It has a population of about 11,000 . The town has significance for both Catholic Christians and Hasidic Jews...
. Wrote Talmudic works and MaharalJudah Loew ben Bezalel, alt. Loewe, Löwe, or Levai, widely known to scholars of Judaism as the Maharal of Prague, or simply The MaHaRaL, the Hebrew acronym of "Moreinu ha-Rav Loew," was an important Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, and philosopher who served as a leading rabbi in the city of...
-style Torah commentaries that are known within and outside Hasidic streams. Gerrer Rebbe from 1870 to 1905.
- Grand Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter
Avraham Mordechai Alter , also known as the Imrei Emes after the works he authored, was the third Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1905 until his death in 1948. He was one of the founders of the Agudas Israel in Poland and was influential in establishing a network of...
(December 25, 1866 – June 3, 1948), also known as the Imrei Emes. Gerrer rebbe from 1905 to 1948.
- Grand Rabbi Yisrael Alter
Yisrael Alter, , also known as the Beis Yisroel after the works he authored, was the fourth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1948 until 1977....
(October 12, 1895 – February 20, 1977), also known as the Beis Yisroel. Son of Rabbi Avraham Mordechai. Gerrer Rebbe from 1948 to 1977.
- Grand Rabbi Simchah Bunim Alter
Simcha Bunim Alter , also known as the Lev Simcha after the works he authored, was the fifth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1977 until 1992....
(April 6, 1898 – August 6, 1992), also known as the Lev Simcha. Son of Rabbi Avraham Mordechai. Gerrer Rebbe from 1977 to 1992.
- Grand Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter
Pinchas Menachem Alter, , also known as the Pnei Menachem after the works he authored, was the sixth Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1992 until his death in 1996.-Early years:...
(June 9, 1926 – March 7, 1996), also known as the Pnei Menachem. Son of Rabbi Avraham Mordechai. Gerrer Rebbe from 1992 to 1996.
- Grand Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter
Yaakov Aryeh Alter, , is the seventh and current Rebbe of the Hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he has held since 1996. He lives in Israel and has followers in Europe and the United States...
(born 1939). Only son of Rabbi Simcha Bunim. Gerrer Rebbe from 1996 to the present.
External links
See also
- List of Hasidic dynasties
- Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...