Yisrael Alter (October 12 1895 - February 20 1977) who was also known by the title of his Torah work/s as the Bais Yisrael was an Orthodox Judaism rabbi who lead the Hasidic Judaism Ger (Hasidic dynasty) as its fourth rebbe ("spiritual leader"). 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.)
He escaped from Poland during the Holocaust and moved to the British Mandate of Palestine. Following the death of his father in 1948, he became a forceful leader of his growing followers in the Ger Hasidic dynasty as well as becoming very active in the political life of the State of Israel. He 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 left no immediate heirs and was succeeded by his brother Rabbi Simchah Bunim Alter who became the fifth rebbe of Ger.
See also
Rebbes of Ger
- Yitzchak Meir Alter (1798(?)-1866)
- Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (1847-1905)
- Avraham Mordechai Alter (1866-1948)
- Yisrael Alter (1895-1977)
- Simchah Bunim Alter (1898-1992)
- Pinchas Menachem Alter (1926-1996)
- Yakov Aryeh Alter (b. 1936)
