Rabbi Yisrael Alter: The Beit Yisrael Who Rebuilt Chassidut After the Holocaust

Rabbi Yisrael Alter, known by the title of his sefer, “Beit Yisrael”—was born in Poland on 24 Tishrei 5655 (1894), the third son of Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter, the Imrei Emes. Until age ten, he learned under his grandfather, Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter (the Sfas Emes), and was known as a prodigy.

During the Holocaust, he survived miraculously, escaping Poland together with his father and reaching the Land of Israel.

His wife and two children perished in the Holocaust, like most of the Gerrer chassidim who lived in Poland. With great strength, he remarried. His second wife was Pearl, daughter of Rabbi David Wienfeld — but they had no children.

Rebuilding the Gerrer Community After the War

After the Holocaust, Rabbi Yisrael Alter rebuilt the Gerrer chassidic dynasty, strengthening and shaping its direction. He gathered:

• Gerrer chassidim who already lived in Israel before the war

• Holocaust survivors

• And those whose parents had drifted away from the movement

His leadership restored the chassidus into a dynamic, growing force.

A Central Figure in Postwar Charedi Society

The Beit Yisrael became a foundational leader of the postwar charedi community — especially in defining public standards regarding:

• modesty

• separation between men and women

• distancing from secular culture

His influence extended far beyond Gerrer circles. His charismatic and striking personality drew many young people from diverse backgrounds, who became devoted followers.

Public and Political Leadership

His public work centered around Agudat Yisrael. He placed tremendous importance on Torah education and collaborated with other charedi leaders to establish the Chinuch Atzmai — an autonomous charedi school system.

He also founded the charedi daily newspaper “HaModia” and invested great effort into stabilizing it financially.

Chairman of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah

In addition to serving as the Gerrer Rebbe, he was also chairman of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah. Through this role, he significantly shaped the policies and direction of Agudat Yisrael, founded by his father.

He also encouraged and supported the rebuilding of many chassidic courts destroyed during the Holocaust.

His Remarkable Character

The Encyclopedia of Chassidus Gur describes him as follows: *“In his wisdom and understanding, he knew how to approach each person individually: to the scholar — with scholarship, to the wealthy — with wealth, to the merchant — with commerce, to the sick — with compassion, to the learned — with learning.

His personality was unique and rare. Meeting him was an experience. His gaze was penetrating and astonishing… With just one word from you, he already understood everything and answered sharply, concisely, and wisely.

His memory was phenomenal — any person whom Rabbi Yisrael saw even once, he remembered along with his deeds.”*

Passing and Succession

Rabbi Yisrael Alter passed away on 2 Adar 5737 (1977) and was buried on the Mount of Olives. After his passing, his brother Rabbi Simcha Bunim Alter —the Lev Simcha, became the next Gerrer Rebbe.

His Writings

After his passing, five volumes of his sefer “Beit Yisrael” were published from his handwritten manuscripts.