Editing Ger (Hasidic dynasty) (section)

== History ==
[[File:קברי החידושי הרי"ם והשפת אמת מגור (2).jpg|thumb|The graves of Rabbi [[Yitzchak Meir Alter]] ands Rabbi [[Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter]] in [[Góra Kalwaria]], [[Poland]].]]
In his early years, Yitzchak Meir Alter became a close disciple of [[Simcha Bunim of Peshischa]], who preached the ideals of [[Talmud]]ic rationalism and the pursuit of personal authenticity—later foundational tenets of Ger Hasidism. After Simcha Bunim died in 1827, Yitzchak Meir Alter was among his more radical supporters who followed [[Menachem Mendel of Kotzk]] (the ''[[Kotzk]]er Rebbe'') rather than Simcha Bunim's son, [[Avraham Moshe of Peshischa|Avraham Moshe]]. The Kotzker Rebbe continued in the ideological tradition of Peshischa, and after he died in 1859, most of his followers accepted Yitzchak Meir Alter as his successor rather than his son, Dovid. Yitzchak Meir Alter was living in [[Warsaw]] at the time and operated a Kotzker ''[[shtiebel]]''. Shortly after accepting the role of [[Rebbe]], Yitzchak Meir was appointed as the ''[[Av Beit Din]]'' of [[Góra Kalwaria]] ({{langx|yi|גער}}), where he established his own Hasidic court. After his death in 1866, his followers wanted his eighteen-year-old grandson, [[Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter]], to succeed him. When Yehuda Aryeh Leib refused to accept this position, most of the Hasidim became followers of the elderly [[Hasid]] [[Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin]], after whose death Yehudah Aryeh Leib acceded to the request of the Hasidim to become their next rebbe. The [[Ger (Hasidic dynasty)|Gerrer movement]] flourished under the leadership of Yehudah Aryeh Leib and his eldest son and successor, [[Avraham Mordechai Alter]], known as the "Imrei Emes". In 1926, in a bold departure for Polish Hasidim, Avraham Mordechai established a [[Sfas Emes Yeshiva|yeshiva]] in [[Jerusalem]], naming it for his father, the ''Sfas Emes''. The first ''[[rosh yeshiva]]'' was Rabbi [[Nechemiah Alter]], a brother of the Imrei Emes. Today, the yeshiva remains the flagship of the Ger yeshivas. Under the leadership of the fifth Gerrer Rebbe, [[Yisrael Alter]], known as the "Beis Yisrael", the ''[[Ichud Mosdos Gur]]'' (or Union of Gerrer Institutions) was established as the responsible body for funding all the educational institutions affiliated with Ger in Israel. There are about 100 such institutions.{{Citation needed|date=December 2013}} The Beis Yisrael helped rebuild the Ger movement after its virtual destruction in [[World War II]].<ref name=":4" /> 
[[File:Imrei_Emes.jpg|thumb|334x334px|Rabbi [[Avraham Mordechai Alter]] in Europe]]