Religionשאול אלתר

Shaul Alter

Shaul Alter is an Israeli rabbi who founded and leads Kehilas Pnei Menachem, a group that split from the Ger Hasidic dynasty.

born 1957Leading Kehilas Pnei MenachemHeading Sfas Emes YeshivahThe split from Ger

Born: 6 July 1957, Jerusalem
Occupation: rabbi

Shaul Alter was born in 1957 in Jerusalem

Shaul Alter was born in Jerusalem in 1957. His father, Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter, headed Sfas Emes Yeshivah and later became the Rebbe of Ger. He was named after his mother's grandfather, Rabbi Shaul Moshe Zilberman.

He studied at Imrei Emes Yeshivah in Bnei Brak and then at Sfas Emes Yeshivah under his father. In 1977 he married Naomi Rubinstein of Haifa. He taught at Ohr Simcha Yeshivah in Haifa and also gave classes at Beis Yisroel Yeshivah in Ashdod.

After his father became Rebbe of Ger, he moved back to Jerusalem. In 1993 he became head of Sfas Emes Yeshivah, where he gave in-depth classes. The yeshiva was closed in 2016 by order of the Gerer Rebbe.

In 2019 he wrote a letter criticizing the Ger leadership during the Camp Ger dispute. In October 2019 his followers held separate prayers, and his group then set up its own community and institutions. In 2021 he raised over $16 million in 48 hours and visited the United States.