Yaakov Aryeh Alter

Yaakov Aryeh Alter was born in 1939 in Łódź

Yaakov Aryeh Alter was born on 18 May 1939 in Łódź, Poland. His father was Rabbi Simcha Bunim Alter, later the sixth Gerrer Rebbe, and his mother was Yuta Henya, daughter of Rabbi Nehemiah Alter. In 1940 he left Poland for the Land of Israel with his father and his grandfather, Rebbe Avraham Mordechai Alter.

He studied at the Talmud Torah Etz Chaim and later at the Sfat Emet yeshiva. In 1960 he married Shoshana, daughter of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Weitz. For many years he studied Torah at a synagogue on Rashi Street in Bnei Brak.

He was active in Haredi politics during his father's lifetime. After his father weakened in 1985, he led the Hasidic court in practice with his uncle, Rabbi Pinchas Menachem Alter, who became Rebbe in 1992. After his uncle died in 1996, he became the Rebbe of Ger.

He is a member of the Presidium of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel. He lived in Bnei Brak until 2011 and then moved to Jerusalem. He and his wife have 5 sons and 4 daughters.