Simcha Bunim Alter

Infobox Rebbe
title = Gerrer Rebbe


caption = puic|1=|log=2008 September 16
term =March, 1977 – 7 July, 1992
full name =Simcha Binem Alter
main work = Lev Simcha
predecessor =Yisroel Alter
successor =Pinchos Menachem Alter
spouse1 =Yuta Hena Alter
issue1 =Chaya Ruda Yehudis Alter
Rivka Feyga Alter
Yaakov Arye Alter
dynastyname = Ger
father =Avrohom Mordechai Alter
mother =Chaya Ruda Yehudis Czarna
date of birth =2 April, 1898
place of birth =Ger
date of death =7 July, 1992
place of death =Jerusalem
date of burial =7 July, 1992
place of burial =Mount of Olives|

Simcha Bunim Alter, (April 6 1898 - August 6 1992), also known as the "Lev Simcha" after the works he authored, was the fifth spiritual leader of the hasidic dynasty of Ger, a position he held from 1977 until 1992.

The Alter family managed to escape from Poland and flee from the Holocaust to Palestine. Prior to becoming Rebbe of Ger, Simcha Bunim Alter was supposedly extremely successful as a businessman, although it is not known what line of business he was in.

During the time of his leadership, the Ger Hasidism grew greatly in the State of Israel. He continued the family tradition of vigorous leadership of the Agudat Israel of Israel party whose representatives in the Israeli Knesset (parliament) represent the interests of Haredi Judaism in the Jewish state. It was during his stewardship of the party that the non-chasidic Degel HaTorah party (that was within the United Torah Judaism party) split when Rabbi Elazar Shach broke with "Agudat Israel" and its chasidic leadership lead mainly by the rebbe of Ger. Rabbi Shach then aligned with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and had initially helped to launch the Sephardi Shas political party.

Rabbi Simcha Bunim instituted the daily learning of a page of the Jerusalem Talmud, similar to the renowned Daf Yomi of the Babylonian Talmud.

Rabbi Simcha Bunim died on 7 Tamuz 5752 (1992) and was interred in the cave of the Gerrer Rebbes on Har Hazeisim, the Mount of Olives cemetery.

ee also

*Hasidic Judaism
*Ger (Hasidic dynasty)
*Rebbe

Rebbes of Ger

#Yitzchak Meir Alter (1798)-1866)
#Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (1847-1905)
#Avraham Mordechai Alter (1866-1948)
#Yisrael Alter (1895-1977)
#Simcha Bunim Alter (1898-1992)
#Pinchas Menachem Alter (1926-1996)
#Yaakov Aryeh Alter (b. 1939)