Ger is a Polish Hasidic dynasty originating from the town of Góra Kalwaria, Poland, where it was founded by Yitzchak Meir Alter (1798–1866), known as the "Chiddushei HaRim". Ger is a branch of Peshischa Hasidism, as Yitzchak Meir Alter was a leading disciple of Simcha Bunim of Peshischa (1765–1827). Before the Holocaust, followers of Ger were estimated to number in excess of 100,000, making it the largest and most influential Hasidic group in Poland. Today, the movement is based in Jerusalem, and its membership is estimated at 11,859 families, as of 2016, most of whom live in Israel, making Ger the largest Hasidic dynasty in Israel. However, there are also well-established Ger communities in the United States and in Europe. In 2019, some 300 families of followers led by Shaul Alter, split off from the dynasty led by his cousin Yaakov Aryeh Alter.
Nadvorna is a Hasidic rabbinical dynasty deriving its name from the town of Nadvorna, (Nadvirna), today in Ukraine.
Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes or Sefat Emetשפת אמת, was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the Av beis din and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland, and succeeded Rabbi Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin of Aleksander as Rebbe of the Gerrer Hasidim.
Shotz is a Hasidic dynasty originating in the city of Suceava, Romania.
Skver is a Chasidic dynasty founded by Rebbe Yitzchok Twersky in the city of Skver, or Skvyra, in present-day Ukraine during the mid-19th century. Adherents of the rebbes of Skver are known as Skverer Hasidim.
Biala is a Hasidic dynasty originating from the city of Biała Rawska, where it was founded by R. Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz (II). Biala is a branch of Peshischa Hasidism, as R. Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz (II) was the great-grandson of R. Yaakov Yitzchak Rabinowicz, the first Peshischa Rebbe. The dynasty was originally spread throughout many towns in Poland, often taking the names of said towns. However, after the Holocaust, the name "Biala" become synonymous with the entire dynasty. Today the dynasty is mostly concentrated in Israel, America and Switzerland.
Ohel is a structure built around a Jewish grave as a sign of prominence of the deceased. Ohelim cover the graves of some Hasidic Rebbes, important rabbis, tzadikim, prominent Jewish community leaders, and biblical figures. Typically a small masonry building, an ohel may include room for visitors to pray, meditate, and light candles in honor of the deceased.
Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah is the supreme rabbinical policy-making council of the Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah movements in Israel; and of Agudath Israel of America in the United States. Members are usually prestigious Roshei Yeshiva or Hasidic rebbes, who are also usually regarded by many Haredi Jews to be the Gedolim ("great/est") sages of Torah Judaism. Before the Holocaust, it was the supreme authority for the World Agudath Israel in Europe.
Menachem Shlomo Bornsztain, also spelled Borenstein, Bornstein, or Bernstein, was the fifth rebbe of the Sochatchov Hasidic dynasty. He succeeded his father, Chanoch Henoch Bornsztain. He was known as the Sochatchover-Radomsker Rebbe, having also accepted the leadership of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty upon the request of its surviving Hasidim, whose leaders had been murdered in the Holocaust. He served as rebbe for only four years; he was killed in a traffic accident at the age of 34.
Joseph Meir Weiss, was a Hungarian rabbi and founder of the Spinka Hasidic dynasty. He is often known as the "Imrei Yosef" after his major work. The family name is sometimes spelled Weisz.
Shlomo Hakohen Rabinowicz was the first Rebbe of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty and one of the great Hasidic masters of 19th-century Poland. He is known as the Tiferes Shlomo after the title of his sefer, which is considered a classic in Hasidic literature.
Yechezkel Hakohen Rabinowicz was the third rebbe of the Radomsk Hasidic dynasty. He was the grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Shlomo Rabinowicz, and the second son of the second Radomsker rebbe, Avraham Yissachar Dov Rabinowicz. He is known as the Kenesses Yechezkel after the title of a work he wrote.
Shlomo Chanoch Hakohen Rabinowicz was the fourth and last rebbe of the Radomsk hasidic dynasty. He was the eldest son of the third Radomsker rebbe,Yechezkel Rabinowicz and great-grandson of the founder of the dynasty, Shlomo Rabinowicz, known as the Tiferes Shlomo. Under his leadership, Radomsk became the third largest hasidic dynasty in Poland, after Ger and Alexander. Rabinowicz built a network of 36 yeshivas across Poland and Galicia that enrolled over 4,000 students by 1939. He was murdered in the Warsaw Ghetto together with his entire family.
Radomsk is a hasidic dynasty named after the town of Radomsko in Łódź province, south-central Poland. The dynasty was founded in 1843 by Shlomo Hakohen Rabinowicz. His son, grandson and great-grandson also led the dynasty, which had thousands of followers. On the eve of World War II, Radomsk was the third largest Hasidic dynasty in Poland, after Ger and Alexander.
Dinov is the name of a Hasidic dynasty, descended from Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov, also called "the Bnei Yisaschar" after his popular work: בני יששכר [Bene Yiśaśkhar]. Dinov is the Yiddish name of Dynów, a town in southern Poland, in the historic region of Galicia.
Linsk is the name of a Hasidic dynasty—a family of Hasidic leaders or rebbes and the group of their associated followers or chassidim—founded by Rabbi Avraham Chaim Horowitz of Linsk. Linsk is the Yiddish name of the town of Lesko in southern Poland.
Pinchas Menachem (Elazar) Justman (1848–1920) The Piltzer Rebbe, also known by the title of his main work, the Siftei Tzadik was a Hasidic Rabbi who after the passing of his brother-in-law Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, became a Rebbe for some Gerrer Hasidim, in Pilica, Poland.
Rabbi Shimon Maryles (1758–1849) from Jarosław, also known as Rabbi Shimon Yerslover, was the founder of Yeruslav Hasidism.
Hasidic Judaism in Poland is the history of Hasidic Judaism and Hasidic philosophy in Poland. Hasidic Judaism in Poland began with Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (Leżajsk) (1717-1787) and to a lesser extent Shmelke Horowitz of Nikolsburg (Mikulov) (1726-1778). Both men were leading disciples of Dov Ber of Mezeritch (Medzhybizh), who in part was the successor to the Baal Shem Tov who founded Hasidic Judaism in Western Ukraine. Today, a sizable portion of contemporary Hasidic Judaism and Hasidic dynasties trace their genealogical and ideological origin to Polish Hasidism.