Russia To House Disputed Schneersohn Book Collection In Moscow Jewish Museum

4,500 books from the collection, which is currently stored at the Russian State Library, are set to be taken to the Jewish Museum and the Center of Tolerance by the end of the year. The Center’s new library area will function as a branch of the Russian State Library.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chabad's Chief Rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar at today's event announcing the books compromise

RT reports:

A new exhibit spotlighting rare books from the disputed Schneerson Library collection, featuring 12,000 books and 50,000 rare documents, has opened at the Jewish Museum and Center of Tolerance in Moscow.

The Schneerson Library, which boasts a selection of rare Hasidic religious books and documents, was started in the early 20th Century by Rabbi Joseph I. Schneerson in the Russian city of Lyubavichi (present-day Belarus). Part of the collection later came to be nationalized by Soviet Russia as there were no legal heirs in the Schneerson family.

Earlier this year, a US court issued a ruling according to which Russia would be required to pay US$50,000 a day to Chabad Lubavitch, an Orthodox Jewish movement headquartered in New York City, until it releases the historic Schneerson Library of which the Jewish group claims rightful ownership.

The roots of the conflict go back to 1994, when the Library of Congress obtained seven of the rare Schneerson Library books from the Russian State Library through an inter-library exchange program.

The books were handed on to Chabad-Lubavitch. But since then the US library helped to prolong the use of the books twice, in 1995 and 1996, before the Jewish organization finally refused to return the books back to Russia in 2000.

Chabad-Lubavitch used diplomatic channels to propose another ‘exchange’, sending a list of the books they were ready to give back in return for getting the seven abovementioned books into indefinite possession. In 2004 the movement filed a lawsuit against Russia, claiming the Russian part of the Schneerson Library in full. In 2010 an American court actually granted their claim, which Russia ignored as invalid.

Moscow is currently working on a lawsuit against the US Library of Congress over the rare collection. In January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the recent decision of the US court, ruling to fine Russia US$50,000 daily until it surrenders the texts, “has nothing in common with justice.” The collection is the “heritage of the Russian nation,” according to Lavrov.

President Vladimir Putin came up with the idea to house the unique collection at the Jewish Museum and the Center of Tolerance in February. The president stated that the Schneerson Library belongs to the Russian state.

“Sadly, I can only state that the discussion on the issue has become confrontational, after what I regard as unlawful decisions taken in the other country’s courts,” he said.

Four thousand five hundred books from the collection, which is currently stored at the Russian State Library, are set to be taken to the Jewish Museum and the Center of Tolerance by the end of the year. The Center’s new library area will function as the branch of the Russian State Library.

Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the largest Hasidic movements of Orthodox Judaism in the world with cells in over 1,000 cities across the world. Founded in the late 18th century by Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the movement was based in the Russian town of Lyubavichi until the early 20th century. In 1940, the sixth leader of the organization, Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn, escaped from WWII, raging in Europe, to New York, USA, where he founded a synagogue. The movement’s current official HQ is in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, NYC.

Moscow’s Jewish Museum and Center of Tolerance features permanent and temporary exhibitions, conference halls, a library, a research center, a 4D cinema, a children's center, a museum shop, and a kosher cafe. Among the first guests of the museum, which opened in November, were Israeli President Shimon Peres and FM Lavrov.

This compromise was opposed by Chabad leadership in Brooklyn.

It should also be noted that a significant amount of the Schneersohn collection are secular books – things like Sherlock Holmes stories published in Yiddish.

Part of Chabad's objection to a compromise like this is that those secular books could one day be put on display with their late rebbe's name attached to them – something that would be an embarrassment for the movement in haredi circles that would also show that the sixth Chabad-Lubavitch rebbe did not tell the truth about the nature of his book collection and reading habits.

[Hat Tip: The Lion.]

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Comments

[Yochanan Lavie]

I think this is a fair compromise. The fact that the Rebbe read secular books is to his credit, and Chabad should realize it will help them recruit non-chareidi Jews into supporting their movement. I object to the Christ-like way the dead Rebbe is worshiped, and I disagree with many of his positions (particularly about the Ethiopians). However, even I acknowledge he was a significant leader with many positive attributes.

[Eli, what me messiah?]

This doesn't look like a compromise at all, YL, but a stunt by Putin and Lazar, although who knows what the reality is since this is filtered via RT.
Putin gets to consolidate his influence over Russian Jews and take more swipes at the US justice system (he is still pissed off about the Magnitsky Act), and Lazar gets to show he's connected with the dictator. Neither of them cares what Chabad leadership in Brooklyn thinks, or whether secular books are good or bad. It's about power.

[RWisler]

Could someone explain to me.... Is Berel Lazar now in a fight with the Crown Heights Chabad leadership over these stupid book? Is Lazar part of the "Schneersohn is Messiah" crowd?

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

The frumma have a 'Center of Tolerance'? What a joke.

A good place to put these books would be a large dumpster.

[dh]

I agree with you, Eli Messiah. How long do you think it will be until the books are swooped into near non-existence since their next home "will function as the branch of the Russian State Library?"

[Eli, what me messiah?]

dh, they'll be prominently on display for as long as Putin wants to snub his nose at the US court decision and/ or until he finishes reading the Schneerson collection of Nancy Drew mysteries.

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

WSC - not that it's a frum CoT, but a Chabad one: they tolerate only one way - theirs.

YL- sorry I did get on this yesterday, but only saw your American Pie parody late and haven't configured my hand-held to deal with the new FM security protocol. It was one of the best. I will break out my guitar and actually play it later.

I like the notion that Chabad has "cells." So very sinister. (Unless we mean the padded kind).

[Yochanan Lavie]

Thanks, OCR.

WSC: Schneersohn's valuable collection of secular Yiddish books should be deposited in a dumpster. They should be sent to the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA, where people who really appreciate them can benefit.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

yipee! who ever will visit now the museum, will be able to study conan doyle's sherlock holmes.

[Chicago Sam]

Yes, the books should be recycled at a ecological friendly green center near you.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

ah! another photo of poo-in and his chum foo-man-choo.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

hey, did anybody notice that foo-man-choo is disguised as a lubavitcher?