Chabad announced that it would launch unprecedented legal proceedings against Russia to demand the return of the Chassidic group’s historical library, which was illegally confiscated by the Russian authorities.
Almost simultaneously, the Russian police said it has arrested Jewish opposition politician Leonid Guzman for “failing to notify the authorities quickly enough of his Israeli citizenship.”
The developments occurred against the backdrop of tensions between Israel and Moscow over the latter’s threat to shut down the Jewish Agency for Israel in Russia.
Guzman has already been released, but tensions between the two countries could still intensify.
The Association of Chabad Chassidim in the U.S. has appealed to Israel’s attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, to freeze proceedings to transfer ownership of land in Jerusalem to Russia, specifically the Alexander Courtyard church compound in the Old City.
Chabad wants any land transfer to Russia to be conditioned on the return of the Schneerson library archives, which according to Chabad were illegally confiscated by Russia.
In a warning letter prior to taking legal action, attorney Uri Keidar, who represents the Association of Chabad Chassidim, explained that the Schneerson library archives are a historical collection that includes approximately 12,000 books and original writings preserved since the end of the 18th century.
Keidar described the library as a unique collection of its kind in the entire world and a heritage asset for the entire Jewish people, in a way that goes beyond the boundaries of Chabad.
For decades following World War I, the Schneerson library archive was in the hands of the Soviet regime, and is currently in the hands of the government of Russia. Over the course of those decades, Chabad has demanded that Moscow return the archives to the Chabad chassidic center in New York.
Thus far, a series of court rulings have been issued in the United States against the Russian government, ordering it to return the Schneerson collection to Chabad, including the imposition of a significant fine for contempt of court, which currently stands at approximately $170 million.
Moscow has been demanding that Israel hand over control of the Alexander Courtyard church compound, which former Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu promised to give to the Russians as a good will gesture following the release of Na’ama Issachar from a Russian jail in 2020, but which the Yerushalayim District Court blocked.
“The Schneerson collection has historical Jewish importance, and therefore it is only natural that the State of Israel will do everything in its power on the legal and practical level, to assist my client’s worldwide efforts to return the Schneerson collection to its possession at the Chabad Chassidic headquarters in the U.S.,” Keidar stated in his letter to the attorney general.
“The global Chabad movement has requested that you and the Israeli government be informed ahead of time that it intends to take legal action against the Russian government in Israel, including regarding Russian assets (or those that the Russian government wishes to register as their owners) in Israel,” the letter continued. JNS
who in Chabad would get these Sifrei Kodesh
The Rebbe shlita, of course.
The timing of this letter may not be great.
This is yet one more example of how evil Putin is.
Putin is only evil for the brainwashed sheeple. The awakened are thrilled with what he’s accomplished and still accomplishing. May he continue receiving siyatta Dishmaya.
The sfarim will go to the chabad library in crown heights.
Why didnt Ukraine think to threaten Russia with legal action?
Because Zelensky hates Jews like poison and will do whatever is in his power to hurt us.
Did you notice he is Jewish?
This article was published by propagandists. There is a small group working on this issue for years. To publicly go with this as a “new development” and in name of “Chabad Headquarters” is deceiving, misleading, and damaging to the organization.
Propaganda machine at its best. Chabad does not, did not, and will not, engage in any politics whatsoever that will hamper access to help a fellow yid. Full stop.
I really don’t know much about this but seems that the 7th Rebbe with his long-reach into Russia could have gotten these books many years ago but chose to focus his attention on helping Jews in Russia, rather than getting books, no matter how wonderful and priceless they would have been to have. Probably hard to know this, as it would be confidential information but just a guess based on reading a lot about Chabad and the Rebbe.