Schneur Zalman of NY on the "non human" family
A conversation on this blog about Barry Gourary�s photography led to interesting observations by Schneur Zalman of NY:
Actually Krinsky who has control of the papers of Mrs. Mushka Schneerson and the Rebbe probably has many more interesting photographs from the collection of Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel Schneerson. When Mrs. Gourary was in Montclair and the RaShaG in the hospital, Jimmy G. organized a raiding party of their apartment in 770 which took everything including Chana Gourary's dresses and her shoes... This included papers and photographs. Only non essential material was eventually returned to Barry after the court case was closed. So there are lots of photos out there, like the Rebbe on skies with a beret and the like. But only under a serious Glassnost will they ever be published.
I am sure many pictures of the Rebbe the Rayatz can not be printed because Shmaryahu Gourary is standing next to his father in law, or Barry is in the photo. Other pictures show the Rebbe in Berets or other clothing now thought of as not befitting the Rebbe. The same is probably true of photos of the Schneerson daughters in Poland.
I recall asking many Geza Lubavitcher in the 1970's after I first met Rabbi Chaim Liberman in the YIVO Institute where I served as a junior librarian, the question of what happened to the RaYaatz's library. The answer was that the yorshim - inheritors have not decided how to divide the books and kesofim PERIOD. No talk of Aguch which at that time was the chevra kaddisha run by Rabbi S. Gourary.
As Barry once wrote no court decision changes the facts in terms of ownership as seen by the community in which I (Barry S. Gourary) grew up in and in which the library was held. That community by and large believed the books were family possessions. So did Mrs. N.D. Schneerson. So did Chana Gourary, so did Chaim Lieberman the man who bought and created the collection. In the first edition of the NY Times article on the case it is reported that Mushka Schneerson told Chana Gourary to take whatever books you want as they are being destroyed by vermin. So I will let readers draw their own conclusion about Rebetzin M. Schneerson�s personal views on ownership of the collection. So only one family member believed that some organization defunct for 36 years owned the library! I guess he was correct.
(R. Chaim Lieberman RACHAL died a number of years ago. He spent his final years in Eishal Avrohom Home in Williamsburg. A number of satmarer chasidim took care of him. I saw him there and he looked well. His mind was razor sharp and he let me have it too...He is buried in Israel. A tragic life, never married, a scholar (his 2 volume Ohel Rachel is a classic in Jewish bibliography and Yiddish linguistics) and a gentleman. Zecher Zaddik Livrocho!)
The Rebbe and Barry parted ways in 1950 over the struggle for leadership. Barry reacted by not inviting the Rebbe to his wedding. The Rebbe reacted by ignoring him for years. On thing led to another. There was bad blood there. It is something that happens in many human families and even in "non-human" families like the families of the Munkatcher Rebbe, Vishnitzer Rebbe, Toldos Aron Rebbe, Bialer Rebbe, and other "non-human" families. Barry miscalculated as another reader said he should have waited until Gimmel tammuz.
When the Rebbe died, his trusted Gabbai B. Klein said he had secret horaoth from the Rebbe that he would soon reveal. We are still waiting for them.
-Schneur Zalman of NY
Actually Krinsky who has control of the papers of Mrs. Mushka Schneerson and the Rebbe probably has many more interesting photographs from the collection of Rabbi and Mrs. Mendel Schneerson. When Mrs. Gourary was in Montclair and the RaShaG in the hospital, Jimmy G. organized a raiding party of their apartment in 770 which took everything including Chana Gourary's dresses and her shoes... This included papers and photographs. Only non essential material was eventually returned to Barry after the court case was closed. So there are lots of photos out there, like the Rebbe on skies with a beret and the like. But only under a serious Glassnost will they ever be published.
I am sure many pictures of the Rebbe the Rayatz can not be printed because Shmaryahu Gourary is standing next to his father in law, or Barry is in the photo. Other pictures show the Rebbe in Berets or other clothing now thought of as not befitting the Rebbe. The same is probably true of photos of the Schneerson daughters in Poland.
I recall asking many Geza Lubavitcher in the 1970's after I first met Rabbi Chaim Liberman in the YIVO Institute where I served as a junior librarian, the question of what happened to the RaYaatz's library. The answer was that the yorshim - inheritors have not decided how to divide the books and kesofim PERIOD. No talk of Aguch which at that time was the chevra kaddisha run by Rabbi S. Gourary.
As Barry once wrote no court decision changes the facts in terms of ownership as seen by the community in which I (Barry S. Gourary) grew up in and in which the library was held. That community by and large believed the books were family possessions. So did Mrs. N.D. Schneerson. So did Chana Gourary, so did Chaim Lieberman the man who bought and created the collection. In the first edition of the NY Times article on the case it is reported that Mushka Schneerson told Chana Gourary to take whatever books you want as they are being destroyed by vermin. So I will let readers draw their own conclusion about Rebetzin M. Schneerson�s personal views on ownership of the collection. So only one family member believed that some organization defunct for 36 years owned the library! I guess he was correct.
(R. Chaim Lieberman RACHAL died a number of years ago. He spent his final years in Eishal Avrohom Home in Williamsburg. A number of satmarer chasidim took care of him. I saw him there and he looked well. His mind was razor sharp and he let me have it too...He is buried in Israel. A tragic life, never married, a scholar (his 2 volume Ohel Rachel is a classic in Jewish bibliography and Yiddish linguistics) and a gentleman. Zecher Zaddik Livrocho!)
The Rebbe and Barry parted ways in 1950 over the struggle for leadership. Barry reacted by not inviting the Rebbe to his wedding. The Rebbe reacted by ignoring him for years. On thing led to another. There was bad blood there. It is something that happens in many human families and even in "non-human" families like the families of the Munkatcher Rebbe, Vishnitzer Rebbe, Toldos Aron Rebbe, Bialer Rebbe, and other "non-human" families. Barry miscalculated as another reader said he should have waited until Gimmel tammuz.
When the Rebbe died, his trusted Gabbai B. Klein said he had secret horaoth from the Rebbe that he would soon reveal. We are still waiting for them.
-Schneur Zalman of NY
posted by Tzemach Atlas at 10:53 AM
<< Home