Yisroel Aryeh Leib's final voyage

To follow up on the email of the day from Paris post is this:

"Sorry to be so slow in replying but it takes me a long time to write at length.

As you know, my name is ***. Currently I live in Bournemouth but until I retired some 7 years ago, we lived in Liverpool. My late father, ***, was the minister/chazan of the Greenbank Drive congregation in Liverpool. He knew (virtually) every member of the local Jewish community. He was also known as the man to turn to if anything unusual was required particularly if the help of the secular authorities was needed.

At that time, Lubavitch was represented in England by Rabbi Szemtov (RS). He was a friend of my parents and whenever he came to Liverpool, he called on them. I think he may have stayed overnight with them a couple of times but I cannot be certain of that.

One day RS phoned my father to say a young Jewish man had died in Liverpool. His name was Dr. Gurari. There was a widow and daughter. My father expressed surprise as the name meant nothing to him even he knew everyone in the community. RS told my father that the deceased was removed from Judaism and had not associated with the local community.

Nevertheless RS asked my father to arrange for the body to be taken to Israel for burial. My father said he would make the necessary arrangements, in due course the body was taken to Manchester and on to Israel, possibly via London.

A couple of days later RS phoned my father to thank him for his efforts and to ask for details of the amounts expended by him so that he could be reimbursed. My father said that when RS had originally asked him to make the arrangements, my father had not thought it proper to ask any questions lest it should seem that there was any hesitation in agreeing to help. Now however my father said he felt entitled to ask why it was considered important that anyone who had lived as the deceased had to be buried in Israel and also what caused RS to be involved. RS told my father that the deceased was the Rebbe�s brother.

A few additional points -

This story found its way into the local Jewish press some time ago. A letter appeared from Mr. Yankel Plitnick, son of the then rav of Liverpool. As I recall, he confirmed that his late father, who also knew every Jew in Liverpool, was unaware of the deceased.

I do believe that the daughter attended the local Jewish school but that was not uncommon with irreligious and even atheistic Israelis.

At that time the Rosh Hayeshiva in Liverpool was Rabbi Hyman Klein. He was a noted mathematician and it seemed that he and the deceased would have much in common. I asked one of Rabbi Klein�s sons if he could recall any contact between his father and the deceased. He told me that he was sure there was none.

I have seen websites dedicated to the Rebbe�s brother, some of which claim to have the approval of the Lubavitch movement. These describe the brother in terms which cannot be reconciled with the known facts.

There was also a third brother who lived and died tragically."