By COLlive reporter
It ain’t over until it’s over…
Representatives of Chabad-Lubavitch involved in retrieving the Schneerson Archive were in Washington, DC on Thursday to continue the legal battle against Russia, despite President Vladimir Putin saying the matter was “closed.”
Present at the court hearing were Rabbi Shlomo Cunin of California, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Aharonov of Israel and Rabbi Sholom Ber Levine of New York – the “delegation” entrusted by the Rebbe to handle the matter dating back to 1991.
Accompanying them was Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, secretary of the umbrella organization Agudas Chasidei Chabad International and Chairman of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, as well as Cunin’s son Rabbi Chaim Nochum Cunin.
Notably absent was Rabbi Yitzchok Kogan, a 4th member of the “delegation” who supported Putin’s decision to transfer books to a state-controlled department in Moscow’s Jewish museum. Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar said it was a step towards bringing the books to Lubavitch Headquarters.
But at the hearing, Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court in Washington accused Russia of acting like a “scofflaw” and an “outlaw” by refusing his order to hand over the historical books and documents to Brooklyn.
In January, Lamberth slapped Russia with a $50,000-a-day civil contempt sanction for refusing his earlier order to return the archive to Lubavitch. Russia refused to recognize the authority of the U.S. court and claims the documents are state property.
At the hearing, Nathan Lewin, a lawyer for Chabad, said that the partial transfer of materials to the museum doesn’t satisfy Chabad’s religious needs or the court’s order that the materials be returned, AP news agency reported.
Lewin also noted that there have been negotiations between the U.S. and Russia over the impasse, and he asked for a hearing to be set for Aug. 20 to give those talks a chance to bear fruit.
Lamberth, who granted the request, said that Russia “is not willing to obey the laws of the United States, or any other country.”
The Russian embassy did not immediately return phone and email messages Thursday. The Obama administration had urged Lamberth not to issue the sanctions, arguing they wouldn’t help resolve the dispute and would hurt U.S. foreign-policy interests, according to AP.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, in Israel this week, commented that he was aware of the recent developments surrounding the library amassed by the previous Chabad Rebbes.
“Well, I also tried to help you, you know, with your library,” he commented in a candid conversation about Chabad with European activist Rabbi Levi Matusof.
The court case has been dragging on for about 8 years, and efforts to get the materials returned date back decades, involving presidential administrations and members of Congress of both parties.
RELATED STORIES:
+ Putin Holds Press Conference
+ The Delegation Issues Statement
+ Letter by Chabad Librarian
+ Response Letter by Rabbi Lazar
it’s been a long hard struggle but finally we’ll be able to, at the very least, learn the sforim. rabbi lazar did a magnificant job in helping to partially liberate the remaining library.
As more time passes we see in this incident a good example of how what the Rebbe wanted is blurred amongst many different leaders and factions of what Chabad has become ….The deterioration will continue and the fiefdoms will grow and Chabad will be like Breslav two.
While it clear that chabad in Russia is forced to do what they did, I think the celebration is overdone. It’s clearly NOT. Where the Rebbe wants the books. So why the overblown simcha?
The Rebbe never was one to be excited about what others saw as eschlata d’geula.
So ok tow the Putin line, but don’t turn it into a new chasidishe Yom tov.
I was always taught that on Halacha we don’t compromise.
Is this Halacha ?
Nice to know that Shluchim are attending Shimon Peres Birthday party I guess Jewish blood is cheap… Something tell’s me that the Russian based Chabad is doing the right thing…
who needs it feeehhh….
his ‘help’ is probably why things are stuck halfway…why is anyone cowtowing to this philanderer
(for those who didnt learn english philanderer is NOT a Baal Tzedakah !)
Of course not. Why should they? What a stupid thing to say. America is not willing to obey the laws of Russia or any other country either. And nor is Israel or France or any other country.
just for your information, rabbi cunin took a one way ticket to russisa back in the days and the rebbe told him to come back and work in california and to be with his famly!!!!
so dont start saying that r kagen is better then all the rest!!!
Im not sure if there is a precedent for this and if we can know the Rebbe’s opinion on this. We know that the Rebbe wanted the Seforim to come home, However we can be sure that all this will not bode well for the Rebbe’s Shluchim in Russia.
Lets hope that the powers that be in Lubavitch act with Seichel, lest we have serious other problems which can cause major destruction to the Rebbe’s Mosdos in Russia.
The rebbe stated explicitly not to leave Russia until books are returned. Rabbi Kagan was the only one that stayed. In fact, after a fight between 2 of the members, then the Rebbe said they can leave in early 1990s. The only one that stayed until this day is Rabbi Kagan, and now he is being lambasted???
I guess its much easier to sit in air conditioned court rooms in Washington than to be on the front lines in Moscow Russia!
Whether we win or lose, the attorneys win…