By COLlive reporter
Dr. Veronika Irina-Kogan, rector of the state-owned Maimonid State Jewish Academy in Moscow, recently came to view books from the Schneerson Collection.
Historic books and manuscripts that belonged to the 6th Lubavitch Rebbe are currently being transferred to the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center in Moscow.
Greeting her and her 2 grandchildren were Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and Rabbi Yitzchok Kogan (no family relation) of the Bolshaya Bronnaya Synagogue in Moscow.
In her presence, the two Chabad rabbis affixed Mezuzas on door posts of the section in the museum where the books are held under the Russian government’s supervision.
Her visit was especially noteworthy given her role in the past 20 years in The fight to have the library returned to the Agudas Chassidei Chabad Library of Lubavitch Headquarters in Brooklyn, NY.
The members of the “delegation” the Rebbe appointed in 1991 to handle the case are currently at odds over the Russian government’s latest move, which President Vladimir Putin considered a “final” solution.
Rabbi Kogan, a member of the “delegation,” was present as Putin announced the transfer of the collection to the museum. He noted it was the “beginning of redemption.”
The other 3 members of the “delegation” – Rabbi Shlomo Cunin of California, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Aharonov of Israel and Rabbi Berel Levine of New York – disagreed and saw it as a drawback.
Irina-Kogan, an attorney, has been closely involved in efforts to free the collections, part of which was nationalized by Bolsheviks in 1918 and the other was seized by the Nazis and later the Red Army.
The Rebbe has commented about her, “As I have said from then and a few times, I trust her.” She has been representing the “delegation” in legal matters and advising them in political affairs as well.
Her visit would indicate her support for Rabbi Kogan’s approach. It remains unclear what role she will have in the legal procedures that other members of the “delegation” continue to pursue.
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What a shame. Fight to the end of the world to make sure to wear the rebbe garment under the chuppa. Twelve thousand books corresponds to 12 Shvatim. Your settling for five hundred on house arrest that’s like redeeming half of one Shavit in a visitation window instead of 12, absolutely ridiculous! Win for mother Russia not Chabad
#7 SAID IT BEST
This for them was a big concession, it’s a step in the right direction! For all the smart people living in the US and who have no idea jow things work In Russia I recommend you speak to some of the local shluchim there
To #4 let them make copies of the manuscripts and leave THAT in the museum. Don’t u realize the great kedusha
And holy kochos that the originals exude are what we r aiming for. Why do we treasure anything the rebbe zya gave us? We all had tanyas, yet when he gave out those green covered tanyas we woke up even the babies and rushed to 770 in the miiddle of the nite to get one from his holy hand?
To Reb Boruch: Food for thought but could backfire if Putin knows we have it that way…. would lose any leverage we may or may not have now,
Putin is in control, Lazar can do very little but put on a brave face.
A small concession has been made to Lubavitch; however I sense one which would never receive the Rebbe’s consent.
We are in Golus.
Perhaps any unique, original books and manuscripts can be microfilmed or copied, then sent to NY?
Actually you are wrong!
what is heart breaking is that this Veronica was on Russian TV in the 90’s calling the rebbe a terribe thing and critisicing his wanting the seforim in NY
BS”D heartbreaking that the Rebbe never had the chance to view these Seforim
Just 500 out of 12000!!! Seforim were “returned” to the Kremlin owned space
And veronica! She referred to our rebbe disrespecfilly om Russian TV saying that the Seforim aught to remain in russia