By COLlive reporter
Key documents and videos from the famous Seforim Case, over the ownership of the library of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, will be going up for auction next week in New York.
Kestenbaum & Company, auctioneers of rare books, manuscripts and fine art, will be selling the collection of Barry Gourary who fought the Lubavitch movement in a high-profile trial in the 1980s.
Gourary had taken numerous books from the library and claimed a portion of the library as part of his inheritance from his late grandfather, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn.
The documents up for sale at the Thursday, June 25 auction, relate to the civil lawsuit brought over the question of the true title to the historic Agudas Chassidei Chabad library.
The Chabad movement, led by the Rebbe, argued that the library was the communal property of the Lubavitch Chassidim and not the personal possession of any one person – including the Rebbe himself.
Kestenbaum received the files from the trial from the consignor who received it directly from Barry Gourary shortly before his death.
Included are:
* Complete transcript of Court proceedings (2nd December, 1985 – 9th January, 1986), a total of 2,997 pages bound in 17 volumes.
* Along with a further 11 volumes of exhibits (both plaintiff and defendant), supplemental documents and translations. With occasional notes by Gourary.
* Some 15 VCR cassettes of videotaped court depositions by Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, the Rebbe’s wife; her sister Chana Schneerson, daughter of the Frierdiker Rebbe; the librarian, R’ Chaim Liberman; and the defendant Barry Gourary.
* Group of WLCC and related audio cassettes.
Abigail Meyer of Kestenbaum told COLlive.com that viewing of the lot is available upon request and by 24-hour advance appointment.
After a lengthy case that included fascinating asides and anecdotes concerning Chabad Chassidic history, the court ruled in favor of the Chabad movement. In the Chabad community the verdict is celebrated on the 5th of Teveth, known as “Didan Notzach” (Our ruling is victorious).
Days of rejoicing at 770, after US Federal Court ruled that important books and manuscripts stolen from the Previous Rebbe’s Library be returned to the Chassidim.
To view the full catalogue, visit Kestenbaum.net
If my memory serves me correctly, kastenbaum and company were actualy the ones who alerted the Rebbes library to the theft in the first place.
Barry approached them to sell some of the seforim he stole, and the company was a bit suspicios as to the origins of the seforim, and called the rebbes library to find out what was going on.
If this is try, please add info I the commments
This act will give the Rebbe more aggravation then the actu case did. I would be petrified to have those files in my possession!!!
i agree110%
Please check your “facts”
The siddur was never stolen. Look in the sicha. The Rebbe called anything stolen from the library a time bomb
to # 6 – if that’s your opinion, then back it up by buying the lot and donating it to the library (instead of telling someone else to donate their belongings).
to #14; how do you know this?
What the Rebbe was referring to as a ‘time bomb’ was the Baal Shem Tov’s SIDDER. Actually, when the Rebbe received back the Sidder, he opened it up to a specific page, and pointed to what looked like a blood spot. The Rebbe then said, “This is a tear drop from the Baal Shem Tov”!
the rebbe clearly said in a sicha thease thing shal not be printed!!!
The Rebbe referred to the actual Seforim – if in the wrong hands – is like a time-bomb that can explode at any time.
This whole episode was not something that brought a nachas ruach to the Rebbe, I’d pass on having anything to do with this..
Who stole and are stealing Lubavitch from us!
The ticking bomb was referring to the books that Barry had/sold
You would burn THAT?
first learn Hebrew
For a number of reasons, kestenbaum would be doing themselves a big favor by donatingvtge entire thing to the Rebbe s library.
The Rebbe referred to the possession of artifacts of this case as being in the possession of a ticking bomb… Saying you never know when it will explode
Gedalya Shaffer a’h had the whole lot.
i can’t find this particuler one…will there be things that shuld better not come to lite?
BS”D the Rebbes Agvas Nefesh should be burned, Just my opinion
didan notzach may we all merit this to be victorious over evil, hamavdil bein kodesh lchoil
Much of this stuff is public record and there are people in ch who have it…