Chabad Rejects Vladimir Putin’s Plan To Put Schneerson Collection in Jewish Museum
Image by getty images
Chabad rejected a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin that a disputed collection of books and documents be kept at a Jewish museum in Moscow.
The New York-based religious movement, responding Thursday to the suggestion floated by Putin earlier this week, insisted that Russian authorities immediately hand over the so-called Chabad Library.
“The collection must be returned to the Agudas Chasidei Chabad library at Chabad’s worldwide headquarters in Brooklyn, N.Y.,” Nathan Lewin, the movement’s attorney, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying.
Chabad claims sole ownership of thousands of Jewish texts seized by Soviet authorities during the 1920s and 1940s.
Last month, a U.S. District Court judge penalized Moscow $50,000 a day until it releases the documents. The Russian government considers the texts to be state property and refuses to pay any fines.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
