By COLlive reporter
The long battle to return the Chabad Library from Russia is being brought to light again on the backdrop of an already strained relationship with the United States.
100 U.S. Senators, of both Republican and Democratic parties, have signed a letter demanding that Russian return “the Schneerson collection of sacred texts.”
The a letter dated February 27, 2017 is addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin and repeats the requests of a similar letters from 1992 and 2005.
They cite that the 1992 letter to then-President Boris Yeltsin asked “to honor Russia’s commitment to return the collection to Chabad.”
The books, looted by the Nazis during World War II and later seized by the Communist regime, is now kept in the Russian State Library and the Russian State Military Archive, both in the capital of Moscow.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer top the signatures list on the letter initiated by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch.
Lobbying for the letter and the return of the books are the 6 Cunin brothers from California acting on behalf of Agudas Chassidei Chabad of United States and their father, Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, who was entrusted by the Rebbe to work on the issue.
In 1993, the first book from the collection–a Tanya presented to the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe by his students–was returned to Chabad through Vice President Al Gore who personally went to the Lenin State Library on his first trip to Moscow to receive it for the Rebbe.
Subsequently, in 1994, 7 additional books from the collection were brought to the United States by President Bill Clinton on Air Force One and returned to the Rebbe. These 8 books are now in the Rebbe’s room at Lubavitch Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY.
In 2013, Russia staged a ‘return’ of books when it transferred some of them to the Russian Jewish Museum.
The Rebbe has stated publicly, on many occasions, that the books and manuscripts must be returned to Lubavitch Headquarters in Brooklyn.
The Cunins met with Senator Hatch on Monday in Washington, DC, and placed a Mezuzah on the doorpost of his office as President pro tempore of the Senate.
A Mormon, Hatch has been a longtime supporter of Israel. During the meeting, he has shown the Mezuzah he wears around his neck for many years “as a symbol of his deep respect for the Jewish people.”
For the last year, Senator Hatch has led his Senate colleagues in an effort to recover the texts, which comprise the “sacred heritage of an entire community.” He drafted this new letter urging the State Department and the Donald Trump administration to act.
You rock!
Thank you so much to Cunin’s for your tireless efforts.
Maybe they need to get the Senate to write BSD in English and then the letter will work
all you do for chabad with your brothers is AMAZING! keep up the great work!