Tonight: Key Player On Record

By COLlive reporter

In political and Jewish circles, Bruce J. Teitelbaum was a name synonymous with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. He was his aggressive and powerful chief of staff and later ran his failed Senate campaign.

For the most part, in the Lubavitch community and especially in Crown Heights, he was known for pretty much the same – until now.

What not many know is that Teitelbaum clerked for United States District Court Judge for the Eastern District of New York, the Hon. Charles Sifton during the tumultuous “Seforim Case.”

As an Administrative Assistant to the judge in the late 80s, Teitelbaum witnessed how the Rebbe and Chabad-Lubavitch were battling to have precious and holy books and manuscripts returned to the Agudas Chassidei Chabad Library in Brooklyn.

The 25th anniversary of the victory, when the U.S. Federal Court issued a decision in favor of Chabad’s ownership of the priceless library, will be celebrated in Lubavitch communities around the world this Shabbos, Hey Teves.

Teitelbaum will be speaking for the very first time about his role in the case during a central farbrengen this Motzoei Shabbos, 8:30 PM, at the Rose auditorium in Campus Chomesh on Lefferts Avenue in Crown Heights.

COLlive.com has learned that Teitelbaum will be addressing the crowd via a live broadcast from his home in the Hamptons and will be providing fascinating details on the behind the scenes of the case.

He will be joined on stage by the two key players who represented the Rebbe and Lubavitch in the case: Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, Chairman of the International Agudas Chassidei Chabad, and Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and Machne Israel.

Together with Teitelbaum, the senior Chabad figures will be providing insight into the case and the ruling based on the idea that a Rebbe is not a private individual but a communal figure synonymous with the body of Chassidim.

The annual Didan Notzach farbrengen will be featuring a full meal and a video presentation of Hei Teves 5747. Niggunim will be played by Crown Heights violinist Yitzchok Hurwitz and his students.

RELATED ARTICLES:

+ The 1987 Victory Speech
+ Rebbe’s Lawyer Passes Away
+ Thousands Of Seforim Free
+ Judge of ‘Seforim Case’ Dies