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'''Barry Gurary''' (also: '''Barry Gourary''', '''Sholom Dovber''', '''Shalom Dov Baer''') (b. in [[Rostov-on-Don]], [[Russia]] [[November 2]] [[1923]], d. [[Montclair]], [[New Jersey]], [[United States]] [[March 3]] [[2005]]), was the son of Rabbi [[Shemaryahu Gurary]] and Chana daughter of Rabbi [[Joseph Isaac Schneersohn]] (1880-1950).
{{more citations needed|date=March 2013}}'''Barry Gurary''' (also: '''Gourary''', '''Sholom Dovber'''{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} or '''Berke'''<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Mindel|first=Nissan|author-link=Nissan Mindel|date=Dec 2, 2015|title=My Life and Times|magazine=[[Ami (magazine)|Ami]]|issue=245|page=100}}</ref>) (b. in [[Rostov-on-Don]], Russia February 10, 1923, d. [[Montclair, New Jersey|Montclair]], [[New Jersey]], United States March 14, 2005) was a rabbi. He was the nephew of Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel Schneerson]], the seventh [[Chabad|Lubavitcher rebbe]].


== Biography ==
==Family ties and history==
Barry Gurary was the only son of Rabbi [[Shemaryahu Gurary]] and the nephew of Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel Schneerson]]. He married Mina Haskind.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}}


Gurary's relationship with Schneerson was a source of friction within the family and the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community.<ref name="nyt-judge-awards">{{cite news |last1=Goldman |first1=Ari L. |title=JUDGE AWARDS RABBI'S LIBRARY TO HASIDIC UNIT |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/07/nyregion/judge-awards-rabbi-s-library-to-hasidic-unit.html |accessdate=26 May 2020 |work=New York Times |date=7 January 1987}}</ref>
Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn was the sixth [[Rebbe]] of the [[Chabad-Lubavitch]] [[Hasidic Judaism|Hasidic]] movement. This made Barry Gurary the nephew of the future Rebbe and [[Rebbetzin]] of Chabad, Rebbetzin [[Chaya Mushka Schneerson]] (1901-1988) and [[Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson]](1902-1994).


One year after the death of his grandfather, [[Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn]], [[Menachem Mendel Schneerson]] became the seventh [[rebbe]] of the movement, while Shemaryahu Gurary, Barry Gurary's father, held the same positions he had in the past.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Telushkin|first=Joseph|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/859586312|title=Rebbe: the life and teachings of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the most influential Rabbi in modern history|publisher=HarperWave|year=2014|isbn=978-0-06-231898-5|edition=First|location=New York, NY|oclc=859586312}}</ref>{{bsn|date=January 2023}}
Barry Gurary's close family relationship with the leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch was a source of struggle and friction to himself, the Schneersohn and Gurary families and to the Hasidic dynasty which they lead because he was the grandson and the last male relative related directly by birth to the sixth Rebbe. The Previous Rebbe's other son-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, was childless.


=== ''Agudas Chasidei Chabad v. Gourary'' ===
In the United States he studied at [[Yeshiva Torah Vodaas]], receiving [[semichah]] ("ordination") from one of its faculty.


Gurary's grandfather, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, collected a large library of Jewish texts, which included several hundred rare volumes. Gurary said he was entitled to a portion of the library and was supported in this by his mother and his grandfather's librarian, Rabbi Chaim Lieberman.<ref name=":0" />
His grandfather, the sixth Lubavitcher [[Rebbe]], showed great affection to him. On the occasion of his [[Bar Mitzvah]], his grandfather delivered one of the longest and most inspiring talks of his tenure as Rebbe.


In 1984, Gurary entered the library and clandestinely removed some books which he sold to rare book dealers. One [[illuminated (manuscript)|illuminated]] Passover Haggadah from 1757 was sold for $69,000 to a Swiss book dealer who soon found a private buyer to pay nearly $150,000 for it. Gurary was observed on a security camera taking the books.<ref name=":0" />
After the family emigrated to the United States in 1940, Barry did not display a strong interest in being involved in his grandfather's, and father's work. He focused on his own pursuits, prominent among them being the study of [[physics]].


Gurary said he had his mother's permission and the permission of his aunt, Menachem Mendel Schneerson's wife, to take the books. His aunt denied giving him permission.<ref name="nyt-books-suit">{{cite news |last1=Margolick |first1=David |title=SUIT ON BOOKS GIVES LOOK AT HASIDIM |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/18/nyregion/suit-on-books-gives-look-at-hasidim.html |accessdate=26 May 2020 |work=New York Times |date=18 December 1985}}</ref> Schneerson demanded that the volumes be returned. When Gurary refused, also refusing Schneerson's summons to a [[Beth Din]] (rabbinical court), Schneerson's legal team sought a temporary restraining order that would impound the books still in Gurary's possession, and a ruling that the library was the property of [[Agudas Chasidei Chabad]], the umbrella organization for the Chasidic movement.<ref name="nyt-books-suit"></ref> Schneerson's legal team included [[Nathan Lewin]], former ambassador [[Jerome J. Shestack]], and future Solicitor General of the United States [[Seth P. Waxman|Seth Waxman]].<ref name=":0" />
After the death of his grandfather in 1950, he did not follow his uncle Rabbi [[Menachem Mendel Schneerson]] and eventually left Chabad entirely.


Schneerson said that the volumes were not the "personal possession" of Gurary's grandfather, but the "communal property" of the Lubavitch Hasidim. This view was supported by a letter from Gurary's grandfather indicating that the books were the heritage of the entire Jewish community.<ref name="nyt-judge-awards"></ref><ref name=":0" />
==Chabad library controversy==


During the court hearing, Gurary's mother supported him while his father supported Schneerson. Schneerson was not deposed, but his wife, [[Chaya Mushka Schneerson]] was. Other witnesses included [[Nobel Peace Prize]] recipient [[Elie Wiesel]], who testified as an expert witness on Chasidic life.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Rabbi Samarious Gourary, 91, an Educator |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/12/obituaries/rabbi-samarious-gourary-91-an-educator.html |accessdate=26 May 2020 |work=New York Times |date=12 February 1989}}</ref>
Gurary's grandfather collected a vast library during his lifetime, which included several rare volumes. In 1984, some 34 years after his grandfather's death, Barry tried to take possession of some of those volumes claiming a right to an inheritance. He removed several, including a first print [[Passover]] [[haggadah]] worth over $50,000, and a [[Siddur]] (Jewish prayer book) that was said to have belonged to the [[Baal Shem Tov]], founder of Chassidism. His uncle, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Chabad Rebbe, was infuriated by these actions. He demanded that the volumes be returned. When Barry refused, he demanded that the matter be adjudicated in secular court. Schneerson argued that the volumes were not the personal possession of Barry's grandfather, but the communal property of the Lubavitch Hasidim. The organizational body that represents Lubavitch Chassidim - [[Agudas Chasidei Chabad]], filed suit to retrieve the books.


During the court hearing Gurary's father supported his uncle's side, while his mother Gurary. In 1986, the court ruled in favor of ACC, and that ruling was upheld on appeal in 1987. The volumes were returned to the library.
In 1986, the court ruled in favor of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, and the ruling was upheld on appeal in 1987. Agudas Chassidei Chabad located and paid the various book collectors who had bought the books from Gurary and the volumes were returned to the library. In total, Agudas Chassidei Chabad paid $432,000 to buy back the various books.<ref name=":0" />


Gurary worked as a management consultant.<ref name=":0" />
==Life outside of Lubavitch==

Barry Gurary also studied at [[Columbia University]] and [[Johns Hopkins University]]. He published research papers in physics.


==Sources and external links==
==Sources and external links==
* Chmouel Lubecki: "Didan Notzach"
*[http://www.mentalblog.com/2005/03/barry-s-gourary-prince-and-commoner.html Early life (mentalblog)]
* Sholom Ber Levin: [https://web.archive.org/web/20130429184041/http://www.chabadlibrary.org/books/pdf/didannatzach.pdf "''Mishpat HaSfarim''"]
*[http://www.mentalblog.com/2005/03/rabbi-barry-gourary-passed-away.html His passing (mentalblog)]
* Moshe Bogomilsky: "The story of Hey Teves"
*[http://shmais.com/chabaddetail.cfm?ID=280 Story behind the Library (Lubavitch POV)]
* Pesach Burston: "Tshura - Hey Teves - South Africa"
*[http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=Barry+Gourary+with+Rebbetzin&btnG=Search Google search shows photo (left) of Barry Gurary, left, with his grandmother, the wife of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe]
* Shaul Shimon Deutsch, ''Larger than Life''
* Avrum M. Ehrlich, Leadership in the HaBaD Movement {{ISBN|0-7657-6055-X}}

==References==
<references />

{{authority control}}


[[Category:Prominent Lubavitchers|Gurary, Barry]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gurary, Barry}}
[[Category:1923 births|Gurary, Barry]]
[[Category:1923 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths|Gurary, Barry]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:American Orthodox Jews]]
[[he:ברי גור-ארי]]
[[Category:Schneersohn family]]
[[Category:Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn]]
[[Category:Chabad-Lubavitch related controversies]]
[[Category:Soviet emigrants to the United States]]

Latest revision as of 02:34, 17 February 2024

Barry Gurary (also: Gourary, Sholom Dovber[citation needed] or Berke[1]) (b. in Rostov-on-Don, Russia February 10, 1923, d. Montclair, New Jersey, United States March 14, 2005) was a rabbi. He was the nephew of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher rebbe.

Biography

[edit]

Barry Gurary was the only son of Rabbi Shemaryahu Gurary and the nephew of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He married Mina Haskind.[citation needed]

Gurary's relationship with Schneerson was a source of friction within the family and the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community.[2]

One year after the death of his grandfather, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, Menachem Mendel Schneerson became the seventh rebbe of the movement, while Shemaryahu Gurary, Barry Gurary's father, held the same positions he had in the past.[3][better source needed]

Agudas Chasidei Chabad v. Gourary

[edit]

Gurary's grandfather, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, collected a large library of Jewish texts, which included several hundred rare volumes. Gurary said he was entitled to a portion of the library and was supported in this by his mother and his grandfather's librarian, Rabbi Chaim Lieberman.[3]

In 1984, Gurary entered the library and clandestinely removed some books which he sold to rare book dealers. One illuminated Passover Haggadah from 1757 was sold for $69,000 to a Swiss book dealer who soon found a private buyer to pay nearly $150,000 for it. Gurary was observed on a security camera taking the books.[3]

Gurary said he had his mother's permission and the permission of his aunt, Menachem Mendel Schneerson's wife, to take the books. His aunt denied giving him permission.[4] Schneerson demanded that the volumes be returned. When Gurary refused, also refusing Schneerson's summons to a Beth Din (rabbinical court), Schneerson's legal team sought a temporary restraining order that would impound the books still in Gurary's possession, and a ruling that the library was the property of Agudas Chasidei Chabad, the umbrella organization for the Chasidic movement.[4] Schneerson's legal team included Nathan Lewin, former ambassador Jerome J. Shestack, and future Solicitor General of the United States Seth Waxman.[3]

Schneerson said that the volumes were not the "personal possession" of Gurary's grandfather, but the "communal property" of the Lubavitch Hasidim. This view was supported by a letter from Gurary's grandfather indicating that the books were the heritage of the entire Jewish community.[2][3]

During the court hearing, Gurary's mother supported him while his father supported Schneerson. Schneerson was not deposed, but his wife, Chaya Mushka Schneerson was. Other witnesses included Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel, who testified as an expert witness on Chasidic life.[3][5]

In 1986, the court ruled in favor of Agudas Chassidei Chabad, and the ruling was upheld on appeal in 1987. Agudas Chassidei Chabad located and paid the various book collectors who had bought the books from Gurary and the volumes were returned to the library. In total, Agudas Chassidei Chabad paid $432,000 to buy back the various books.[3]

Gurary worked as a management consultant.[3]

[edit]
  • Chmouel Lubecki: "Didan Notzach"
  • Sholom Ber Levin: "Mishpat HaSfarim"
  • Moshe Bogomilsky: "The story of Hey Teves"
  • Pesach Burston: "Tshura - Hey Teves - South Africa"
  • Shaul Shimon Deutsch, Larger than Life
  • Avrum M. Ehrlich, Leadership in the HaBaD Movement ISBN 0-7657-6055-X

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Mindel, Nissan (Dec 2, 2015). "My Life and Times". Ami. No. 245. p. 100.
  2. ^ a b Goldman, Ari L. (7 January 1987). "JUDGE AWARDS RABBI'S LIBRARY TO HASIDIC UNIT". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Telushkin, Joseph (2014). Rebbe: the life and teachings of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the most influential Rabbi in modern history (First ed.). New York, NY: HarperWave. ISBN 978-0-06-231898-5. OCLC 859586312.
  4. ^ a b Margolick, David (18 December 1985). "SUIT ON BOOKS GIVES LOOK AT HASIDIM". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. ^ "Rabbi Samarious Gourary, 91, an Educator". New York Times. 12 February 1989. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
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