Putin: transfer Schneorson Library to Jewish community

Russian President Putin delivered a speech today (Tues.), on a visit to the Museum of the Jewish community in Moscow, during which it was possible to identify that the state has changed its policy in relation to the Schneorson Collection, the Library of Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak, according to a report by Shturem site.

"Transferring the books to the United States is unacceptable," the Russian president said today. "The collection was nationalized by the Russian government for at least a hundred years." He also explained that the claims of Hassidim can open a Pandora's box that will force Russia to face a large number of similar claims.

The Chabad Hasidism have acted in the past, according to the Lubavitcher Rebbe's desire to move the collection, which includes more than 12 thousand rare and precious books which were nationalized by the communist authorities, to Chabad Library in New York. These attempts and inquiries made to courts in the United States, did not help. Moscow argued that this is a national treasure.

A short while ago, the US court ruled that the collection will be transferred to New York and every day that the collection remains in the country's hands the state would pay a fine of 50 thousand dollars. In response to the decision, Russia filed a lawsuit in which the American Library was required to return seven books from the collection that have not yet returned to it.

Today, as mentioned, was a significant and dramatic change in the Russian position: Putin said he believed one should transfer the books to the Jewish community. "I'm ready to give the order to begin the process of transferring the books to Chabad's Jewish Museum in Moscow," the President said.

Rabbi Boruch Gorin, spokesman for the Association of Jewish Communities in the CIS said when asked how, after the declaration of the President, Chabad intend to act: "It depends on the worldwide Chabad Association, we are working on it. They are the ones who must decide what they are willing. We want find out exactly what their position is."

Do you think the place of books is in a museum in Moscow? Asked the rabbi and said: "We think this compromise is relevant and an exit from the difficult quagmire created in recent years. The President's statement is a very important in this subject."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!