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{{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=]|issue=245|page=100}}</ref>) (b. in ], Russia February 10, 1923, d. ], ], United States March 14, 2005) was a rabbi. He was the nephew of Rabbi ], the seventh ]. | ||
| == Biography == | |||
| ==Family origins and history== | |||
| Barry Gurary was the only son of Rabbi ] and the nephew of Rabbi ]. He married Mina Haskind.{{citation needed|date=April 2014}} | |||
| Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn was the sixth ] of the Chabad-Lubavitch ] movement. This made Barry Gurary both the only grandson of the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneerson, as well as the only nephew of Rebbetzin ] (1901–1988) and her husband the future seventh Rebbe, Rabbi ] (1902–1994) who were childless. | |||
| 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> | |||
| Barry Gurary's close family relationship with the leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch was a source of struggle and friction to himself, the Schneerso(h)n and Gurary families and to the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic dynasty which they led - precisely because he was the only grandson and the last male relative related directly by birth to the sixth Rebbe. Little is known about Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's own surviving relatives. Prior to his death Rabbi Menachem Schneerson appointed Rabbi ], a non-relative, as the sole executor of his will upon his death. | |||
| One year after the death of his grandfather, ], ] became the seventh ] 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}} | |||
| ==Childhood and education== | |||
| After the family emigrated to the United States in 1940, Barry evidently did not display a strong interest in his grandfather's, and father's work. He focused on his own pursuits, prominent among them being the study of ]. {{Citation needed}} | |||
| === ''Agudas Chasidei Chabad v. Gourary'' === | |||
| In the United States Barry Gurary studied at the famed ], receiving ] ("ordination") from one of its faculty. {{Citation needed}} | |||
| 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" /> | |||
| After the death of his grandfather in 1950, he did not follow his uncle Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and eventually left the Chabad-Lubavitch movement entirely. | |||
| In 1984, Gurary entered the library and clandestinely removed some books which he sold to rare book dealers. One ] 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" /> | |||
| ==The place of Barry Gurary in Chabad-Lubavitch== | |||
| During the lifetime of the sixth Rebbe, Barry Gurary's father, Rabbi ] (known in Lubavitch by his initials as ''RaSHaG'') (1898–1989) held the position of Director of the Central Lubavitcher Yeshiva - ]. | |||
| 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 ] (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 ], the umbrella organization for the Chasidic movement.<ref name="nyt-books-suit"></ref> Schneerson's legal team included ], former ambassador ], and future Solicitor General of the United States ].<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| One year after the death of sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi ] became the choice of most Lubavitchers as the seventh ] of the movement, the second time a son-in-law had ever held such a position in the movement (the third rebbe was a grand son of the first rebbe and his father in law who was the second rebbe was also his uncle (he married his cousin), while Rabbi Shemaryahu Gurary, Barry Gurary's father, did not gain popular support and instead held on to the same positions of power he had in the past, and was loyal to his brother-in-law, who had become the seventh and was to be the last Rebbe of Chabad. | |||
| 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" /> | |||
| ===The only grandson of the sixth Rebbe=== | |||
| ] (1860-1920), fifth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, great-grandfather of Barry Gurary and for whom he was named.]] | |||
| On the occasion of his ], there is a tradition that his grandfather delivered one of the longest and most inspiring talks of his tenure as Rebbe. The speech described the passion of some of the Lubavitcher Rebbes for books and book collecting, and suggested that Barry might want to collect as well. | |||
| During the court hearing, Gurary's mother supported him while his father supported Schneerson. Schneerson was not deposed, but his wife, ] was. Other witnesses included ] recipient ], 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> | |||
| Avrum Erlich suggests, that as the only grandson of the sixth Rebbe, Barry was one of the prime candidates for succession on his death despite being only 27 at the time.<ref>''The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present'', M. Avrum Ehrlich, ch. 19, note 4, KTAV Publishing, ISBN 0-88125-836-9</ref> | |||
| {{cquote|He was prominent in the movement, but there were perceived, if not actual, irregularities in his behavior that precluded his succession. He had shaved his beard at a young age and had a reputation for publicly desecrating halakhah. He also involved himself in the fight for his father’s right to succeed, publicly slandering Schneerson. Such behavior effectively ended any possibility that he himself might succeed Yosef Yitzhak, and possibly ended his father’s chances too.<ref>Ehrlich, Leadership in the HaBaD Movement, pp. 339–342.</ref>}} | |||
| 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" /> | |||
| Professor ] has however stated that by 1950 Barry "had renounced religion and become a secular computer businessman",<ref>Ha'aretz 30th May, 2007</ref> and that "his grandson was choosing another path that departed from CHaBaD Lubavitch" and was "unacceptable as a leader".<ref>The Life and Afterlife of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Samuel Heilman and Menachem Friedman, Pg. 34.</ref> | |||
| Gurary worked as a management consultant.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| ===As nephew to the seventh Rebbe=== | |||
| Barry Gurary was the nephew of the seventh Rebbe's wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson (1901–1988), who was the second daughter of the sixth Rebbe. | |||
| In other important present-day Hasidic groups, nephews of Rebbes have themselves in turn become the Rebbes following the passing of their uncles. For example, in similar recent historical circumstances, after Rabbi ] the last ] Rebbe died, his nephew, Rabbi ] became the next Satmar Rebbe and when Rabbi ] the previous and fourth ] Rebbe died, there was a serious division of opinion within Belz, but ultimately his nephew Rabbi ] the present Rebbe took over. This did not happen in Lubavitch due in small part to Barry's above mentioned tendency to go against the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) (even though Rabbi Menachem Schneerson was himself a son-in-law to the previous Rebbe, as well as his 2nd cousin once removed) and Barry Gurary, as a direct grandson of the sixth Rebbe, was neither a candidate nor did anyone move to make him Rebbe after the passing of the last Rebbe in Chabad-Lubavitch. On the contrary, over the years, and culminating with a final legal battle, Barry Gurary became '']'' and cast out by the movement which his ancestors had headed from its inception, and which his father had helped build in America. | |||
| ===Chabad library controversy=== | |||
| A family dispute arose about the ] which also brought an internal family rivalry between Barry Gurary (supported by his mother) and his uncle the seventh Rebbe (supported by the "Rashag", Barry's father) into the public spotlight. Barry Gurary's grandfather, the sixth Rebbe, collected a vast library of Judaica, which included several rare volumes. As the sixth Rebbe's grandson, Barry believed he was entitled to a portion of the library and was supported in this belief by his mother and Rabbi Chaim Lieberman (the sixth Rebbe's librarian) as well as the will of his grandmother (the sixth Rebbe's wife).{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} | |||
| In 1984, some 34 years after his grandfather's death, Barry Gurary entered the library and clandestinely removed numerous Jewish books, including a first edition ] ] worth over $50,000, founder of Hasidism, and began selling the books. One ] Passover Haggadah dating back to 1757 was sold for $69,000 to a Swiss book dealer who soon found a private buyer to pay nearly $150,000 for it. He claimed to have both his mother's permission, as well as the permission of his aunt, the seventh Rebbe's wife, to take the books. However, his uncle, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Chabad Rebbe, objected vehemently to these actions. He demanded that the volumes be returned. When Barry refused, also refusing his uncle's summons to ], Rabbi ] consulted rabbinic authorities on Jewish law who advised him that appeals can be made to a secular governmental court if justice cannot be effectuated in a Jewish court.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hoffman |first=Edward |title=Despite All Odds: The Story of Lubavitch |year=1991 |month=May |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=0-671-67703-9 |pages=180–181}}</ref> On legal advice the Lubavitchers decided to obtain a temporary restraining order in the hope that this would resolve the matter. | |||
| Rabbi Schneerson argued that the volumes were not the "personal possession" of Gurary's grandfather, but the "communal property" of the Lubavitch Hasidim. In making this argument, basing himself on a letter from his father-in-law indicating that the books were the heritage of the entire Jewish community<ref>{{cite web|author=Posted by Editor |url=http://mikveh.blogspot.com/2006/07/judge-awards-rabbis-library-to-hasidic.html |title=www.770EasternParkway.com: JUDGE AWARDS RABBI'S LIBRARY TO HASIDIC UNIT |publisher=Mikveh.blogspot.com |date=2006-07-07 |accessdate=2012-01-19}}</ref> he implied that possession of the books legitimized a succession claim; therefore Barry's alleged theft constituted a challenge to his long-undisputed leadership of the Chabad movement. The organizational body that represents Lubavitch Chassidim - ] (ACC), filed suit to retrieve the books. | |||
| During the court hearing, Gurary's father supported his uncle's side, while his mother supported her son, Barry Gurary.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} | |||
| 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. | |||
| This day was accepted as a special time of rejoicing for Lubavitch, which they called ''Didan Notzach'' (which basically means "our case won," implying that it was God who helped them win).{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}} | |||
| When it came time for Chana Gurary to make arrangements for her final resting place, she and Barry negotiated a burial place with the ] Rebbe of ]. Chana was buried in the cemetery of the Munkaczer Kehilla in Deans, New Jersey. | |||
| ==Academic career== | |||
| Barry Gurary studied and did research as a ] at ] and ]. He also published research papers mostly in ] that are also available on the Internet, in some instances more than fifty years after their publication: | |||
| *Gourary, Barry S.; Hart, Robert W. (] Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University): ''] of an ]'' (1954, ], vol. 95, Issue 3, pp. 676–686);<ref>{{cite web|url=http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1954PhRv...95..676G |title=Spherical Model of an Antiferromagnet |publisher=Adsabs.harvard.edu |date= |accessdate=2012-01-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v95/i3/p676_1 |title=Phys. Rev. 95, 676 (1954): Spherical Model of an Antiferromagnet |publisher=Prola.aps.org |date=1954-03-31 |accessdate=2012-01-19}}</ref> | |||
| *Barry S. Gourary and Frank J. Adrian: ''Approximate ] for the ], and Their Application to the ] Problem'' (1957, The ]) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v105/i4/p1180_1 |title=Phys. Rev. 105, 1180 (1957): Approximate Wave Functions for the F Center, and Their Application to the Electron Spin Resonance Problem |publisher=Prola.aps.org |date=1956-08-23 |accessdate=2012-01-19}}</ref> | |||
| *Barry S. Gourary and Perry J. Luke: ''Approximate Wave Functions for the M-Center by the Point-] Lattice Method'' (1957, The American Physical Society)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v108/i6/p1647_7 |title=Phys. Rev. 108, 1647 (1957): Approximate Wave Functions for the M-Center by the Point-Ion Lattice Method |doi=10.1103/PhysRev.107.960 |publisher=Prola.aps.org |date= |accessdate=2012-01-19}}</ref> | |||
| *Barry S. Gourary, ] Laboratory, The ], Silver Spring, Maryland : ''Approximate Wave Functions for the U Center by the Point-Ion-Lattice Method'' (1958, The American Physical Society)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v112/i2/p337_1 |title=Phys. Rev. 112, 337 (1958): Approximate Wave Functions for the U Center by the Point-Ion-Lattice Method |publisher=Prola.aps.org |date=1958-06-16 |accessdate=2012-01-19}}</ref> | |||
| *Cited in the correspondence in the ] Papers (1908–1976), ''Detailed inventory: Series I. Correspondence: Gourary, Barry S'' (])<ref>{{dead link|date=January 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| ==Sources and external links== | ==Sources and external links== | ||
| * Chmouel Lubecki: "Didan Notzach" | * Chmouel Lubecki: "Didan Notzach" | ||
| * Sholom Ber Levin: | * Sholom Ber Levin: | ||
| * Moshe Bogomilsky: "The story of Hey Teves" | * Moshe Bogomilsky: "The story of Hey Teves" | ||
| * Pesach Burston: "Tshura - Hey Teves - South Africa" | * Pesach Burston: "Tshura - Hey Teves - South Africa" | ||
| * Shaul Shimon Deutsch, ''Larger than Life'' | * Shaul Shimon Deutsch, ''Larger than Life'' | ||
| * Avrum M. Ehrlich, Leadership in the HaBaD Movement ISBN |
* Avrum M. Ehrlich, Leadership in the HaBaD Movement {{ISBN|0-7657-6055-X}} | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| <references /> | <references /> | ||
| {{authority control}} | |||
| {{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. --> | |||
| | NAME = Gurary, Barry | |||
| | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | |||
| | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | |||
| | DATE OF BIRTH = November 2, 1923 | |||
| | PLACE OF BIRTH = | |||
| | DATE OF DEATH = March 3, 2005 | |||
| | PLACE OF DEATH = | |||
| }} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Gurary, Barry}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Gurary, Barry}} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
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Barry Gurary (also: Gourary, Sholom Dovber or Berke) (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
Barry Gurary was the only son of Rabbi Shemaryahu Gurary and the nephew of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He married Mina Haskind.
Gurary's relationship with Schneerson was a source of friction within the family and the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community.
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.
Agudas Chasidei Chabad v. Gourary
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.
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.
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. 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. Schneerson's legal team included Nathan Lewin, former ambassador Jerome J. Shestack, and future Solicitor General of the United States Seth Waxman.
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.
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.
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.
Gurary worked as a management consultant.
Sources and external links
- 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
- Mindel, Nissan (Dec 2, 2015). "My Life and Times". Ami. No. 245. p. 100.
- ^ Goldman, Ari L. (7 January 1987). "JUDGE AWARDS RABBI'S LIBRARY TO HASIDIC UNIT". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Margolick, David (18 December 1985). "SUIT ON BOOKS GIVES LOOK AT HASIDIM". New York Times. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- "Rabbi Samarious Gourary, 91, an Educator". New York Times. 12 February 1989. Retrieved 26 May 2020.