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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 ]. | |||
| {{unreferenced|date=September 2006}} | |||
| == Biography == | |||
| '''Barry Gurary''' (also: '''Barry Gourary''', '''Sholom Dovber Gur Aryeh''', '''Shalom Dov Baer Gur Aryeh''') (b. in ], ] ] ], d. ], ], ] ] ]), childless (though he adopted two children). Was the only son of Rabbi ] and ] ], who was the elder daughter of Rabbi ]. Barry Gurary was an ordained non-practicing ] ] and ]. He became the focus of disputes as an estranged relative to the ruling ] ] dynasty. | |||
| Barry Gurary was the only son of Rabbi ] and the nephew of Rabbi ]. 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> | |||
| ==Family origins and history== | |||
| ] of ] Rabbi ] (1880-1950). Barry Gurary was his only grandson.]] | |||
| 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}} | |||
| Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn was the sixth ] of the ] ] movement. This made Barry Gurary both the only grandson of the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneerson, as well as the only nephew of ] ] (1901-1988) and her husband the future seventh Rebbe, Rabbi ] (1902-1994) who were childless. | |||
| === ''Agudas Chasidei Chabad v. Gourary'' === | |||
| Barry Gurary's close family relationship with the leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch was a source of struggle and friction to himself, the Schneersohn and Schneerson (the elder Schneersohn had an "h" in his name, the younger did not) and Gurary families and to the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic dynasty which they lead - 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. Upon his death Rabbi Menachem Schneerson appointed Rabbi ], a non-relative, as the sole executor of his will. | |||
| 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" /> | |||
| ==Childhood and education== | |||
| 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" /> | |||
| 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 ]. | |||
| 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" /> | |||
| In the United States Barry Gurary studied at the famed ], receiving ] ("ordination") from one of its faculty. | |||
| 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" /> | |||
| After the death of his grandfather in 1950, he did not follow his uncle Rabbi ] and eventually left the Chabad-Lubavitch movement entirely. | |||
| 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> | |||
| ==The place of Barry Gurary in Chabad-Lubavitch== | |||
| 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" /> | |||
| During the lifetime of the sixth Rebbe, Barry Gurary's father, Rabbi Shemaryahu Gurary (known in Lubavitch by his initials as ''Rashag'') (1898-1989) held key positions. | |||
| Gurary worked as a management consultant.<ref name=":0" /> | |||
| One year after the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe died, Rabbi Schneerson became the official Rebbe of the movement while Rabbi ], Barry Gurary's father, held agreed upon positions of power behind the scenes, such as running the Tomchei Temimim school system, and was loyal to his brother-in-law qua seventh Rebbe. | |||
| ===The only grandson of the sixth Rebbe=== | |||
| ] (1860-1920), fifth Rebbe of ], 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. As the only grandson, Barry Gurary was a possible ] at a young age because in Hasidic dynasties male heirs usually take over the position of leadership (see more at the ] and ] articles), but he drifted away from this. | |||
| ===As nephew to the seventh Rebbe=== | |||
| Barry Gurary was the nephew of the seventh Rebbe's wife, ] ] (1901-1988), who was the younger daughter of the sixth Rebbe. In other important Hasidic groups, nephews of Rebbes have themselves in turn become the Rebbes following the death of their uncles. For example, in similar recent historical circumstances, after Rabbi ] the last ] Rebbe died, his nephew, Rabbi ] indeed 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 (even though Rabbi Menachem Schneerson was himself a son-in-law to the previous Rebbe, a distant cousin) 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 death of the last Rebbe in Chabad-Lubavitch. On the contrary, over the years, and culminating with a final legal battle and a physical assault against his mother, Barry Gurary became '']'' and cast out by the movement his father had helped build up and which his ancestors had headed from its inception. | |||
| ===Chabad library controversy=== | |||
| ] (1902-1904) as a young man who married Barry Gurary's aunt.]] | |||
| <!-- Unsourced image removed: ] --> | |||
| A family dispute arose about the library of the sixth Rebbe which also brought an internal family rivalry between Barry Gurary (supported by his mother) and his uncle the seventh Rebbe into the public spotlight. | |||
| Barry Gurary's grandfather, the sixth Rebbe, collected a vast library of Judaica, which included several rare volumes. In 1984, some 34 years after his grandfather's death, Barry Gurary entered the library and removed books including a first print ] ] worth over $50,000, and a ] (Jewish prayer book) that was said to have belonged to the ], founder of Hasidism and had begun 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. 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 was then asked to appear before a ], but refused. 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. 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. 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. Unfortunately, after Rabbi Schneerson had delivered a passionate talk on this subject, a young Lubavitcher entered her home and viciously assaulted her. | |||
| 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. The Lubavitcher Rebbe then proclaimed this day as a special time of rejoicing for Lubavitch which they called ''Didan Notzach'' (which basically means "we won" implying that it was God who helped them win). Barry Gurary and his mother Chana Gurary thus became compeletely estranged from the Lubavitch community. So much so, that when it came time for Chana Gurary to make arrangements for her final resting place, she went accompanied by her son Barry Gurary, to negotiate a burial place with the ] Rebbe of ]. Chana was laid to rest in the cemetery of the Munkacser Kehilla in Deans, New Jersey. | |||
| Barry Gurary retreated into a secluded and private life after the legal disputes with his uncle and Lubavitch came to an end in 1987, followed by the death of his father in 1989 and that of his mother a few years later. | |||
| ==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) ; | |||
| *Barry S. Gourary and Frank J. Adrian: ''Approximate ] for the ], and Their Application to the ] Problem'' (1957, The ]) | |||
| *Barry S. Gourary and Perry J. Luke: ''Approximate Wave Functions for the M-Center by the Point-] Lattice Method'' (1957, The American Physical Society) | |||
| *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) | |||
| *Cited in the correspondence in the ] Papers (1908-1976), ''Detailed inventory: Series I. Correspondence: Gourary, Barry S'' (]) | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| *] | |||
| ==Sources and external links== | ==Sources and external links== | ||
| * Chmouel Lubecki: "Didan Notzach" | |||
| * | |||
| * Sholom Ber Levin: | |||
| * | |||
| * Moshe Bogomilsky: "The story of Hey Teves" | |||
| ⚫ | *Shaul Shimon Deutsch, ''Larger than Life'' | ||
| * Pesach Burston: "Tshura - Hey Teves - South Africa" | |||
| ⚫ | * Shaul Shimon Deutsch, ''Larger than Life'' | ||
| ==Notes== | |||
| * Avrum M. Ehrlich, Leadership in the HaBaD Movement {{ISBN|0-7657-6055-X}} | |||
| ==References== | |||
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| {{DEFAULTSORT:Gurary, Barry}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 02:34, 17 February 2024
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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.