Washington – Schumer, Alongside Chabad Rabbis, Celebrate Return Of Schneerson Collection

Washington – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today met with rabbis of the Chabad-Lubavitch community to mark the recovery of a sacred text from the Schneerson collection.

Since 1992, just eight volumes of the collection have been returned to Chabad. The sacred library and archive consists of 12,000 books and 30,000 pages.

Earlier this year, Schumer and members of the entire U.S. Senate sent a letter to President Putin requesting the return of the Schneerson collection of sacred texts from the Russian State Library and the Russian State Military archive. While Russia has not yet returned these sacred texts to Chabad, one volume was recently discovered at Kedem Auction House in Israel and returned to the Chabad.

Today, Schumer celebrated the return of this book, alongside members of the Chabad-Lubavitch community, and said that he will do everything in his power to fight for the return of the rest of the Schneerson Collection.

“The discovery of this sacred text in Israel is a simcha for Chabad and the entire Jewish community and I am grateful to have been a part of this joyous occasion,” said Senator Schumer. “However, we will not rest until the entire Schneerson collection is returned to Chabad and I will continue to fight for its return from Russia.”

Those in attendance at today’s celebration in Senator Schumer’s office included: Rabbi Chaim Cunin – Chabad House Publications; Rabbi Yosef Cunin – Beverly Hills Jewish Community; Rabbi Mendel Cunin – Chabad of Larchmont; Rabbi Zushe Cunin – Chabad of Pacific Palisades; Rabbi Levi Cunin – Chabad of Malibu; Rabbi Tzemach Cunin – Chabad of Century City; Rabbi Avrohom Litvin – Chabad of Kentucky; Zev Cunin – Son of Rabbi Yosef Cunin ( age 8); and Chabad pro bono legal advocates: Steve Lieberman, Nat Lewin, Alyza Lewin, Nechama Potasnick.