Five New Members Join Rebbe’s Vaad for Russian Seforim

A historic moment took place on Sunday, immediately after the annual Kinus Hashluchim group photo outside 770, as four members of the Agudas Chasidei Chabad of the former Soviet Union met outside the Rebbe’s room.

In a joint decision, they officially added five new members to the Vaad to assist in continuing its work of retrieving the seforim, kisvei yad, and holy artifacts of the Rebbeim that remain in captivity in Russia.

The Vaad was founded by the Rebbe in 5751, and the Rebbe himself chose and appointed its four members. They are Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, head shliach to the West Coast and Nevada; Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Aharonov, chairman of Tzach in Eretz Yisroel; Rabbi Sholom Dovber Levine, chief librarian of the library of Agudas Chasidei Chabad; and Rabbi Yitzchok Kogan, known as the tzadik of Leningrad.

The four were sent by the Rebbe on a special delegation to Russia to work toward the pidyon of the seforim.

In the decades that followed, countless attempts were made to return the seforim, including delegations and a long legal battle in American courts. The collection of roughly 12,000 volumes nevertheless remains in Russian hands. In 5773, Russia moved part of the collection to the Jewish Museum in Moscow, where it remains, not permitted to leave the country.

The legal path in the United States has also hit serious obstacles in recent years.

The new members added Sunday morning are Rabbi Shmuel Aharonov, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Aharonov, Rabbi Yosef Nissan Cunin, Rabbi Chaim Nachum Cunin, and Rabbi Yosef Kogan.

Following the meeting, the shluchim davened in the Rebbe’s room and sang “Lechatchila Ariber.” They then danced outside the Rebbe’s room to “Didan Notzach,” with the firm hope that the seforim will soon be redeemed with the coming of Moshiach.

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