The Library

The Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad Ohel Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch is located at the international headquarters of the Chabad movement: 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York.

The Library is one of the most distinguished Judaic libraries, containing approximately 250,000 books, the majority of which are aged and rare. Around 200,000 of these are printed in the languages of Hebrew and Yiddish, while the remaining 50,000 are in a variety of other languages.

In addition to books, the Library houses:

* A collection of several thousand hand-written volumes, virtually all on Chabad Chassidic philosophy; manuscripts penned by the Lubavitcher Rebbes, or copied by chassidim;

* A vast archive of letters and articles related to the Chabad movement, including the giant letter collection of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn;

* Sacred items bequeathed to posterity by the Lubavitcher Rebbes, as well as a wide variety of items presented as gifts to the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn, over the years of his leadership;

* A collection of photographs of chassidim and Chabad activities sent to the sixth and seventh Lubavitcher Rebbes during their years of leadership;

* An expansive collection of news clippings on the Chabad movement and general world Jewry; and

* Flyers and ads of all sorts which were sent to the Rebbes over the years.

A special staff works regularly on the manuscript and archive collections. Their work produces many books of the Chabad Rebbes' essays, talks and letters.

Only the book section of the Library is open to researchers, by means of a computerized, detailed catalog. This catalog is also available to the public at large via internet: www.chabadlibrary.org.

The Library also features an Exhibition Hall, where selected holdings from the archives of artifacts, photographs, books and manuscripts are displayed.

HISTORY

Throughout the Chabad movement's long history, beginning with its' White Russian roots, a collection of books and manuscripts was at the center of the movement, in the Rebbe's house.

The collection of the early generations (late 1700s-early 1800s) was actually small in quantity. Very little remains of this original collection: the overwhelming majority of its' constituent books and manuscripts were destroyed in the many fires that plagued small towns in Russia and Eastern Europe in those days, or lost to the ever-changing circumstances and conditions of the times.

The bulk of the existing collection began forming in Chabad's third generation (the mid-1800s), and progressively expanded in the course of time to transform into one of the most significant Judaic libraries worldwide.

We have a list of about one hundred printed books of the library's first-generation. These listed books were taken by imperial authorities from the home of the "Alter" Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the first Chabad Rebbe), at the time of his arrest. (Apparently, only part of his library was seized, for the purpose of searching for evidence of subversion).

Based on the list, it seems that the Rabbi Shneur Zalman's entire collection consisted of a mere few hundred books (this tiny collection of volumes was huge for the Russia of then, yet it was too small for the title of "library").

Towards the end of his life, two fires ravaged the Alter Rebbe's home. The first one, in year 1810, claimed the Rebbe's manuscripts, particularly the original texts of his Shluchan Aruch. The second conflagration occurred during the War of 1812, as Rebbe, court and family fled the advancing forces of Napoleon, living on the move until the Rebbe passed away on the 24th of Teves, 5573 (December 24th, 1812).

In mid-1813, the "Mitteler" Rebbe - Rabbi Shneur Zalman's son, successor and the second Chabad Rebbe - settled in the town of Lubavitch. He built a large synagogue and a house for himself, where he accumulated a 611-volume library ensconced on the shelves of four bookcases (according to a police report made after a home search conducted in 1825).

A collection of substance took serious form in the third generation, under the "Tzemach Tzedek," the third Chabad Rebbe, and continued to grow in ensuing generations.

This collection endured many occurrences as time marched on:

* A vital part of it was consumed by outbreaks of fire in the town of Lubavitch;

* Part of its' printed book section ended up in the hands of the inheritors of both the Tzemach Tzedek and Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch (the Rebbe Maharash, the fourth Chabad Rebbe) upon their passings;

* In 1924, the majority of its' printed book section was confiscated by the Communist government of Russia (forcing the sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn, to build a new collection of printed books);

* In 1939, at the Nazi invasion of Poland and subsequent rescue of Rabbi Schneersohn and family, this entire new collection remained in Poland under Nazi occupation. After a year-and-a-half of rescue efforts and haphazard transfers from place to place, it arrived in New York at the end of 1941; and

* From 1985 to 1987, a protracted court battle was (successfully) waged against Rabbi Schneersohn's grandson, who claimed ownership over parts of the library.

Despite all the troubles, the known majority of this great antique collection, personally assembled year after year by the Rebbes of Chabad, was kept intact. The lion's share remains safely stored on the premises of the Agudas Chassidei Chabad Ohel Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch Library.

The Library's books are divided into three sections:

the Lubavitch Collection, the Previous Rebbe's Collection and the Rebbe's Collection:

THE LUBAVITCH COLLECTION

Most of the books gathered in Lubavitch by the Chabad Rebbes from the early 1800s to 1915 are currently held by the Moscow Public Library.

Rabbi Shalom Ber Schneersohn, the fifth Chabad Rebbe (known as the "Rebbe Rashab"), was forced to flee at the outbreak of World War I as the German army approached the area. He abandoned Lubavitch and relocated, with his family, to Rostov (on the Don River), sending his treasured books to a Moscow warehouse for safeguarding, with intention of retrieving them at war's end.

However, the Rebbe Rashab passed away in Rostov just before the world saw peace.

Leadership of Lubavitch passed to his son and successor, Rabbi Joseph I. Schneersohn, the sixth Chabad Rebbe, who expressed interest in the books' condition and their return from the warehouse. But the Communist regime swung into power, appropriated all warehouses and all other private real estate properties, and seized the books and deposited them at the Moscow Public Library.

The Previous Rebbe worked for the books' release for many years. Yet for all his multifaceted efforts, he failed to retrieve them.

As soon as the buds of a new era began sprouting in Russia, in 1981, the contemporary Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn, began efforts anew towards the redemption of this sacred store. The Rebbe expended the greatest energies for over ten years, dispatching special representatives for this cause. Twice the Rebbe sent a special contingent to Russia for a prolonged stay and book-redemption mission. Yet the collection remains trapped in the Moscow Public Library.

Today, work continues for their release. Hope, faith and trust remain strong that these holy books will ultimately return to their rightful place: the Agudas Chassidei Chabad Ohel Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch Library.

THE PREVIOUS REBBE'S COLLECTION

In 1924, when the Lubavitch Collection was deposited at the Moscow Public Library, the Previous Rebbe began to build the Lubavitch Library anew. He started by purchasing the entire collection of Shmuel Weiner, a contemporary bibliophile and rare-books collector whose personal treasure chest consisted of around 5,000 priceless, aged and rare volumes. This was quickly followed by an aggressive rounding-out of the library with the continued purchase of a variety of books of Judaica and Hebraica.

In 1927, the Previous Rebbe was arrested by Communist authorities and condemned to exile, but was freed and subsequently forced to leave Russia. Initially, he was not permitted to take his new book collection, but upon his staunch insistence that "if the books stay, so do I," permissory papers were issued, and the collection was transferred to Chabad's new headquarters in Riga, Latvia.

From Riga, Rabbi Schneersohn dispatched letters and bulletins to the Lubavitch community worldwide, requesting their efforts to enrich "the Lubavitcher Library" with books of all types. This continued even after Rabbi Schneersohn's emigration to Warsaw and Otvotsk, Poland, along with Chabad headquarters.

At the beginning of World War II, Rabbi Schneesohn was trapped in Nazi-occupied Warsaw for several months; with the winding down of winter 1940, the Rebbe was extricated together with his household and secretariat.

They first returned to Riga, and moved on to New York from there.

The library remained in occupied Poland. Over the course of the next year-and-a-half, efforts made from New York succeeded in relocating the library from place to place until it arrived in New York in summer 1941.

The basement of the new Lubavitch world headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway was designated as the new home of the Previous Rebbe's Collection, where it remains to this day.

In "yechidus" room, near the seforim

THE REBBE'S COLLECTION

Upon the arrival of Rabbi Menachem M. Schneersohn in New York in the summer of 1941, his father-in-law, the Previous Rebbe, appointed him as head of Merkos L'inyonei Chinuch (Central Committee for Jewish Education). Rabbi Schneersohn started a separate new library on the premises, for purposes of Merkos use.

After the passing of his distinguished father-in-law on the tenth of Shevat, 5710 (January 28th, 1949), the mantle of leadership passed to Rabbi Schneersohn, who became the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe. The Rebbe began to widen his new collection with books accumulated by his directives, and by his many representatives around the globe.

In 1968, when the collection had grown to great proportions, the home next door to Lubavitch headquarters was purchased for the sole purpose of converting it into a dedicated home for the collection overflowing shelves.

From 1968 to 1985, two overlapping libraries existed on the premises of Lubavitch World Headquarters: the Previous Rebbe's Collection in the basement of 770 Eastern Parkway, and the Rebbe's Collection in the adjoining converted home.

The landmark court case involving the Library occurred over 1985-1987, in which the Previous Rebbe's grandson claimed ownership over part of his grandfather's collection.

The court ruled that all the books must be returned to the Library, on the grounds that the Lubavitcher Rebbes maintained no personal ownership over the books; rather, they were the property of the library belonging to Agudas Chassidei Chabad (Association of Chabad Chassidim).

After the books' court victory, the Rebbe announced a giant campaign of donating books to the library. The Rebbe then ordered that both collections be merged into a new entity entitled the Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad Ohel Yosef Yitzchak - Lubavitch.

Plans were immediately begun to open the Library to the researching public. Construction was undertaken and completed over the years 1991-1992. Since then, the Library is comprised of both collections side by side in one extended facility.

In 1992, upon completion of construction and compiling the master catalog on both collections, the Reading Room was opened to researchers.

In 1994, the Exhibition Hall was opened to the public at large.

The Rebbe coming out of the Library

THE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION AND THE ARCHIVE

The Library's Manuscript Collection progressively grew parallel to the printed book collections through the seven generations of the Chabad movement. The bulk of the manuscript collection consists of Chabad Chassidic philosophy written by hand.

Chabad manuscript history begins with the era of the Alter Rebbe's leadership, a time when not a single work by the first Chabad Rebbe had yet been printed. The public lessons he regularly delivered each Shabbos were jotted down (after Shabbos) by the Rebbe's brother, Rabbi Yehudah Leib (the Rabbi of Yanovitch and author of Sh'ayris Yehudah, a scholarly work). Many handwritten copies were made of this notes and distributed between the thousands of chassidim. The magnum opus Tanya was also not in print form at that time, and was passed among the chassidim in like manner: handwritten copies. These copies were the beginning of the current collection of manuscripts on Chabad philosophy.

Obviously, the Collection was not yet a collection: it was not collected to one place. But within two generations, the Alter Rebbe's grandson and heir - the Tzemach Tzedek, the third Chabad Rebbe, was working to assemble all drifting manuscripts into one cohesive collection at one location, thus beginning to build the Manuscript Collection under the permanent protection of Chabad's leaders.

From time to time, this Collection grew. Whether by acquiring manuscripts, teachings or handwritings of late Rebbes, or by the manual records of lessons delivered by the contemporary Rebbe (which were either privately written by the Rebbes themselves or recorded mid-lesson by attentive chassidim), the collection of handwritten items consistently passed from Rebbe to Rebbe.

Still, even this well-guarded collection was not safe from the ravages of time. A small number of volumes would fall into the hands of other inheritors upon each Rebbe's passing. The previously mentioned fires that lit upon Lubavitch would not spare the Manuscript Collection; many volumes were consumed in these fires. However, the overwhelming majority of the collection was constantly secured at the contemporary center of the Chabad movement. In addition, the few volumes that did wind up in the property of other inheritors were ultimately reacquired by the Rebbe or his assistants, and were returned to the collection.

Until the Nazis overtook Poland, the Manuscript Collection was well maintained.

In late 1939, this priceless, sacred collection was lost. For thirty-eight years, its' fate was unknown. But G-d, in His mercy, kept His kindness upon us, and the collection was found in a Warsaw library decades later. And in late 1977, it was brought home to Chabad in New York.

Today, the Library holds around 3,000 volumes of manuscripts, over 100 of which were personally handwritten by the Rebbes themselves.

In addition, the library's giant archive holds approximately 100,000 letters and documents from seven generations of Chabad leadership (only a slim minority come from the first generations), as well as letters to the Rebbes, plus thousands of miscellaneous letters and documents.

A special ongoing project is working on these manuscripts: to compile, organize and print the lessons, talks, teachings and letters of each of the Rebbes to his generation.

THE EXHIBITION HALL

The library is not designed merely for lending, or for reading opportunities for the general public. Rather, as stressed many times by the Rebbes themselves, it is a library for researchers, rabbis, roshei yeshivah and writers who wish to examine books they can not find in other Libraries.

To satisfy public hunger for the sight of just some the treasures stored in the Library, a separate hall was designated solely for exhibits. Every year, Library staff chooses a different theme, around which revolve the exhibits. In past years, specific artifact, books, manuscripts, items, paintings and photographs and more, related to each of the Chabad Rebbes and to every area of Chabad activity have been presented in these exhibits; in addition to displays on great leaders of Jewry, particularly the leader of Chassidism.

Also appearing on display has been the Library's singular collection of haggados, kesuvos, and first editions of chassidic books printed in early generations.

These exhibits attract men and women of all walks of life: schoolchildren, groups of visitors, students and tourists, and anyone simply interested in viewing these priceless books and items for themselves. These displays bring the legacy of Chassidism, the treasures of the Library and indeed, Jewish history itself, to life.