Online Auction 35 - A special Chabad Auction in Honor of the Thirty Fifth Anniversary of Hei Teves - the Renowned Victory in the Seforim Case – Didan Notzach
December 7, 2021
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500-dollar bill given by Rebbe Rayatz in 1940 to his daughter Rebbetzin Chana and to his son-in-law R. Shemaryahu Gurary, before their move to their new quarters at 770 Eastern Parkway.
The bill, issued in 1934, bears the portrait of William McKinley, the 25th president of the USA.
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift... the 500 bill that I received from my father. While in the Greystone Hotel my father told me that they just closed on buying 770 and that we would be all moving soon. He gave me the 500 bill and said to start shopping for housewares that me and my husband would need for our apartment. My husband and I used other monies and I saved this 500 bill". The letter is dated 3rd September, 1989.
After the death of Rebbe Rashab of Lubavitch, his son, Rebbe Rayatz succeeded him in leading the Chabad movement with utmost devotion during the devastating years of religious persecution in Russia after the Communist revolution. For 30 years, his daughter Rebbetzin Chana and his son-in-law R. Shemaryahu Gurary (the Rashag) stood by the rebbe's side; they moved with him from Russia to Riga in 1927 and to Poland in 1933.
In 1939, with the outbreak of WWII, Rebbe Rayatz, his mother Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah, his wife Rebbetzin Nechama Dina and his daughter Rebbetzin Chana and her husband, R. Shemaryahu Gurary were stranded in Warsaw under German occupation, their lives in great danger. After the intervention of the US government, and with the assistance of several German officers, the Rayatz succeeded in fleeing Warsaw, together with an entourage of about 20 family members and friends. After several months of travail and wandering, they left occupied Europe in Adar I, 1940 and sailed to the US.
On Monday, 8th Adar II 1940, after sailing the seas for 12 days, Rebbe Tayatz arrived to New York. On 9th Adar II, following a short reception at the port, the Rayatz arrived at his temporary quarters – Room 609 at the Greystone Hotel on Broadway and 91st Street in Manhattan NY.
Immediately thereafter, the Agudas Chasidei Chabad invested great efforts in finding an appropriate permanent residence for the rebbe and his family. R. Shlomo Aharon Kazarnovsky headed the committee established for this purpose.
On Friday, 12th Menachem Av 1940, the Agudas Chasidei Chabad purchased a suitable residence for the Rayatz and his family – the building at 770 Eastern Parkway, in the center of the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY. On 19th Elul, the Rayatz and his family moved to their new quarters and two days later, on Tuesday, 21th Elul, the official dedication ceremony (Chanukat Habayit) took place, with the participation of the Rayatz. The ceremony was attended by a large group of his Chassidim.
The building at 770 Eastern Parkway, built in 1933 for the Jewish physician Y. Rosenman, had three floors and a basement. The first floor housed the synagogue, the beit midrash and the offices. The Rayatz lived on the second floor which also housed his study and the quarters of his mother, Rebbetzin Shterna Sarah. His daughter Chana and her husband, R. Shemaryahu Gurary lived on the third floor, which also housed the latter's study and the offices of the Central Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva which he managed. The basement was primarily used to house the library. An elevator was installed in the building (rare in those days) and a large yard surrounded the house.
Based on the enclosed letter of authenticity, Rebbe Rayatz gave this bill to his daughter Rebbetzin Chana Gurary in 1940, before their move to their new home at 770, to purchase household items.
From his new home at 770, the Rayatz rebuilt the Chabad court and its institutions and continued another ten years of blessed activity until his death on 10th Shevat, 1950. His son-in-law Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, succeeded him and continued leading the Chabad movement's activities from this building.
Fair condition. Creases and extensive wear.
100-dollar bill given by the Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson –Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch in 1943 to his daughter Rebbetzin Chana as Chanukah gelt.
The bill, issued in 1934, bears the portrait of Benjamin Franklin.
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift... the 100 bill I received from my father as Chanukah Gelt in 1943". The letter is dated 17th September, 1989.
In one of his discourses, the Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke of the custom of his father-in-law Rebbe Rayatz, carried on from his father Rebbe Rashab, to give Chanukah gelt to the members of his household, even after their marriage.
Fair condition. Creases and extensive wear.
100-dollar bill given by the Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson – Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch in 1945 to his daughter Chana as Chanukah gelt.
The bill, issued in 1934, bears the portrait of Benjamin Franklin.
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift... the 100 bill I received from my father as Chanukah Gelt in 1945". The letter is dated 17th September, 1989.
In one of his discourses, the Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke of the custom of his father-in-law, Rebbe Rayatz carried on from his father, Rebbe Rashab, to give Chanukah gelt to the members of his household, even after their marriage.
Fair condition. Creases and extensive wear.
Microphone used by Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson – Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch, at a fundraising banquet of the United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth in the United States and Canada. Purchased by the well-known public figure Attorney Yekutiel (Sam) Kramer.
The microphone was made by the Amperite Co. (model BAH) – NY, late 1930s. The leg of the microphone is not original (the microphone itself was professionally cleaned and repaired).
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift… one of my father's microphones that Sam Kramer bought for him. He used it at one of the Yeshiva Dinners. My father gave it to me and my husband [R. Shemaryahu Gurary – the Rashag] after the dinner". The letter is dated 5th November, 1989. Enclosed: an elegant wooden box which was possibly used by the Rebbe Rayatz or his family (the box was given together with the microphone, but is not mentioned in the letter of authenticity).
United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth in the United States and Canada
The United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth in United States and Canada was established on 9th Adar II 1940 in a meeting summoned by Rebbe Rayatz on the first day of his arrival in the US. Six days later, on 15th Adar 1940, the first Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva in the US opened its gates. Initially, the students studied in the Oneg Shabbat Chabad synagogue in Brooklyn, NY and several months after the Rayatz moved into 770, at the end of Kislev, 1941, the yeshiva relocated there. At first, the yeshiva numbered 20-25 students, however it rapidly grew and new branches opened throughout the US for young and adult students. R. Shemaryahu Gurary served as the executive director of the United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth, which also included the chain of Achei Temimim Yeshivoth and the Chadrei Torah Temima Schools. The Rayatz remained involved in all details regarding the management of the yeshiva, spiritually and materially, and he took personal interest both in the management and maintenance of the yeshiva and the welfare of each student.
Periodically, festive banquets took place with the participation of the Rayatz and both his sons-in-law - R. Shemaryahu Gurary and Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Chairman of the Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch (Central Organization for Education). The banquets, held to raise funds for the United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth, were attended by leading rabbis, wealthy dignitaries and Chassidim.
Attorney R. Yekutiel (Sam) Kramer, son of R. Moshe Eliezer Kramer who was the first chairman of the Agudas Chassidei Chabad in the US, was very active in establishing Chabad institutions in the US. He and his three brothers – R. Chaim Shneur Zalman, R. Avraham Duber and R. Yitzchak Aryeh, all took part in the rescue and release of the Rayatz from his imprisonment in Russia in 1927 and in arranging his visit to the US in 1929-1930, in his rescue and immigration to the US in 1940 and in arranging his American citizenship in Adar 1949.
Based on the enclosed letter of authenticity, R. Yekutiel (Sam) Kramer purchased this microphone for the Rayatz, who used it at a banquet of the United Lubavitcher Tomchei Temimim Yeshivoth in America in the 1940s.
In a photograph taken at a banquet of the United Lubavitcher Tomchei Temimim Yeshivoth in America on Erev Rosh Chodesh Tamuz 1942, Attorney Yekutiel Kramer can be seen speaking into a similar microphone (the present microphone is lacking the long leg seen in the photo), with Rebbe Rayatz, R. Shemaryahu Gurary and Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson sitting at the head table beside him.
Approx. 20 cm. Good condition. Lacking original leg (replaced with a matching leg: 18 cm.) The microphone was professionally cleaned and repaired (the mechanism was not inspected).
Microphone used by Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson – Rebbe Rayatz, at a fundraising banquet of the United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth in the US and Canada. Purchased by the well-known public figure Attorney Yekutiel (Sam) Kramer.
The microphone was made by the Turner Co. (model 211) – Iowa, ca. 1940s. The leg of the microphone is not original (the microphone itself was professionally cleaned and repaired).
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift… one of the microphones that Sam Kramer bought for my father. My father and husband both spoke using this microphone at one of the Yeshiva Dinners. My father gave it to me and my husband". The letter is dated 5th November, 1989. Enclosed: a wooden box which was possibly used by Rebbe Rayatz or his family (the box was given together with the microphone, but is not mentioned in the letter of authenticity).
United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth in the United States and Canada
The United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth in United States and Canada was established on 9th Adar II 1940 in a meeting summoned by Rebbe Rayatz on the first day of his arrival in the US. Six days later, on 15th Adar 1940, the first Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva in the US opened its gates. Initially, the students studied in the Oneg Shabbat Chabad synagogue in Brooklyn, NY and several months after the Rayatz moved into 770, at the end of Kislev, 1941, the yeshiva relocated there. At first, the yeshiva numbered 20-25 students, however it rapidly grew and new branches opened throughout the US for young and adult students. R. Shemaryahu Gurary served as the executive director of the United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth, which also included the chain of Achei Temimim Yeshivoth and the Chadrei Torah Temima Schools. The Rayatz remained involved in all details regarding the management of the yeshiva, spiritually and materially, and he took personal interest both in the management and maintenance of the yeshiva and the welfare of each student.
Periodically, festive banquets took place with the participation of the Rayatz and both his sons-in-law - R. Shemaryahu Gurary and Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Chairman of the Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch (Central Organization for Education). The banquets, held to raise funds for the United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth, were attended by leading rabbis, wealthy dignitaries and Chassidim.
Attorney R. Yekutiel (Sam) Kramer, son of R. Moshe Eliezer Kramer who was the first chairman of the Agudas Chassidei Chabad in the US, was very active in establishing Chabad institutions in the US. He and his three brothers – R. Chaim Shneur Zalman, R. Avraham Duber and R. Yitzchak Aryeh, all took part in the rescue and release of the Rayatz from his imprisonment in Russia in 1927 and in arranging his visit to the US in 1929-1930, in his rescue and immigration to the US in 1940 and in arranging his American citizenship in Adar 1949.
Based on the enclosed letter of authenticity, R. Yekutiel (Sam) Kramer purchased this microphone for the Rayatz, who used it at a banquet of the United Lubavitcher Tomchei Temimim Yeshivoth in America in the 1940s.
Approx. 14 cm. Good condition. Lacking label (with the company name and model no.) and original leg (replaced with a matching leg: 23 cm.). One of the parts is loose. The microphone was professionally cleaned and repaired (the mechanism was not inspected).
Elaborate box purchased by Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson – Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch, for his mechutan R. Menachem Mendel Gurary (father of R. Shemaryahu Gurary – the Rashag).
Leather-coated wood, with tortoise-shell lid set in a silver frame (sterling silver, marked: Chester, England 1922: maker's hallmark - Clark & Sewell). The initials M and g (Mendel Gurary), made of silver, are set into the lid. The inside of the box is lined with red fabric.
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz and doughder-in-law of R. Menachem Mendel Gurary: "I hereby gift… a unique gift my father bought for my father-in-law Menachem Mendel Gurary. This box was made from sterling silver and tortoise shell. My father bought it in Rostov. It was important from England. He had my father-in-law's initials put on MG. They put a small g instead of large G". The letter is dated 5th November, 1989.
R. Menachem Mendel Gurary (died 10th Sivan 1946) was a prominent Chassid of Rebbe Rashab and mechutan of Rebbe Rayatz. In 1921, his son R. Shemaryahu married the eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz, Chana Gurary. Based on the letter of authenticity, Rebbe Rayatz gave this box to his mechutan R. Menachem Mendel Gurary soon after their children's wedding in Rostov in Sivan 1921.
For one hundred and two years (1813-1915), Chabad Chassidut was centered in the town of Lubavitch, Belarus. In 1915, during WWI, Rebbe Rashab fled Lubavitch and settled in Rostov-on-Don, in south-western Russia. Before his passing on 2nd Nissan 1920, aware that his state of health was deteriorating, the Rashab chose Rabbi Shemaryahu Gurary (the Rashag), son of R. Menachem Mendel Gurary of Kremenchuk, for his eldest granddaughter Rebbetzin Chana. The tena'im were drawn on 12th Tamuz 1920, three months after the death of the Rashab and the wedding took place about one year later, on 11th Sivan 1921. Due to the difficult situation in Russia at that time, the wedding was a modest and small affair, and took place in the courtyard of Rebbe Rayatz in Rostov. The book Shemuot V'Sipurim describes the despondent atmosphere at the wedding: hearing Niggun Daled Bovos played at the wedding, Rebbe Rayatz wept and thumped the table with his hand. The Rashab's chair stood empty at the head of the table in the same place as in the past, and no one touched it. The mood was so morose that no one even danced.
8X13.5X12 cm. Good condition. Minor damage. Peeling and tears to leather coating.
Cloth napkins purchased by Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson – Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch and by his wife Rebbetzin Nechama Dina, as a wedding gift to their youngest daughter, Rebbetzin Sheina, upon her marriage to R. Menachem Mendel Horenstein in Landwarów in 1932.
Nine napkins; the letter H (for Horenstein) embroidered in the corner.
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift… the set of dinner napkins embroidered with the letter H which my father and mother bought as a gift before the wedding of my youngest sister Shaina. She had a very small apartment in Paris and left them with my parents. When the house was packed up at the beginning of World War II they were put in a box. They arrived in 1942 before Pesach. After my sister and brother-in-law were killed in Treblinka my mother gave them to me". The letter is dated 26th November, 1989.
On Lag Ba'Omer 1932, in Riga, R. Menachem Mendel Horenstein (grandson of the Rebbe Maharash, son of his doughder Chaya Mushka), became engaged to his (second) cousin, Rebbetzin Sheina (Sonya) Schneerson, the youngest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz. The wedding took place on Tuesday, 10th Sivan 1932 in Landwarów, on the outskirts of Vilna. On the next day, Wednesday, 11th Sivan, a joyous banquet was held in honor of the wedding, with celebrations lasting from the afternoon until the wee hours of the morning. The famed R. Chaim Ozer Grodzensky participated in the banquet and danced with the Rayatz at one of the Shabbat Sheva Brochot meals. Based on the enclosed letter of authenticity, these nine cloth napkins were given by the bride's parents, Rebbe Rayatz and Rebbetzin Nechama Dina, as a wedding gift to the young couple, Sheina and R. M.M. Horenstein.
Several months after their wedding, the young couple moved to a small apartment in the Hotel Max building on 9 Bolar St. in the 14th Quarter (Arrondissement) of Paris. In 1933, after the Nazi party rose to power, Rebbetzin Sheina's sister and brother-in-law, Chaya Mushka and R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson, left Berlin and moved to Paris. Rebbetzin Sheina and R. Menachem Mendel helped them adjust to their new surroundings and found them an apartment near to theirs, in the same building. The two brothers-in-law, R. Menachem Mendel Horenstein and R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson, registered for studies at a school specializing in public work in construction and industry (ESTP), and concluded the program in 1937.
Their proximity in Paris, nurtured a warm close relationship between the two couples. For the festivals and various special Chabad occasions, they would travel to the court of the Rayatz in Riga, Warsaw and Otwock, and on the visits of the Rayatz to Paris for medical purposes, the two sons-in-law would accompany him and assist him in all his personal and communal needs. Parallel to their studies, the two brothers-in-law also kept the finance books of the Rebbe's Chassidic court and delt with various communal activities of the Rayatz. Their father-in-law, the Rayatz, regularly sent them letters and booklets and Chassidic essays and requested that together they study the Chassidic teachings. In 1938, the two couples moved to more spacious quarters adjacent one to another in the 15th Quarter of Paris.
Based on the enclosed letter of authenticity, Rebbetzin Sheina's apartment in Paris was small, and some of her possessions and household items, including these cloth napkins, were left at her parent's home in Warsaw and in Otwock. In a letter written by Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka to her father and mother-in-law, R. Levi Yitzchak and Chana Schneerson, a few days after her move to their new apartment, she mentons household items she left at her parents' home. She writes that they have finally moved to a small two-room apartment and that she is very pleased that her younger sister and brother-in-law will be living nearby. She mentions that tablecloths, towels and napkins are unnecessary burdens and that all their belongings are by her mother, Rebbetzin Nechama Dina and that if ever she will want these items, they will find a way to fetch them.
With the outbreak of WWII, R. Menachem Mendel and his wife Sheina traveled to Otwock, to assist R. Menachem Mendel's elderly and sickly parents, R. Moshe and Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Horenstein. On 5th Tevet 1939, the Rayatz and some of his household members fled Warsaw to Riga, Latvia, however, his daughter and son-in-law, who did not hold Latvian citizenship, only Polish citizenship, were left in Poland. In spite of urgent and intensive efforts of the Rayatz, the were not able to escape Europe, and in 1942, were murdered at Treblinka. To spare the Rayatz heartbreak, the painful news of their death was concealed from him until his death in 1950.
As written in the letter of authenticity, after Rebbetzin Nechama Dina learned of the murder of her daughter Rebbetzin Sheina and of her husband, R. Menachem Mendel HaKohen Horenstein, she gave her eldest daughter, Chana, these cloth napkins.
Approx. 45X48 cm. Good condition. Stains and minor damage. Tears and small holes to one napkin.
Large iron lock of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, father of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, with the original key. Used to lock his storage room in Ekaterinoslav (Dnipro).
Lock made by the Shtamp Rekord (Штамп-Рекорд) company in Dnepropetrovsk. Marked: "Артель Штамп Рекорд Днепропетровск" [Artel Shtamp Rekord Dnepropetrovsk], made after 1926 (in 1926, Ekaterinoslav was renamed Dnepropetrovsk and in 2016, it was renamed Dnipro).
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift… a large lock that Chana Schneerson – my sister's mother-in-law [Chana Mushka] brought with her to the United States. After she passed away my sister and my daughter-in-law Mina [wife of R. Shalom Ber (Barry) Gurary] cleaned out her apartment. My sister knew that I collect items with the names of Russian cities on it so she gave it to me. According to my sister, this lock was used by her father-in-low Reb Levik [R. Levi Yitzchak Schneerson] for a storage room that he had in Yekatrinislav. Chana took with her a few items from Yekatrinislav when she joined her husband in exile, including this lock. The lock still has the original key". The letter is dated 19th November, 1989.
The Kabbalist and Torah scholar R. Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (1878-1944) and his wife Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson (1880-1964), were the parents of Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson – the Lubavitcher Rebbe. R. Levi Yitzchak descended from the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch. The Rebbe Rashab was instrumental in his appointment as rabbi of Ekaterinoslav (today Dnipro), a tenure he held in 1908-1939. After the communist revolution, he devoted his life to preserving the Jewish ember. His brazen activities to spread Judaism led to his imprisonment in 1939 and after a year of investigation and persecution, he was put on trial and exiled to the town of Chiali in Kazakhstan. His wife, Rebbetzin Chana, daughter of the rabbi of Mykolaiv R. Meir Shlomo and of Rebbetzin Rachel Yanovsky, stood by her husband's side with utmost devotion and she too, fearlessly toiled to spread Judaism under the communist rule, first in Ekaterinoslav and later in Chiali, where they lived for more than four years. During this time, she produced ink from weeds, to enable her husband to write his Torah novellae, and later risked her life by carrying his writings while traveling from place to place. In his last months, they lived in Alma-Ata (Almaty), Kazakhstan, where R. Levi Yitzchak passed away on 20th Av 1944.
In 1946, Rebbetzin Chana crossed the Russian border to Poland, and reached Paris in Adar 1947. Upon hearing the news of his mother's arrival in Paris, her son, Rebbe Menachem Mendel, who was already living in Brooklyn, immediately boarded a plane to meet his mother, who had been confined behind the Iron Curtain and whom he had not seen for the past 20 years. The Rebbe stayed in Paris for three months to arrange all the necessary authorizations for her immigration to the US and in Sivan, embarked with his mother on a ship to the US. As written in the enclosed letter of authenticity, Rebbetzin Chana kept this metal lock with her in all her travels and brought it with her to the US. After her arrival in the US, Rebbetzin Chana lived near her son and near 770, on the corner of President St. and Kingstone St., building no. 1418 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn NY. Some three years later, the Rayatz died and Rebbe Menachem Mendel became the Rebbe of Chabad. Rebbetzin Chana was very involved in the lives of the Chassidim and in the various activities of Chabad Chassidism and served on the board of the Chabad women's organization in the US. She passed away on Shabbat, 6th Tishrei 1964 and is buried near the Rayatz and the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
As stated in the letter of authenticity, after Rebbetzin Chana died in 1964, her daughter in law Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka and Rebbetzin Minah Gurary (daughter in law of Rebbetzin Chana and R. Shemaryahu Gurary), tended to Rebbetzin Chana's belongings and to clearing out her apartment. Based on the enclosed letter of authenticity, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson gave this lock as a gift to her sister Rebbetzin Chana Gurary, knowing of her pastime of collecting items bearing names of various Russian cities. The name Dnepropetrovsk appears on this lock.
Lock: Approx. 9.5X15.5 cm. Key: Approx. 7.5 cm. Good condition. Minor damages.
Brooch of Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson, mother of Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Filigree silver (marked; worn mark, hard to decipher); enamel. Russia, [ca. late 19th century or early 20th century].
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift... the Russian silver brooch used by my sister's [Chaya Mushka] mother-in-law [Rebbetzin] Chana Schneerson. When my sister and daughter-in-law, Mina [wife of R. Shalom Ber (Barry) Gurary] cleaned out her apartment after she passed away, my sister gave me this brooch as a gift". The letter is dated 19th November, 1989.
Rebbetzin Chana Schneerson (1880-1964) mother of Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson – the Lubavitcher Rebbe and daughter of the rabbi of Mykolaiv, Ukraine R. Meir Shlomo and his wife, Rebbetzin Rachel Yanovsky. Married R. Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, and with utmost devotion joined him in fearlessly spreading Judaism under the communist rule, first in Ekaterinoslav and later in Chiali, Kazakhstan, to where he was exiled. During this time, she produced ink from weeds, to enable her husband to write his Torah novellae, and later risked her life by carrying his writings while traveling from place to place. These writings were later printed in his series of books Likutei Levi Yitzchak on the Zohar. R. Levi Yitzchak passed away in Alma-Ata (Almaty), Kazakhstan in 1944.
In 1946, Rebbetzin Chana crossed the Russian border to Poland, and reached Paris in Adar 1947. Upon hearing the news of his mother's arrival in Paris, her son, Rebbe Menachem Mendel, who was already living in Brooklyn, immediately boarded a plane to meet his mother, who had been confined behind the Iron Curtain and whom he had not seen for the past 20 years. The Rebbe stayed in Paris for three months to arrange all the necessary authorizations for her immigration to the US and in Sivan, embarked with his mother on a ship to the US. After her arrival in the US, Rebbetzin Chana lived near her son and near 770, on the corner of President St. and Kingstone St. no. 1418 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn NY. Some three years later, the Rayatz died and Rebbe Menachem Mendel became the Rebbe of Chabad. Rebbetzin Chana was very involved in the lives of the Chassidim and in the various activities of Chabad Chassidism and served on the board of the women of Chabad in the US. She passed away on Shabbat, 6th Tishrei 1964 and is buried near the Rayatz and the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
As stated in the letter of authenticity, after Rebbetzin Chana died in 1964, her daughter in law Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka and Rebbetzin Minah Gurary (daughter in law of Rebbetzin Chana and R. Shemaryahu Gurary), tended to Rebbetzin Chana's belongings and cleared out her apartment. Based in the enclosed letter of authenticity, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson gave this brooch which belonged to her mother-in-law Rebbetzin Chana as a gift to her sister Rebbetzin Chana Gurary.
Approx. 3.5X3.5. Good condition.
Brooch which belonged to the sisters Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson and Chana Gurary.
Gold-toned brooch (made by Trifari), set with faux pearls and rhinestones, worn by Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson, wife of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and by her sister Rebbetzin Chana Gurary, wife of R. Shemaryahu Gurary (the Rashag) – both daughters of Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch.
Letter of authenticity enclosed (handwritten note, in English), signed in Hebrew by Rebbetzin Chana Gurary (1899-1991), eldest daughter of Rebbe Rayatz: "I hereby gift... the Trifari faux pearl and rhinestone brooch which my sister and I wore in the 1950s – 1960's". The letter is dated 26th November, 1989.
In a famous photo, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka can be seen wearing another brooch made by Trifari (See: Kedem online 32, Lot no. 1).
Approx. 3.5X3.5 cm. Good condition. One stone is detached.
The description and condition report appear below in Hebrew. For information in English, please contact us at office@kedemltd.com