fact that Rabbi Schneerson has opposed the notion of giving up the territories oc- cupied by Israel since 1967. Rabbi Schneerson bases his position on securi- ty, according to supporters, and he has argued that once a part of ancient Israel is under Jewish domination, it cannot be relinquished. Lubavitch walks a fine line when it comes to Israel. It does not attach reli- gious significance to the State, as do the religious Zionists, nor is it anti-Zionist like its rival Chasidic sect, the Satmar. Lubavitch regards Israel as a place wor- thy of support because there are Jews there and because it is the holy land of the Jewish people. Since 1948, when Kfar Chabad was established in the new state of Israel, messianism within the move- ment has grown and there has been a greater focus on Israel as a place of in- gathering. Family Feud While Lubavitch has many outside crit- ics, probably its greatest detractor comes from within Rabbi Schneerson's own fam- ily, his nephew, Barry Gourary, the only other surviving male of the Lubavitch family dynasty. However, Gourary, 67, a physicist who lives in New Jersey, has no chance of succeeding his uncle. Gourary has not spoken to Rabbi Schneerson in years, except indirectly in Federal court. Gourary's mother is Hannah Gourary, a daughter of the pre- vious Lubavitcher Rebbe and a sister-in-law of Rabbi Schneerson. In a recent case, Lubavitch, acting on behalf of the Rebbe, contested Gourary's claim that he, as a grandson of the previ- ous Rebbe, was a part owner of a library of more than 40,000 books and manu- scripts. The 67-year-old Gourary secretly removed 400 of the volumes and began selling them to rare book dealers in Eu- rope before being enjoined by the courts. After a three week trial, Judge Charles P. Sifton said that the "conclusion is in- escapable" that the books belong to the Lubavitch movement and not to the fami- ly members. He ordered Gourary to repay Lubavitch for the books taken. Gourary believes that his uncle has dis- torted the teachings of the long line of Lubavitch rabbis and has taken the or- ganization on a dangerous course "outside of the mainstream of Judaism." In the lawsuit over the books, Gourary brought in expert witnesses to shore up his claims. Among them was Rabbi Ar- thur Green, president of the Reconstruc- tionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pa. In an interview, Rabbi Green, a non- Chasidic student of Chasidic thought, said that he believed there was a connec- tion between the Lubavitch fervor for the Messiah and the group's advocacy in Is- rael for the Who Is A Jew legislation. He said that the reasoning of Lubavitch went something like this: "The Jewish people have to be pure and whole in order for the redemption to come. Who Is A Jew was a way for the Lubavitch to hasten the time when the Rebbe will re- veal himself as the Messiah." Rabbi Green's theory on the connection between messianism and Who Is A Jew was dismissed by Professor Heilman. "It's lyrical and poetic, but it's wrong," he said. "Political decisions" like pursuing the Who Is A Jew amendment, Professor Heilman added, "are made for realistic and practical reasons." Lubavitch wanted Who Is A Jew pas- sed, he said, because it wants to be able to clearly define who is "Halachically Jew- ish" and who is not, as it pursues its agenda of sharing traditional Judaism with other Jews. "Can you imagine what would happen to their outreach if they asked people 'Are you Jewish?' and you couldn't believe their answer," Professor Heilman said. No Successor Schach, an antagonist of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who has urged that Rabbi Stein- saltz's Talmudic works be banned be- cause of what he calls "heresy." Professor Heilman said that "the smart money" in Israel is betting not on Rabbi Steinsaltz, but that there will be no immediate successor to Rabbi Schneer- son and that the group will follow the pattern of the Bratzlav Chasidim The Bratzlav are disciples of Rab Nachman of Bratzlav, who died in the early 19th cen- tury, leaving no heir. His followers, some- times known as "the Dead Chasidim," chose no successor and believe that he communicates with them from the grave. They study Ms books, especially the mys- tical volume Likutei Maharan. "With Rav Nachman it was the Likutei Maharan," said Professor Heilman, "but with Rabbi Schneerson they'll have the videos and the tapes. They'll replay them again and again, analyzing and discus- sing them." In time, a successor may be groomed to become the eighth Lubavitcher Rebbe. But the job will not be an easy one. "If there is a successor," Professor Heilman said, "he will be dealing with something larger than life." CI "There is something fundamentally wrong with the notion that I give to Lubavitch so that I can save Jews because I can't myself," says Dr. Steve Bayme of The American Jewish Committee. The looming question for Lubavitch is what will happen after Rabbi Schneer- son's reign. Since Lubavitch officials ref- use to comment on the future, many oth- ers have jumped into the silence. Rabbi Alexander Schindler, a Reform leader and critic of Lubavitch's advocacy of Who Is A Jew, is also an admirer of the "good works" that Lubavitch does for drug addicts, the homeless and for Rus- sian Jews, both inside and outside of the Soviet Union "When the Rebbe dies — and we must remember we are all mortal — I worry there are going to be a lot of disillusioned people," said Rabbi Schindler, the head of the Union of American Hebrew Con- gregations. Some recent speculation about a suc- cessor has centered on Rabbi Adin Stein- saltz, the formidable Israeli scholar who has spent the last two decades translating the Talmud into modern Hebrew and English. (The first volumes of his English edition will soon be pub- lished by Random House.) Rabbi Stein- saltz, raised by socialist, non-religious parents, is married to a Lubavitch wom- an who is a relative of the Schneersons and is himself a graduate of Lubavitch yeshivas. Rabbi Steinsaltz has dismissed the idea that he would be chosen as the Rebbe. Some, however, trace his recent troubles with the ultra-Orthodox in Israel as a consequence of his affiliation with Luba- vitch and a possible future leadership role with the organization. Rabbi Steinsaltz Every Sunday morning the Rebbe hands out dollar has been attacked by Rabbi Eliezer bills to be used for tzedakah. ri it nr-rewulr. J I.