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Article: Lubavitcher Rabbi Schneerson dies. (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson)
- Article from:
- The Christian Century
- Article date:
- June 29, 1994
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1994 The Christian Century Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In an apparent break from thousands of years of Jewish theology, a growing number of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's followers are predicting that he, will rise from the dead and proclaim himself the Messiah. Schneerson, the grand rabbi of the Lubavitchers, the more conservative wing of the Hasidic Jewish sect, died June 12 at the age of 92. The rebbe, as he was known, left no successor, and the resulting leadership vacuum has fostered turmoil within his 250,000-member movement.
"One month ago Lubavitchers were not teaching that they expected the rebbe to die and be resurrected. This is not a theological position that was held by anyone, including Lubavitch, ...