Forgotten Schneersons who Converted to Communism and were killed in Stalin's Purges
Martyred Alter Rebbe's Einiklach
During the massive wave of Jewish conversions to the messianic communism in Russia, the Schneerson family was not an exception. Many converted (even Rebbe’s brother). Many were active in the communist party. Some climbed the ranks of the NKVD.
Sacharov archive documents victims of Stalin’s purges. Second nationality to 8,859 Russians are the 2,338 Jews killed and listed there. There are four Schneersons.
Moisey Borisovitch Schneerson - Moshe Ben Boruch
Born in Lyadi in 1901. Graduated from a University, he was a doctor, Red Army officer and NKVD officer. Communist Party member since 1919, Lived in Moscow and Segezha.
Accused of being a spy and counterrevolutionary, condemned and shot on February 20th, 1939. Buried in the "Common Grave Number 1" at Donskoye Cemetery.
About the grave. The victims of the purges were shot, the bodies were then quickly driven to the cemetery or shot right in the cemetery, they were then cremated in the Orthodox church of St. Anna of Kashin that was converted to a crematorium. The ashes were dumped into the common grave. An astonishing 5,075 people are buried there. There are three known Schneersons in the same grave.
It looks like this genius was from the Lyadi Chabad dynasty, a grandson of the מהרי"ד who was a grandson of the Tzemach Tzedek.
מר ברוך שניאורסון was the only one son of the מהרי"ד who was not Rabbi, Russian wiki says he traded timber, most likely the father of Moisey Borisovitch Schneerson.
Moisey Borisovitch Schneerson has a Russian Wikipedia page:
Resume:
He was born in 1901 in the village of Letaya, Smolensk province (according to other sources — in the town of Lyady, Goretsky Mogilev province) in a Jewish family of a timber merchant.
From February 1916 to March 1917, he gave private lessons in Smolensk.
From April 1917 to January 1919 — Secretary of the Western Regional Committee of Students in Smolensk.
In December 1919, he joined the RCP (Russian Communist Party).
In 1919 -1920 he served in the Red Army: private of the 7th Separate Cavalry Division on the Western Front, head of the political department of the Smolensk garrison.
From December 1920 to February 1922 — Executive Secretary of the Zadneprovsky district Committee of the Smolensk City Committee of the RCP.
In subsequent years, he worked in administrative work in Moscow:
Commissar and head of the loading and unloading department of the NKPS of the USSR (March 1922 - May 1924).
Secretary of the Credit, head of the Administrative Department of the USSR State Bank (July 1925 — September 1926).
Chief doctor of the outpatient clinic of the USSR State Bank (September 1926 — October 1929).
In 1929, he joined the OGPU / NKVD bodies: junior doctor of the 2nd Rifle Regiment of the Separate Special Purpose Division of the Dzerzhinsky OGPU (20.11.1929 - 3.10.1930), head of the medical unit of the Higher Border School of the OGPU of the USSR (3.10.1930 — 10.7.1932).
From July 10, 1932 to July 10, 1934 — Assistant to the head of the 4th Department of the Main Directorate of the Border Guard and Troops of the OGPU of the USSR.
From July 14, 1934 to February 1, 1936, he headed the Cooperative Department of the NKVD of the USSR.
In 1936-1937 — in the Administrative and Economic Department of the NKVD of the USSR: deputy head of the department.
Head of the Economic Department (2.2.1936—1937).
Head of the Communications Department (28.3.1936 — 11/25/1937); at the same time — head of the sanitary—resort department of the NKVD of the USSR.
In 1937-1938 — Deputy head of the Segezhstroy of the BBK of the NKVD of the USSR (including the deputy chief in April 1938).
Arrested on October 24 , 1938. Sentenced to death on 20th of February 1939 by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR on charges of espionage and participation in a counterrevolutionary conspiracy ; on the same day, shot on the territory of the Don cemetery.
Rehabilitated posthumously on October 5, 1957, by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR.
Natan Alexandrovich Schneerson
Born 1881 in Ekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk). Founder and curator of State Museum in New Jerusalem (Istra). Accused of being a terrorist. Convicted and shot on October 9, 1937. Buried in the same "Common Grave Number 1" at Donskoye Cemetery.
See updated post about this man: The Revolutionary Anatoly Abramovich Schneerson, AKA Natan Alexandrovich Schneerson, Party name Ерёма, Party name Фридрих
Natan Michailovich Schneerson
Born 1901 in Surazh. Member of the Communist Party. Major in NKVD. Accused of being a spy and a counterrevolutionary plot inside NKVD. Shot on March 4th, 1939. Buried in the same "Common Grave Number 1" at Donskoye Cemetery.
See updated post about this man: James Bond of the Schneerson Family.
See post about his brother: One More NKVD Schneerson to Remember.
Yosif Solomonovich Schneerson
Born 1899 Surazh (perhaps a cousin of Natan above, different father's name). Member of the Communist Party. Graduated from a University. Director of a construction company. Accused of contacts with people from Charbin in China. Shot on December 4th, 1937 and buried in Butovo Execution range.
You can find many precious humans in the archive. For example, a Twersky listed as a “Russian”, likely a mistake, the way he looks and where he was born. God bless the forgotten martyrs!
Moshe Schneerson from Lyadi had brothers, sisters, he must have had at least dozens of cousins. There were other Chabad dynasties in Kopust, Bobruysk, etc. Where are these people, no one survived Gulag and Nazis? They are intentionally forgotten by the modern Chabad, as if nothing ever happened. But how can the obliteration of that family be so complete?
I just noticed that you already included the info on this family line in another, later post. Sorry for being redundant. What I can add is that members of this line currently live in the US.