Yisroel Aryeh Leib Schneerson AKA Mark Gourary
Never Seen Before, the Photo of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Brother
The photo was taken in 1943 (he is 37) at the wedding of the Yisroel Aryeh Leib’s brother-in-law (a Milgrom), where he was אונטערפירער. He’s holding the right arm of the chosson, and the chosson’s father is on the left. The full photo is in possession of Gerlitzky in Tel Aviv.
The photo was taken in 1943 (Yisroel Aryeh Leib is 37) at the wedding in Israel of the nephew of Regina/Genya Milgrom Gourary (Yisroel Aryeh Leib’s wife), where Yisroel Aryeh Leib was אונטערפירער (bringing the chosson to the chupa). He’s holding the right arm of the groom/chosson, and the chosson’s father is on the left. We believe the full group photo from the wedding is in possession of Reb Yossy Gerlitzky in Tel Aviv.
Not a nephew or brother-in-law. Regina/Genia Milgrom Gourary (Yisroel Aryeh Leib’s wife) had one sibling, a sister Batya Pnimi, who married in the 40s and had a child in 1949, so there wouldn’t be any nephews or nieces of marriage age at that time. The photo was taken at a wedding (in the 40s) of Yisroel Aryeh Leib’s close friend, who was the chosson, and who asked Yisroel Aryeh Leib to walk him to the Chupa. After this chosson died in the 90s, his widow gave Gerlitsky the photo as a gift. A note that came along with the picture described the man in the photo as “Leibl Gurary”. The full group photo from the wedding is in the possession of Reb Yossy Gerlitzky in Tel Aviv.
This photo is the “holy grail” of the Chabad iconography. Yisroel Aryeh Leib Schneerson, Rebbe’s younger brother, was born 116 years ago. He lived in Nikolayev, Dnepropetrovsk, Leningrad, Berlin, in Israel, Liverpool, England. Yet not a single photo surfaced until last week. This led to the speculation or conspiracy theory that because Lubavitch created a “story” about this man and because Yisroel Aryeh Leib was actually secular, perhaps even anti-religious, somehow Chabad PR apparatchiks intentionally hid all his photos. Wherever the conspiracy is true or not, this photo is the only photo of Yisroel Aryeh Leib leaked after 116 years! To be clear, the source of the photo is definitely not Yossy Gerlitzky.
When we started this new mentalblog, we didn’t want a single picture of Ramash here, but will make this exception. The eyes, the eyebrows, sit low on top of the eye sockets. Note cheekbones, and the head shape. Add or subtract a beard, and they are almost twins.
The Rebbe’s brother Yisroel Aryeh Leib Schneerson, AKA RAYAL, AKA Лёва (Lyova), AKA Mark Gurary, wasn’t religious. People say that he was perhaps accused in the CCCP of being a Marxist Trotskyite (follower of Leon Trotsky) but turned into a tzaddik by Chabad propaganda when he suddenly died (the cause of the untimely death remains a secret). He had a secular family and lead a secular life. Of course, he was a lamdan, a mathematician and a tzaddik, but not in the way Chabad PR undertakers want to portray him.
Also see on the subject this podcast: Sound No. 14 - Sholem Aleichem: Why there is no new Chabad Rebbe?
This photo has surfaced yesterday. We will post updates as they come in.
Update: Archive of Mark Gurari?
What is the source of this assumption?
"perhaps accused in the CCCP of being a Marxist Trotskyite"
I have no idea who are the new Chabad, but someone told me that people no longer know who is Rashag or even the Rebbe. Let alone his long-lost brother, therefore the whole Schneerson spil is purely an abstract and irrelevant exercise. Are there different parameters to the group that we no longer know?