BDE: Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein, Who Represented Barry Gurary in Chabad Library Dispute, Passes Away at 92

by CrownHeights.info

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York announced Hellerstein’s passing, saying he died surrounded by his family. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1998, Hellerstein served on the federal bench for more than 25 years and remained actively involved in major cases until his passing.

For the Chabad-Lubavitch community, Hellerstein’s legal career carries a particular historical connection: his involvement in the bitter legal battle over the ownership of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s library, a dispute that became one of the most consequential legal chapters in the movement’s modern history.

In the 1980s, Hellerstein served as counsel for Barry Gurary, the grandson of the Previous Rebbe, and Gurary’s mother, Mrs. Chana Gurary, in litigation concerning the ownership of the Chabad library. The dispute centered on whether the collection of rare seforim and manuscripts was personal property that could be inherited by family members or a communal religious treasure belonging to Agudas Chasidei Chabad.

The case was ultimately decided in favor of Agudas Chasidei Chabad. Federal Judge Charles P. Sifton ruled that the library was held in trust for the Chabad community and was not simply part of the Previous Rebbe’s personal estate to be divided among heirs. The ruling was upheld on appeal.

The victory became known throughout Lubavitch as Didan Notzach and is commemorated annually by Chabad Chassidim on the Hey Teves.

Although Hellerstein represented the opposing side in that litigation, his role was as an attorney advocating for his clients’ legal position. The case would later stand as one of the notable intersections between his professional career and Chabad-Lubavitch history.

Hellerstein was himself a lifelong Orthodox Jew who spoke publicly about the influence of Jewish education and values on his life as a lawyer and judge. In a 2013 article titled “The Influence of a Jewish Education and Jewish Values on a Jewish Judge,” published in the Touro Law Review, he reflected on the relationship between his religious upbringing and his judicial philosophy, while emphasizing his obligation to decide cases according to the Constitution, statutes and legal precedent.

A verse from the Torah, “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof” — “Justice, justice shall you pursue” — was displayed in his chambers, according to a profile published by The Forward. Hellerstein also served as president and chairman of the Board of Jewish Education and was involved in Jewish communal life throughout his career.

Born in New York City on December 28, 1933, Hellerstein graduated from the Bronx High School of Science before earning his undergraduate degree and law degree from Columbia University. He served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps and spent nearly four decades in private practice before joining the federal judiciary.

Among his most prominent assignments was overseeing litigation arising from the September 11 terrorist attacks, including lawsuits brought by rescue and cleanup workers who suffered illnesses after exposure to toxic dust at Ground Zero. In later years, his docket included high-profile criminal and civil cases involving business executives, public officials and President Donald Trump.

Most recently, Hellerstein was presiding over the federal prosecution of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Following his death, the court said a new judge would be assigned to take over the case.

Hellerstein’s career spanned decades of American legal history, from his early years as an Orthodox Jewish attorney navigating discrimination in the legal profession to his service on the federal bench. For Chabad-Lubavitch, his passing also recalls a pivotal legal struggle over the ownership of the Rebbeim’s library — a case whose outcome continues to be marked each year by Chassidim around the world.