Nearly 39 years after the petirah of the Chernobyl Rebbe zt”l, members of the illustrious Chassidic dynasty are preparing to finalize the division of a substantial family inheritance that includes priceless seforim, historic religious artifacts, and valuable real estate in Eretz Yisroel.

According to a report by Kikar HaShabbat, the longstanding inheritance matter is expected to be resolved before the Rebbe’s upcoming yahrtzeit on 17 Cheshvan, following an initiative by the current Chernobyl Rebbe to bring the decades-old arrangements to a conclusion.

During Chol Hamoed Sukkos, the Rebbe reportedly expressed his desire for the inheritance to be divided before the yahrtzeit, prompting the family to move forward with a comprehensive appraisal of the estate.

Professional appraisers have begun examining the extensive collection of assets, which reportedly includes antique seforim of considerable historical and monetary value, a rare Shas printed in Slavita, ornaments used for sifrei Torah, and real estate holdings in Bnei Brak and Mevaseret Tzion.

The Slavita Shas is considered particularly significant because of its connection to the famed Jewish printing house established by descendants of the Noam Elimelech’s contemporary, Harav Pinchas of Koretz zy”a. Seforim produced by the historic Slavita press are highly prized by collectors, particularly within Chassidic communities, where they are treasured for both their rarity and their spiritual and historical significance.

The inheritance involves descendants of the late Rebbe, including sons who subsequently established or led branches of the Chernobyl dynasty in Eretz Yisroel and the United States.

Although discussions concerning the division of the estate have taken place over the years, the family had not previously completed a comprehensive distribution of the properties and religious treasures.

One issue reportedly complicating the appraisal process is the whereabouts of several rare seforim that were historically listed among the family’s possessions but can no longer be accounted for. It remains unclear whether those volumes were transferred, distributed, or otherwise removed from the collection over the intervening decades.

The appraisers are now working to establish the value of the remaining assets as the family seeks to complete the division before 17 Cheshvan.

The late Rebbe was HaRav Meshulam Zusia Twersky zt”l, who was niftar on 17 Cheshvan 5748, November 9, 1987. His Rebbetzin passed away in Sivan 5772, and according to the report, the children had refrained from discussing a formal division during her lifetime out of respect for her.

The inheritance includes an antique Shas associated with Harav Aharon of Chernobyl zy”a, a kittel inherited from earlier generations, the Rebbe’s yarmulke and clothing, sifrei Torah and their crowns. One shelf of seforim was divided shortly after the Rebbe’s petirah, with each heir receiving an antique siddur.

The report also identifies major properties on Raavad Street and Ohr Hachaim Street in Bnei Brak. It describes a previous real estate transaction in Herzliya in which the Rebbe’s daughters reportedly waived their shares in favor of their brothers. Whether that earlier arrangement will affect the current distribution remains unclear.

The family includes five sons, among them Rebbes associated with Chernobyl in Eretz Yisroel, the United States, Loyev-Chernobyl and Ashdod, as well as HaRav Yaakov Mordechai Twersky of Elad. The late Rebbe’s sons-in-law include the Vizhnitzer Rebbe and the Kretchnifer Rebbe of Yerushalayim.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)