Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, June 13, 1994                   TAG: 9406140252
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

RABBI, HAILED BY SOME AS MESSIAH, DIES

Schneerson, 92, died Sunday, a mortal after all, but still revered around the world as one of Judaism's greatest religious scholars.

Spiritual leader of the ultraorthodox Chabad-Lubavitch sect, the charismatic and controversial Schneerson succumbed in a New York City hospital to the effects of a stroke suffered in March.

His death, an inconceivable event for many followers, provoked intense grief at his headquarters in Brooklyn and everywhere the hundreds of thousands of Lubavitchers gathered around the world.

In accordance with orthodox Jewish tradition, Schneerson's funeral was held promptly. He was Schneerson buried Sunday in a plain wooden coffin at a cemetery in Queens, next to his wife and father-in-law, his predecessor as grand rabbi.

Thousands of followers marched in the funeral procession. Others prepared around the world to memorialize the man they affectionately called "the Rebbe."

White-bearded, with piercing blue eyes and a gentle manner, Schneerson led the Lubavitchers for 44 years. Melding ancient, sometimes mystical teachings with modern technology and marketing techniques, he supervised the group's rapid growth in size and influence.

Before becoming frail, Schneerson would greet streams of visitors at his brownstone in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn. He gave advice, answered questions, handed out crisp dollar bills that would be relayed to charity or cherished as souvenirs. His hourlong sermons were treasured for their insight, combed for hidden meaning.

Born in Russia, educated in Germany and France, a U.S. resident since 1941, Schneerson was the seventh leader of the Lubavitchers and the best known, by far, in the sect's history.

Members of the sect subscribe to some mystical beliefs, including curses, miracles and reincarnation, that have been largely abandoned by other branches of Judaism. Lubavitchers believe that by doing good deeds, by promoting tranquillity, they can hasten the Messiah's arrival.

For many followers, the Messiah was Schneerson. According to some interpretations of the Old Testament, the seventh leader of such a group could be the Messiah - in Hebrew, the Moshiach.

Schneerson never explicitly claimed that honor, but he allowed the belief - in some minds, the certainty - to flourish.

According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah's arrival will herald an age of peace and harmony, the gathering of all Jews in Israel and the resurrection of every person who ever lived and died.

Many of Schneerson's followers, certain that he was the Messiah and was nearly ready to reveal himself, carried electronic beepers expressly so they could respond immediately.

Now, they are forced to reconsider. The details of such beliefs tend to be ill-defined, but the sect's teachings strongly imply that the Messiah must be a living human being - not someone who is resurrected.

Some of Schneerson's most ardent followers simply refused to believe the news Sunday. In the Israeli town of Kfar Chabad, built by the movement, Yosef Yarche said: "He's the Messiah. He's not dead. It's a test of our faith."