Russia bans entry to numerous US Jews, including Chabad rabbis

(JTA) — Among the many Jews on Russia’s latest list of Americans banned entry are three Chabad rabbis, in possible retaliation for Chabad’s decades-long effort to recover texts and artifacts that the Soviets took from the movement.

The list of 963 Americans posted Saturday, first reported by Axios, includes three leaders of Chabad’s umbrella body, Agudas Chassidei Chabad. They are

Rabbi Avraham Shemtov, the chairman of the executive of the umbrella body, a founder of the Washington office of the movement;

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the umbrella group’s secretary, who heads the educational and socia...