Editing Chabad (section)

=== Political activities ===
Rabbi Schneerson involved himself in matters relating to the resolution of the [[Israeli-Arab]] conflict.<ref>"When Silence is a Sin". ''Sichos in English''.
[http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/when-silence-is-a-sin/17.htm Letter to Zalman Shazar] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113021020/http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/when-silence-is-a-sin/17.htm |date=November 13, 2014}}</ref> He maintained that as a matter of Jewish law,<ref>Based on Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim, 328</ref> any territorial concession on Israel's part would endanger the lives of all Jews in the Land of Israel and is therefore forbidden. He also insisted that even discussing the possibility of such concessions showed weakness, would encourage Arab attacks, and therefore endanger Jewish lives.<ref>Essentially his argument sought merely the position that would prevent loss of life, rather than taking a stance in the nature of the Land of Israel and Zionism. {{cite web |last=Freeman |first=Tzvi |url=http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/807777/jewish/Should-I-Pray-for-the-Death-of-Terrorists.htm |title=Should I Pray for the Death of Terrorists? |publisher=Chabad |access-date=2010-05-12}}</ref>

In US domestic politics, Schneerson supported government involvement in education and welcomed the establishment of the [[United States Department of Education]] in 1980 yet insisted that part of a school's educational mission was to incorporate the values espoused in the [[Seven Laws of Noah]]. He called for the introduction of a [[moment of silence]] at the beginning of the school day, and for students to be encouraged to use this time for such improving thoughts or prayers as their parents might suggest.<ref>''Hayom Yom'', p. A29</ref>

In 1981, Schneerson publicly called for the use of solar energy. Schneerson believed that the US could achieve energy independence by developing solar energy technologies. He argued that the dependence on foreign oil may lead to the country compromising on its principles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/394468/jewish/Americas-Mandate-Energy-Independence-Part-1.htm |title=Website video link |publisher=chabad.org |date=April 15, 1981 |access-date=2010-05-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chabad.org/therebbe/livingtorah/player_cdo/aid/408957/jewish/Americas-Mandate-Energy-Independence-Part-2.htm |title=Chabad.org website video link |publisher=chabad.org |date=1981-04-15 |access-date=2010-05-12}}</ref>

==== Library dispute with Russia ====
In 2013, US federal judge [[Royce C. Lamberth|Royce Lamberth]] ruled in favor of Chabad lawyers who sought [[Contempt of court|contempt]] sanctions on three Russian organizations to return the Schneersohn Library, 12,000 books belonging to Rabbi [[Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn|Yosef Schneersohn]] seized and nationalized by the Bolsheviks in 1917–18, to the Brooklyn [[Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad|Chabad Library]].<ref name="The Forward"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/books/143902/moscow-putin-lubavitcher-library|title=Putin refuses to let the Lubavitcher Rebbe's library leave Moscow|author=Avital Chizhik|publisher=Tablet|date=September 30, 2013|access-date=June 4, 2017}}</ref> Chabad Rabbi [[Berel Lazar]], Russia's Chief Rabbi, reluctantly accepted Putin's request in moving the Schneerson Library to Moscow's [[Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center]] as a form of compromise, which was criticized by the Chabad Library.<ref name="The Forward"/>