Members of the Hasidic Chabad movement are scouring the country for a white donkey to be ridden by the Messiah, whom they expect to appear shortly in the person of their revered leader, the Lubavitcher rebbe of Brooklyn.
The ailing 90-year-old leader of the sect, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, has never publicly acknowledged the claim, but his adherents are convinced he is the Messiah and will announce himself shortly.
News reports say believers have been visiting farms and animal breeding centers for a white donkey or mule on which the Messiah can ride to announce his arrival.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
