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Correspondence

August-September 1969

Exchange with Charles Silberman about Offer to Join Synagogue Council Commission on Youth (1969)

Orthodoxy & Other Denominations

1. Charles Silberman to R. Lamm

1. Charles Silberman to R. Lamm (Aug. 24, 1969)

1. Charles Silberman to R. Lamm (Aug. 24, 1969)

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Exchange with Dr. Marvin Schick about the Synagogue Council of America, Development of Halacha, and Israeli Religious Life (1969)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I'm in between classes at Bar-Ilan, which is as good a time as any to begin a letter of this sort. When it will be finished, I can't say since I'm certain that it will be that long. First, an apology and an explanation. The former for the difficulty you will encounter if you attempt to read the whole thing. My handwriting, if one can employ such a word here, is rotten to begin with and goes downhill after the first half-hour or so. I'm sorry,
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Memoranda to Marvin Herskowitz about Membership in the Synagogue Council of America (1969)

It seems to be the fate of Orthodoxy, at least in this country, that its major battles are fought over matters of little or no consequence. We have allowed truly important matters to be bypassed, and have chosen what are, relatively speaking, trivialities on which to stage our strongest stands. The Orthodox Union, as a more or less centrist group, seems peculiarly afflicted by this penchant for the petty. Once again we are evoking great principles and wasting precious time and risking wounded pride and injured feelings on an issue which is of concern only as a symbol, but unimportant in itself. From everything I have heard about the Synagogue Council of America (SCA), it has a limited scope of activity (how much can an “address” accomplish?). It is not the kind of organization which will seriously affect the destiny of Torah and American Jewry one way or another. I do not by any means wish to depreciate the value of SCA, but it certainly does not appear to me to be worthy of the dissension it has produced in our ranks. We will survive with it, and without it. It is almost farcical how we have succeeded in making iqarim tafel u’tafel iqarim.
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Letter to Marvin Herskowitz about the Synagogue Council of America (1969)

It seems to be the fate of Orthodoxy, at least in this country, that battles are fought over matters of little or no consequence. We have allowed truly important matters to be bypassed, and have chosen what are, relatively speaking, trivialities on which to stage our strongest stands. The Orthodox Union, as a more or less centrist group, seems peculiarly afflicted by a penchant for the petty. Once again we are evoking great principles and wasting precious time and risking wounded pride and injured feelings on an issue which is trivial.From everything I have heard about the Synagogue Council of America (SCA), it has a limited scope of activity (how much can an address accomplish!). It is not the kind of organization which will seriously affect the destiny of Torah and American Jewry one way or another. I do not by any means wish to deprecate the value of SCA, but it certainly does not seem worthy of the dissension it has produced in our ranks. We will live with it, and without it. It is almost farcical how we have succeeded in making a “yesh me’ayin.”Nevertheless, even insignificant issues must be met if they are thrust upon us against our will. The SCA question has been blown up to unrecognizable dimensions by those who have insisted upon the Union's withdrawal. I have no reason to regret the comment I made some years ago, which seems to have irritated a number of my colleagues, namely, that the demand for secession is a dull, obsessive litany. Indeed, it becomes duller with repetition. It is with considerable reluctance, therefore, that I undertake to set down even these few comments for your consideration.The Study Panel which deliberated on these matters — and SCA was only the most controversial of the so-called “umbrella” groups discussed — performed its task conscientiously and efficiently, at great expense in time and convenience. We heard testimony from a number of distinguished leaders of the community. I personally came to the hearings determined that I wo…
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