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Correspondence

June 1972

Exchange with Myron Kaufmann about Publicity for Orthodox Minyan in Sharon, MA (1972)

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1. Myron Kaufmann to R. Lamm

1. Myron Kaufmann to R. Lamm (June 6, 1972)

1. Myron Kaufmann to R. Lamm (June 6, 1972)

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Correspondence

Exchange with Myron Kaufmann about Revised Version of "The Coming Destruction of Israel" (1972)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I am taking the liberty of sending you copies of letters I have just now written to Mr. Harry Steinberg, Executive Director of the American Zionist Federation (515 Park Ave., N.Y.C.) and to Mr. Moshe Ofer of the Permanent Israeli Mission to the U.N. The letters explain themselves. Meanwhile, I have before me a letter you wrote me dated Oct. 7, 1970, in which you said in part: “I am genuinely excited about the book! Despite the horrid names, I find your argument so clear, the language so uncluttered… that it might perhaps alone represent the kind of work I had long been urging on my Israeli and Zionist friends –– a primer for Jewish students and Jews in public life…” My thought is that the book might perhaps now be revised into such a primer, with the support of the Zionist Federation, the U.J.A., and perhaps the Israelis themselves. I will phone Miss Wagner in a day or two. However, since I don’t know whether she knows of the book (she wrote to me in care of my fiction publisher) or whether the U.J.A. is quite what she and the U.J.A. may have in mind, I thought that before getting back to her I would inquire whether Mr. Ofer and his colleagues and Mr. Steinberg feel as they did two years ago. I will also appreciate any suggestions you may have. On another subject, you will be glad to hear that the National Council of Young Israel has been in touch with the Sharon Orthodox Minyan, and will probably grant it a charter within the next several weeks. This will certainly help it to grow. The Minyan is now in its 36th week, and still maintains a perfect record of never failing to have a minyan on shabbat or yom tov. Sincerely, Myron S. Kaufmann
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Correspondence

Exchange with Myron Kaufmann about Starting Orthodox Minyan in Sharon, MA (1972)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I thought you might enjoy seeing a copy of the enclosed press release. It took months of behind-the-scenes maneuvering, but with G-d’s help we began the first day of 5700 and have had the minyan every day since. There are many restrictions: each minyan must be arranged ahead, we are forbidden to look for a tenth man within the building, and certain individuals who would be glad to help us are forbidden to act at all. But, membership underlying, so far so good, and every week has brought all the greater matches because of the program’s very fragility. One man, a paralyzed engineer, has already decided that as soon as he is unparalyzed he will move to Sharon — as a result of our minyan. Warmest good wishes, Sincerely, Myron S. Kaufmann.

Correspondence

Letter from Myron Kaufmann about Orthodox Minyan in Sharon, MA and Raising Funds for Mikvah (1972)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, The article in the Jewish Advocate was a great success, as you can see from the enclosed. I understand that it was picked up by the JTA and appeared also in New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere. I have had many copies of the Boston article made, both for Orthodox families whom we contact, and for people in the Conservative temple in Sharon who are friendly to or potentially so. We are now going into our 20th week, and have not yet missed a minyan on Shabbat or Yom Tov. This “peaks” the opposition to us – as the existence of an Orthodox effort to establish and consolidate the administrative superiority and future viability in Sharon – apparently helped those opposed to us to be drawn out of the libel against Mr. Horowitz. Of course, it has had the side effect of stiffening the opposition, but we nevertheless consider it most significant progress. The results have been definite and promising, with Orthodox minyanim formed and with the large support of the Orthodox families from time to time, making it possible to know that the vital work of affinity in these families – and of direct indoctrination of the youth – are bearing results. Our job now is to find the prospects that we have been thus far successful in doing portions of the chinuchat themselves, and our resources are limited. I have no doubt that the project will succeed, and that in addition to bringing the nucleus of a community to Sharon we will also have a substantial effect on people elsewhere in Massachusetts. We bring to them not only people who are doing something for their Jewishness, but we bring them as well Torah. We have been learning the same sedarim as our minyanim and shuls, and some of the Sharon people have followed up by coming to the minyanim in Boston, and bringing their sons to the Talmud Torah. We are pleased with this, as it is an important step. We are also pleased with the fact that we can subsidize the students and yeshiva bochurim to come and help us. Our expenses …
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