Exchange with R. Jakobovits about Jewish Chronicle Reporting and R. Lamm's Views on Divine Revelation (1969)

1. R. Lamm to R. Jakobovits (Sep. 9, 1969)

1. R. Lamm to R. Jakobovits (Sept. 9, 1969)

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Exchange with R. Jakobovits about Jewish Chronicle Reporting on "Modern Orthodoxy's Identity Crisis" (1969)

Dear Immanuel: The Jewish Chronicle article and editorial came to my attention yesterday simultaneously with receipt of Prof. Domb’s letter. I am sending you a copy of my response enclosed. I assume that by now you have seen my original article in the May–June issue of Jewish Life. I am willing to abide by your recommendation, although my first impulse, as I wrote to Domb, is to ignore them. Although I am still in the country, I do come to the city quite often and so it is best to write to me at the Jewish Center. Mindy and I and all our family are thrilled that you will be with us, hopefully together with Amelle, at the Bar Mitzvah – at least for the Sunday affair. It will be a great honor and a marvelous sign of friendship. Cordially, Rabbi Norman Lamm

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Exchange with R. Jakobovits about the Torah Fellowship Foundation (1963)

Dear Rabbi Jakobovits: The enclosed letter from Rabbi Lookstein to me will explain the situation with regard to his supposed commitment to obtain fellowships for Rabbi Kasher’s project. I suggest you inform Rabbi Kasher personally, at the meeting, of Rabbi Lookstein’s clarification. Please be kind enough not to show the letter itself to anyone, but to return it to me after you have read it. Sincerely, Rabbi Norman Lamm

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Exchange with William Frankel about R. Lamm's Views on Divine Revelation (1969)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, As you may by now have seen, I published your letter in our last week's issue. You make the point that because you accept "Torah min ha-shamayim" and Dr. Jacobs does not, you are Orthodox and he is not. That would be perfectly fine and explicit if we knew what you meant by "Torah min ha-shamayim" since this was the basis of the "local polemics" to which your letter refers. Dr. Jacobs has made his position quite clear but neither your letter nor any other of your writings that I have seen are equally explicit on this subject. I am sure that you don’t wish intentionally to cloud the issues by deliberately vague formulations – indeed meaningless formulations. Would you therefore care to write an article for me, of not more than 1,200 words, on how you define "Torah min ha-shamayim" from the point of view of "modern Orthodoxy" as distinct from the non-modern acceptance of verbal inspiration? I am sure that such an article from you would have more than local interest and would be an important contribution to what I consider to be at the root of what you have described as "Modern Orthodoxy’s identity crisis". With kind regards, yours sincerely, William Frankel.

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