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Correspondence

March 1974

Exchange with R. Jakobovits about Political Involvement in "Who Is a Jew" Issue (1974)

Religion & State Who Is a Jew?

1. R. Jakobovits to R. Lamm

1. R. Jakobovits to R. Lamm (March 12, 1974)

1. R. Jakobovits to R. Lamm (March 12, 1974)

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Exchange with R. Klavan about Signed Statement on "Who Is a Jew?" (1970)

Dear Issy: I enclose a draft copy of a Proclamation which ought to be circulated, signed, and published as quickly and expeditiously as possible. I talked with the Rav about it, and he is very much in favor of the idea. Please show him the copy for possible revision. I have no pride of authorship; as long as it is done in time for maximum effect I’ll be happy. Perhaps you can contact a number of people, in different areas in public and academic life and ask them to obtain consent for the use of their names. Dr. Seymour Lachman, the Board of Education (who first proposed the idea to me) might know of others in his field. In city government you might try Marvin Schick and Drell Greer. Marvin may have recommendations for other academic too. Milton Furst of Y.U. may have a list of people. Offhand, I might mention Marvin Fox of Ohio State, Paul Rosenberg of Columbia, and Abraham Tennenbaum of Columbia. The petition should be sent to Golda Meir and published in the Jerusalem Post, in Haaretz (in Hebrew) — and how about the New York Times? My secretary is typing this up while I’m off to California, but you can contact me at any time. I’ll be at the Riviera Hotel in Palm Springs — she has my phone number. I’m sorry to burden you with this, but if the issue has not been settled by the time you get this letter, it is simply too important to delay.
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Exchange with R. Rackman about Signed Statement on "Who Is a Jew?" (1970)

Dear Norman: I received a letter from Rabbi Kirshblum in Jerusalem and he warmly endorses Seymour Lachman’s proposal that we get an expression from American Jewish academicians with regard to the “who is a Jew” problem. Are you following through with Seymour’s suggestion? Warmest personal regards and best wishes for a Chag Kasher ve-Sameach. Yours as ever, Emanuel Rackman, Rabbi
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Letter from R. Jakobovits about His Concerns Concerning Religion and Politics in Israel (1974)

Dear Norman, I am turning to you, amongst a select number of leading personalities in Israel, to seek your advice, and possibly your assistance, in an effort to make some contribution towards alleviating the grave crisis afflicting our people in the wake of the Yom Kippur War. Even greater than the threat to Israel’s security from the might and machinations of our enemies from without is the mortal danger from within of disunity and disintegration, sapping Israel’s inner strength, resolve and morale. To Jews with a historical awareness, the present fragmentation and bitter strife in Government, inside the political parties and even in the Rabbinate cannot but be ominously reminiscent of the "Sinat hinam" which, as our Sages invariably maintained, caused the destruction of Jerusalem 1900 years ago.I have urged, both publicly and in private discussions - at any rate during the present emergency when religious faith and national unity are suoh indispensable assets to Jewish survival - that we shift the emphasis in our spiritual confrontations and challenges from legislation to education. Hore specifically, I suggest that 1) secularists be persuaded to admit some regular religious education and religious experience in all schools in Israel and 2) a moratorium be called on all new legislation of religious significance, such as conversions, civil marriage, public Shabbat observance and autopsies.At the root of our perilous predicament, to my mind, is a profound spiritual erisis revealed and accentuated by the Yom Kippur War. Israeli society is being acutely polarised and, worse still, demoralised by ever more bitter divisions on the very ideals which have sustained the spirit of our nation and united us in all our past tribulations.We are now paying a fearful price for the lack of a spiritual faith amongst 30 many of Israel's children. The rigid demarcation in the State system between religious schools for only a minority and non-religious schools for the rest, has raise…
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