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Correspondence

November 1969

Exchange with R. Pincus about Homosexuality as a Criminal Offense (1969)

Marriage & Sexuality

1. R. Pincus to R. Lamm

1. R. Pincus to R. Lamm (Nov. 17, 1969)

1. R. Pincus to R. Lamm (Nov. 17, 1969)

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Correspondence

Exchange about Gay Jewish Student Group (1973)

Dear Norman, Since I saw you a year and a half ago at the Starlight, or Morasha to be more exact, I found that being a Hillel Director is a very enriching experience with much satisfaction. Berkeley is a unique campus with many novel and peculiar situations. There is a group in and around Berkeley that calls itself "Achvah." It is a group of gay Jewish men. They are in search of legitimacy and acceptance within the Jewish community and particularly within the Jewish student community here at Hillel. I have an impression that you have written on the subject. If you have, I need all manner of information about how to deal with this group, or whether to deal with them at all.Cordially yours,[redacted]
Marriage & Sexuality

Correspondence

Exchange about Providing Therapy for Young Gay Man (1976)

Dear Rabbi Lamm: עמו"ש, After reading your article in the 1974 Encyclopedia Judaica Yearbook on "Judaism and the Modern Attitude to Homosexuality," I feel that you could possibly help me in recommending some behavioral therapists or any other professionals in the New York area. I know of a 21 year old Orthodox boy who is seeking help, and would like to see him get the right counselling. I would greatly appreciate your giving this your prompt attention, and hope to hear from you at your earliest convenience.Anonymity is requested by the young man,Sincerely yours,"לה' הישועה על עמך ברכתך סלה"תהילים ג'ט'
Marriage & Sexuality

Correspondence

Exchange with R. David Hartman about Defining Homosexuality as a Sin, Sickness, or Crime (1968)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I write this letter in response to your article in Jewish Life and would like clarification of some of the categories that you use as they appear, or at least this is my impression, confusing. I would like to know, if you agree regarding a Jewish view when you use the term, equating homosexuality with the sin of Sodom was viewed as a crime where punishment was ordained by death—or a view that sees homosexuality as a sickness. Would you say then that the Bible and Halakhah look at homosexuality in the framework of a sickness? It would appear strange that punishment for sickness is capital punishment. One would imagine that a different move should have been suggested. Second, you maintain that homosexuality between two consenting adults is not as grave as other sins (for instance, adultery or incest), and you say this in terms of consistency and expectedness: you call it a sickness, but your argument that voluntary and consenting homosexuality should not be prosecuted by the courts but once it becomes voluntary it should be prosecuted by the courts. Even more, if your argument is within the same framework, then one cannot treat homosexuality as a sickness and wonder how you are at the same level maintaining that your argument is based upon consistency. The third point that I would like to clarify is what is your position when you call homosexuality a sickness. Are you, then, agreeing with those in the medical and psychiatric professions who see sickness as a disease, or do you see sickness as a metaphorical category that one uses to describe a condition and their treatment of people who differ from the tradition? When you call homosexuality a sickness in the loose sense, is this a clarification that in the biblical sense it is a sin, a flagitious act, and really in another way of saying that? Therefore, I think I would like again this type of clarification. If you mean it in a loose sense, then you are really not going away from the biblical but rat…
Marriage & Sexuality