Dear Rabbi Lamm שליט”א:

It was wonderful to spend a few days in your company in a somewhat more relaxed atmosphere than is possible elsewhere. I do believe, however, that we need to get together on a smaller scale to review the Conference and its many suggestions.

The one comment that I made to you personally I want to repeat in writing. Your well known speech regarding “The Cave” has been appreciated by many and misinterpreted by some. It is very much in line with the order given by Hashem to Noach after the deluge of צא מן התבה.

It seems to me, as I conveyed to you in person, that many of our Musmachim who have followed your philosophy, which is also mine, left the cave and are creating their own caves by holding small Minyanim and thus escaping the responsibilities towards the established Jewish community. There is now an elitist, intellectual, isolation which permits the very people who preach communal involvement to do so in public forums and in public sessions but do not do so in their private lives vis-à-vis the established community. I am not saying that they should not attend Minyanim of their own liking, but certainly ought to identify through membership and community participation with the aims and purposes of the established Kehillah in the community in which they reside. I do believe that this is one of the most important and pressing matters that we have to face.

Furthermore, permit me to suggest again that we dispense with the labels that we attach to ourselves. We are committed to Torah at its highest level and need not apologize for it, nor do we need to define ourselves any further.

With regard to your views on the Chief Rabbinate in Israel, I think it needs further clarification and deserves more in-depth discussion.

Again, let me state what a pleasure it was to spend Shabbat with you and Mindy and I am looking forward to seeing you shortly.

With kindest regards,

בידידות,

Sincerely yours,

Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld