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Correspondence

July 22, 1963

Letter from Dr. Weiss to Max Stern about R. Gotthold's Report on Indian Jewry (1963)

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Letter from R. Charles Weinberg to Dr. Weiss about Conditions in the Indian Jewish Community (1960)

My Dear Dr. Weiss: I am here now three days. I can’t begin to tell you the story of India, I could already fill volumes. I am somewhat depressed by the general scene in Bombay, but the Jewish community is a very painful experience to behold. They are really a darling community. Enthusiastic, warm and possessed with a tremendous thirst for knowledge. Since I have arrived I have been working 18 hours a day. I have had about six committee meetings, 4 private sessions and I delivered lectures at 4 public gatherings. Thank G-d in the public gatherings I have made quite an impression on them. In the private meetings and committee sessions, and they are long, I am attempting to lay the ground work for a formal organization of a U.O.J.C.I. I have brought together the Iraqi leadership and the B’nai Israel and thank G-d succeeded in having them agree to a Union which will take in the Iraqi congregations and the B’nai Israel. Also a council of 5 men will be established to whom all matters involving ? and מקוה will be referred for them to contact either the Rabbinate of Israel, or the Chief Rabbinate of England or us in America.So far 9 congregations have agreed to join representing about 10,000 of Bombay’s 15,000 Jews. One of Mr. Benjamin’s friends attended one of my lectures and when it was through he said "it looks as though you have begun to scrap the United Synagogues of India". If these congregations go through with what we have planned Mr. Benjamin will be left with a few small prayer halls.Now comes the real problem. These people are suffering of the worst poverty I have ever seen. Families of 7 and 8 live in one room. It’s simply heartbreaking. Religiously they are very enthusiastic but are completely ignorant. It’s a terrible situation. We must find someone at least a teacher to come over here, at all costs, this is a real need. 15,000 Jews without a rabbi and without a teacher.To combat the influence of the Conservatives and Reform, we must help them organize and th…
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Correspondence

Letter from Dr. Weiss to Max Stern about His Donation to the Indian Jewish Community (1961)

Dear Mr. Stern: Enclosed please find copies of my letters to India and to Israel, in keeping with my recent memorandum of Sivan 18. I learned from Rabbi Lamm of your generous contribution of $250.00 for the salary of the Chazan in Panvel and the $700.00 contribution for the Tefillin which you were good enough to obtain. Since the money brought by Rabbi Lamm to India for Tefillin cannot be sent from there to Israel, due to Indian Valuta regulations, I am arranging for the transfer of these monies for other purposes. Thus, for instance, your contribution of $250.00 is already available to our friends in India for the Panvel Chazan. Since Mr. Saul Bernstein, the Administrator of the Orthodox Union, will be leaving next week for Israel, he will arrange for the payment of the Tefillin to the Ministry of Religions. This way, we will get a course of IL 2.16 per dollar, instead of IL 1.80.I will permit myself to call you on Thursday to find out whether you are available for a meeting of our Overseas Commission on Wednesday, June 21st.With many thanks for your generous support and with kindest personal regards, I amVery sincerely yours,Dr. Samson R. Weiss Executive Vice President8RW/sd Inc.Mr. Max Stem 1 West 81st Street New York 24, N. Y.
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Letter from Dr. Weiss to R. Warhaftig about Rabbinic Training for Bene Israel Student and R. Gotthold's India Visit (1963)

Dear Dr. Wahrhaftig: Mr. Max Stern, the distinguished Chairman of our Overseas Commission, received a letter from the Kol Torah Yeshiva in Jerusalem, dated Tammuz 9, in which he is informed that a student from Bombay has reached the conclusion of his studies at this institution. He should now be trained as a Shochet, Mohel and Sofer. The Hanhalah of Kol Torah recommends that the young man now undergo appropriate training through courses sponsored by either the Sochnut or the Misrad Hadatoth. As you surely know, our Overseas Commission and Mr. Stern, personally, are deeply interested in this student and in the other Bene Israel students whose coming to Israel has been due in some measure to efforts initiated by us in India. We shall deeply appreciate all possible assistance your Ministry can extend to this young man, so that he may undergo the proper training. His return to India upon the completion of his training will bring great benefits to the Bene Israel community.Yesterday morning, I spoke to Rabbi Gotthold in Bombay. We had received no direct reports from him since he left London on May 26th. Last week, in quick succession, two cables arrived, the first one asking for an additional $1,000, and the second one, two days later, announcing the termination of his mission due to our uncooperativeness. Since we knew that no other rabbis had joined Rabbi Gotthold in India, we were unable to understand the sudden need for additional funds. According to Rabbi Gotthold's initial and in our opinion rather high cost estimate, the first $1,000 we sent him should have been sufficient for at least two months of his maintenance.Rabbi Gotthold told me on the phone that he is utilising local persons instead of the expected rabbis and that he must pay their expenses. He assured me that he would send a detailed report to Mr. Stern. In my letter to him of today, I again pointed out the absolute need for detailed reports, including information on the persons he is employing. I trus…
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