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Correspondence

Nov. 4, 1963

Letter from Dr. Weiss to R. Ruch about Possibility of R. Lamm Speaking at Yeshiva College Banquet in South Africa (1963)

Yeshiva University South Africa
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Letter from R. Jakobovits to Ronald Misheiker Suggesting that R. Lamm Visit South Africa (1963)

Dear Mr. Misheikers: I am deeply appreciative of the honor done to me by your Board in inviting me to visit your community for your Jewish Education Campaign early in 1964. It would have given me very great pleasure indeed to avail myself of this opportunity to pay my first visit to South Africa and to meet its outstanding Jewish community. But after the most careful consideration, and following consultation with my officers, I find that it will regrettably be impossible for me to contemplate a protracted absence from New York during the next winter and spring season, particularly since I was only six months ago absent on a month's lecture tour in England. The period between Rosh Hashanah and Pesach is the busiest in our congregational calendar, and as we have no assistant Rabbi, many of our activities would grind to a standstill during my absence. I wonder, however, whether it would be of any help to you if I suggested to you an alternative visitor who might be agreeable to accepting the assignment. The Rabbi I have in mind is Rabbi Norman Lamm, the distinguished Associate Rabbi of the Jewish Center (131 West 86th street, New York City), our sister congregation in New York. He is a splendid speaker and enjoys a nation-wide reputation as one of the outstanding scholars and lecturers in the American Orthodox Rabbinate. His name may be familiar to you as the first editor of Tradition, now the leading Rabbinical magazine in this country. He has also had some invaluable foreign experience, notably through his important mission to the Jewish communities in India on behalf of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America a few years ago. I have no doubt that his messages would be received with great acclaim by all his audiences.I hope I may look forward to some future occasion for such a visit. Meanwhile, I trust you will appreciate the difficulties in the way of accepting your gracious invitation this time.Wishing your sacred endeavors every possible success, I …
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Letter to R. Abner Weiss about Possible Visit to Israel and South Africa (1969)

Dear Abner: I was delighted to receive a New Year’s card from you and your wife, and both my wife and I gladly reciprocate your good wishes for a happy and healthy year and a G’mar Tov. I have been inquiring from mutual friends about your welfare in Durban, although I have little doubt that you will succeed gloriously. I must tell you that I very much enjoyed your company when we did meet in the States, and I look forward to further meetings. As a matter of fact, I would like to make a suggestion, or a request, and hope that you will keep it confidential except insofar as you can possibly be of assistance to me.A mutual friend of ours, who shall meanwhile remain nameless, planted an idea in my mind which gradually developed into something that is either a stroke of genius or utterly scatterbrained. I hope you will feel free to give me your honest judgment.The idea is this. I am anxious to do something else in the summer, other than stay in Camp Morasha. I am anxious to visit Israel, especially this summer where a nephew of mine is celebrating his Bar Mitzvah on July 4th and also would be happy to make another visit to South Africa.The idea would be to accept some of the "feelers" that have been put out to me as to whether I would like to visit South Africa again. Frankly, I do not want to come as a professional fundraiser, being taken around to the homes of various prospective contributors and twisting their arms. Nor would I want to go through the same hectic pace I did last time for six weeks.Rather, I wonder if it would be possible to give a series of lectures, perhaps tied in with the campaign of some institution like the Yeshiva College or Board of Education, which, of course, can use my visit as part of its annual campaign. This should be a one-week or ten-day affair. The remainder of the time would be spent in ministering on Saturdays (including, of course, Friday nights) to a synagogue in an area where the weather is favorable during July and August. I beli…
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Letter from Dr. Weiss about R. Lamm's Appointment to YU Presidency (1976)

Dear Rabbi Lamm: The good news of your election to the presidency of Y.U. was here in the papers on Thursday. I hasten to extend you my warmest mazal tov, mi-kerev lev.May HKB"H grant you to see the fulfillment of all your hopes and aspirations in this tremendous task which השגחה עליונה has bestowed upon you.... Finally and for once, the best man was chosen. I shudder thinking of certain alternatives!
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