Letter from R. Charlop about a Shabbat Hagadol Yotzer Recited by Women (1988)

Rabbi Zevulun Charlop served as Dean of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) from 1971 to 2008 and enjoyed a strong relationship with Rabbi Lamm. He often shared Torah insights with Rabbi Lamm.

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Statement to Jewish Telegraphic Agency About Counting Women in a Minyan (1973)

I am opposed to the ruling on women as members of a minyan on both Halachic and non-Halachic grounds. I see nothing wrong and everything commendable with women accepting on them observances which are Halachically obligatory only upon men. However, such voluntary assumption of responsibilities does not transform the act into one of Halachic obligation. Therefore, a woman who prays with a minyan every day is certainly praiseworthy, but since her act lacks the quality of obligation, she cannot be counted as part of a minyan. To maintain that this in some way bespeaks a patronizing attitude to women is to raise a false issue. Of course there are problems, but this is not one of them, and certainly not the most important one. Insofar as extra-Halachic reasons are concerned, it is for the good of the Jewish community, the Jewish family, and especially Jewish women, that the fundamental patriarchal structure of Jewish society be maintained and continued. This does by no means imply that we are unalterably opposed to an enhanced role for women in general and in the Jewish community in particular, but I am not quite ready to abandon a form of social and familial structure reflected in the Halacha which has stood for 3500 years because of the pressure of cultural fashions.

Practical Halacha Women & Judaism

Letter to R. Berkovits about Article Draft (1975)

Dear Dr. Berkovitz: Thank you very much for sending me the draft of your newest article. Because of the importance of the subject, I do not want to comment until I have had a chance to study it further. My first reading leaves me impressed once again with the boldness of your efforts and the sweep of your concern. However, with such intellectual daring come risks, and I do want to think through the problem a bit further before offering my comments. I believe the enclosed letter will explain where I stand on the problem we have been discussing for some months now. My warmest regards to Mrs. Berkovitz. Cordially yours, Rabbi Norman Lamm

Women & Judaism

Letter from Dr. Avi Rockoff about Women's Shacharit Ban by Queens Vaad (1997)

Dear Rabbi Lamm: A couple of weeks ago my son Ari told me that he met and spoke with you, and that you had expressed interest in my sending you more of my articles. I frankly wasn’t sure that I might not be imposing on your time by sending them, but of course am flattered and delighted to do so. Most are from the Jewish Advocate, our illustrious local rag. One is a short drasha prepared for the first yahrzeit of Marvin Fox, alav hashalom. The echoes of the Queens Vaad’s ban on women’s shacharit davening are reaching these parts loud and clear. The issue is convulsing our little community and threatening to tear it apart (all in the name of fidelity to tradition or the quest for deeper spirituality, of course). In this polarized atmosphere, a stance of bemused and ironic detachment is useless.

Women & Judaism