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Correspondence

May 14, 1971

Letter from R. Joseph Lookstein about Meeting Regarding the Mikvah's Financial Distress (1971)

The Jewish Center
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Exchange with R. Joseph Lookstein about Repaying Wurzweiler Foundation Loan for Mikvah (1970)

My dear Emanuel: I am writing to you almost as a last resort. Previous efforts made by others brought no results. I think that you and I can bring these results. The Foundation, some years ago, contributed $12,500 to the Jewish Women’s Club, which we call the Mikveh. This was a one-time generous contribution, for in course of any kind of consideration that the late Gustave Wurzweiler would have given. In addition to the above gift, the Foundation put up $40,000 worth of securities as collateral for the Jewish Women’s Club’s mortgage so that it may be able to obtain a loan for its needs. We did it as an act of good will and generosity for an institution that was in great difficulty at the time. For what we did, no one has regrets. Certainly I have no regrets. Unfortunately, the loan was never repaid nor were the securities returned, a point to which even the Jewish Women’s Club could, even tacitly, scarcely pay much attention. As a matter of fact, due to the interest it accrued, the Foundation was advancing the interest for approximately the last two years.
The Jewish Center

Correspondence

Letter from R. Joseph Lookstein to Charles Bendheim about Mikvah Financial Distress (1971)

My dear Charlie: I have your letter of April 27th, 1971, a copy of which you sent to all the Rabbis in the neighborhood. It is regrettable that in our affluent area, a Mikvah has to undergo such hardship. Neighborhoods, far poorer than ours, somehow found a way how to construct a Mikvah and how to maintain it properly. I lay the blame on all of us. I mean the Rabbis, who are so extremely busy with a variety of matters that, in the language of the Bible, "they tend other gardens but neglect their own vineyard". Now you have a problem on your hands and you are entitled to relief and to assistance. I am especially mindful of the fact that you offered to make a gift of $5,000 in order to be relieved of carrying the burden further all by yourself. I think this is a generous intention on your part and I, for one, will be happy to see you implement that intention with the conditions that you set. How shall we go about preserving the institution of Mikvah in our area? I think that we ought to make one grand effort and assemble, in your home, the Rabbis and a number of lay people who are interested in this matter. I am sure that we can find a way of making these repairs, amounting to $16,000, by increasing the mortgage on the Mikvah property. I think that by doing that, we can also include the debt that is due to the Wurzweiler Foundation, a debt which was incurred on good faith and goodwill. I am further sure that the total debt, plus the maintenance of the Mikvah proper, could then, and should then, become the responsibility of the Rabbis of the neighborhood and of their synagogues. I, for one, together with my son, will do our best to carry our share of the responsibility, and even more. Please convene a meeting as soon as possible. Before long, the summer will set in and all of us will be departing, and the matter will again be neglected. Thank you for bringing this to my attention and be assured of my every cooperation. Very cordially yours, Joseph H. Lookstein
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Letter from R. Joseph Lookstein to Barry Eisenberg about Financial Support for the Mikvah (1975)

My dear Barry: I have your letter of January 21, 1975, which I turned over to the counsel of the Wurzweiler Foundation. He will probably be in touch with you. The Wurzweiler Foundation is anxious to be cooperative and helpful. I am afraid, however, that the offer that you made is hardly acceptable. Incidentally, it does not entirely conform to the discussion held in my office on December 27, 1974 in the presence of your dear father-in-law and my good friend Charlie Bendheim. You will undoubtedly be hearing from our lawyer soon, and I hope that you will prove as cooperative as we are anxious to prove helpful. Very cordially yours, Joseph H. Lookstein.
The Jewish Center