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Correspondence

June 3, 1970

Letter from R. Silver about the Use of "Dayenu" in R. Lamm's Speech at the Exodus March (1970)

Soviet Jewry
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Letter to Rabbinic Colleagues Soliciting Support for Exodus March (1970)

Dear Colleague: In the recent issue of Shedemot, published by the Kibbutz movement, there appears a paraphrase of the Yom Kippur confessional, dedicated to the Six Million. One of the verses reads: על חטא שחטאנו לפניך ולפניהם בחבוק ידים – for the sin of folded arms. This is something which, as Rabbis, we cannot let our people forget. As much as we American Jews did, we didn’t do nearly enough. While the Holocaust raged, too many of us sat by be’chibbuk yadayim, with folded arms. The reason for my writing to you now is to solicit your help in avoiding a repetition of this immoral inaction with regard to Soviet Jewry. Now that so many of them risk life and limb talking out, we must do no less.On behalf of the New York Conference on Soviet Jewry, I therefore respectfully ask your cooperation on the following two matters:(1) Alert your congregation (including your high school and college groups) to the EXODUS MARCH planned for April 26th at noon. Details on this demonstration will be forthcoming shortly. We want Greater New York Jewry to come out in the tens of thousands. We hope you will personally be pre-sent at the head of a group from your synagogue.(2) We urgently need funds to finance this EXODUS MARCH to ensure maximum publicity and thus the greatest possible effect. I therefore ask of you to obtain for this demonstration the sum of $100 either from your Pulpit Fund or congregation or interested individuals.I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important both these requests are.I plead with you to "lend a hand" -- not chibbuk yadgylm.Very cordially yours.RABBI NORMAN LAMMP.S. Your check should be made out to
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Letter from Joseph Kaplan about R. Lamm's Speech at Exodus March (1970)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, Now that the Exodus March is successfully over I should like to congratulate you for having imagined and seen to fruition a significant event in the history of America. The theme of the day was perfect. If you had repeated this sermon of this past שבת it would have made an excellent keynote speech. The speech you actually delivered was the high part of the program at the U.N. We had a chance to appreciate some of your
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Letter from Sol Dann about the Use of "Dayenu" in R. Lamm's Speech at the Exodus March (1970)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, Receipt is acknowledged of your letter of May 13th. I fully agree with the essence of your "DAYENU" expressions, but disagree with some of the words you used to express them. You as a Rabbi know full well the importance of using accurate words; Pharaoh deceived the Jews by such devices. Lenin's intentions may have been sincere when he wanted to create an artificial "Jewish" nationality. But whatever his intentions, our acceptance of this LIE has plagued us, and it's time we stopped fooling ourselves about a so-called "Jewish Nationality"—even though, as you say, it prevented the complete assimilation of Russian Jewry.You might say the same for Hitler's use of the "Star of David" that he too required Jews to wear. DAYENU!It is not a question of semantics or "just words," it is a question of aiding and permitting our enemies to use the word "Jew" in a false way to persecute JEWS. DAYENU!Those in Russia who desire to emigrate are not "Jewish citizens of Russia." They are Russian citizens of the Jewish faith, or the faith of their ancestors. As citizens of Russia, they are legally and morally entitled to the equal protection of their human and civil rights and liberties to emigrate, as specifically provided in the Human Rights provisions of the United Nations Genocide Treaty that Russia itself signed.Russian Jews—not "Jewish Russians"—made the mistake of permitting Russia to invent an artificial YIDDISH state of Birobidjan, with Yiddish as their so-called national language; where Hebrew was forbidden. But having made that mistake, why are we continuing it? DAYENU!The exigencies of the moment may find it emotionally useful, but the permanent damage by such false use of words is too great. DAYENU!By the same token, we have permitted the world to falsely say that “Jerusalem is EQUALLY holy to all three religions: Christian, Moslem, and Jewish.” Nothing could be more false. But by our failure to expose this lie and challenge such claims of Moslems and Chri…
Soviet Jewry