Letter from Saul Penkar to Chief Rabbi Nissim about the Position of the Israeli Rabbinate on Bene Israel and the Spread of the Conservative Movement in India (1962)

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Letter from Saul Penkar to David Mazgaonkar about the Visit of Israeli Rabbis to India (1963)

Dear Mr. Maragaonkar, Thank you for your invitation to the Conference of certain individuals convened by you. Although the propriety of your convening such a Conference is questionable, I shall not discourage you by altogether ignoring the issue. I regret, however, that I shall not attend the said Conference. The stand taken by this organisation with regards to the Bene-Israel problem in Israel is indisputable and we shall continue to fight till the issue is satisfactorily settled.Mr. I—the Jewish Agency, Bombay—has neither the authority, I am sure, nor has he the power to direct the moves of Rabbis. Whatever may be the case, the Orthodox Union refused even to discuss with this subject, leave alone accept his Rabbi.However, to put the records straight and to try and set your mind at rest, permit me to inform you that it has been the desire of the Orthodox Union to get a Rabbi to serve our community in India. It has now become possible for the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and the Rabbinical Council of America, in collaboration with the Israeli Religious Ministry and the Jewish Agency in Israel, to arrange to deputize two Rabbis to India, of whom one is to stay for a period of one month and the other for four months. Before the second Rabbi leaves the shores of India, another Rabbi shall be with us for a period of at least two years, and before the departure of this Rabbi, our student Rabbi may be ordained and may return to India.All these Rabbis shall naturally be at the disposal of the entire community for all our religious problems, to guide us in the correct way of observing the different Misvoth and ceremonies, to attend to the husband-wife disputes, arrange Get whenever necessary, and also conversion according to the terms of Halacha.I, therefore, earnestly hope and pray that the Lord grant you wisdom not to rush headlong into conclusions which might be detrimental to the cause of the community as a whole.Yours sincerely,Sd/-(SAUL S. PENKAR…

India

Letter from R. Menachem Hacohen about Panim el Panim and Bene Israel (1963)

לכבוד ידידי מכובדי הר"נ לאם שליט"א, שלום וברכה וכטו"ס, סלח נא ומחל לי על האיחור והעיכוב בכתיבתי אליך. כמה סיבות לדבר, ואעפי' שכבות הן אפרטם לפניך כסדרן: א. בדרכי מארה"ב נתעכבתי עוד כשבועיים באירופה. ב. מכתבך השני הגיעני למחרת שובי ולא הספקתי לפגוש את אנשי ועד בנ"י עד השבוע. ג. הדרך מיעטה את כוחותי, שיבשה את סדרי יומי ומהלך עבודתי. מה גם שנצטבור לי עכימת עבודה וענינים שונים שהשארתי בימי העדרי מן הארץ.

India