Letter to Chief Rabbi Unterman about the Status of the Bene Israel (1961)

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Exchange with R. Gotthold about the Halachic Status of the Bene Israel (1961)

Dear Rabbi Lamm: Last Thursday [redacted] arrived in Israel. On Friday morning I went to see him at the Kol Torah Yeshivah and to confer with him and the leaders of the Yeshivah. I do not have to tell you that he makes a very fine impression. However, his background and knowledge are so far below the standard of the Yeshivah that we can hope until the holidays he will merely benefit from the atmosphere of the institution and make friends with his fellow-students. His Hebrew is not developed enough to permit him profitably to participate in classes. He will need private tutoring from Siddur and Chumash to intensive Hebrew language training to prepare him to enter the Yeshivah for the winter term. The administration of the Yeshivah is ready to maintain him as far as room and board is concerned. Other arrangements have not been clarified when you at Max Stern discussed the project with him. I must suggest that you investigate this point. They plan to assign one of their students as tutor, but for his language studies he needs a good professional teacher. Furthermore, he needs clothing and books. Iconic boys of the Yeshivah will not provide it as if he were a regular student. You know that in consideration of his sensitivity we cannot hand him out second-hand clothing. He will need a clothing-budget of about IL 250. As far as books are concerned, including Tefillin and paraphernalia, we shall try to meet the needs between our Ministry and the Jewish Agency.

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Letter from Chief Rabbi Nissim about Marriage with Bene Israel (1961)

Moetzet Harabanut Harashit hemlita sheen issur nisssuim im bnei Israel vechol harabanim messadre hanissuim lebarer kol mikre lefi oraot harabanut – nekuda tzarich lishloah rav laheda behdu habaki betiv guittin vekidushin – Harav Harashi Nissim.

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Letter from R. Goren about the Status of the Bene Israel (1961)

הריני ממהר להשיבך באופן אישי בענין היתר "בני ישראל": רצוי שלא תגלה לאחרים את מקור הידיעות האלו – אף לחוג המצומצם – ומה גם שפרטים כבר ידועים כאן בציבור, ורובם פורסמו ב״פנים אל פנים״ ו"המודיע." אני מתייחס לשאלותיך באיגרת מח׳ לח"ז (Nov. 16) ואמסור לך כל מה שידוע לי במצב הנוכחי. קשה להגיד עם ההחלטה היא סופית. למעשה לא נתאסף גוף מסמך להכרעה. מתוך 5 חברי מושבת הרבנות הראשית נעדרו 3 (הרב כ"ץ מפ"ת והרבנים הדאיא והדס).

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