Letter to Dr. Kaminetsky about the Internal Strife at Shaarei Zedek Hospital and its Effect on Communal Leaders (1969)

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Exchange about the Internal Strife at Shaarei Zedek Hospital (1969)

Dear [redacted]: I feel rather guilty for writing this letter – that is, not for writing it but for writing it so late – and I hope you will be forgiving. It occurred to me that you might not be completely aware of the strong moral support you have in the agony to which you are being subjected by the wild men surrounding you. Sometimes it is necessary to express the obvious, if only because someone in the thick of battle may not realize that he has friends – many of them and loyal ones.Let me tell you, therefore, not only on my own behalf, but also on behalf of many, many others, that we are genuinely sorry for the anguish that has been caused to you and your family, and that, even more, we admire you enormously for your spirit, your perseverance, and your plain American guts.I wish I knew how I could be of help to you. I had been toying with the idea of drawing up some kind of petition, having it signed by like-minded people, and publicizing it. But I don’t know how much good it would do you in the face of charges that you are a stooge of sinister circles in the United States who are trying to get Yeshiva University into Jerusalem through the back door. Whatever I can do for you, I certainly am anxious to, and await word from you. But whether or not there is any active assistance you desire, I do want you to know that we are with you – בלב ונפש.Mindy joins me in warmest regards to you and your wife.Cordially yours,Rabbi Norman LammNL/egbc: Max SternRabbi Irving Greenberg

Zionism

Letter to R. Zev Segal about the Internal Strife at Shaarei Zedek Hospital and its Effect on Communal Leaders (1969)

Dear Zev: Some time ago, I appeared at a meeting of the RCA Executive Committee, together with Dr. Irving Greenberg, and discussed with you and the Executive the means whereby RCA could help in the unfortunate disputes surrounding Shaare Zedek Hospital and [redacted]. At that time, the decision was to postpone any action until you personally could seek some means of solving the problem through quiet negotiation. Since I have not heard from you these past several months, I assume that these efforts were unsuccessful.I think the time has come for all of us to stand up and be counted in the matter of Shaare Zedek.I am not referring to the actual controversy concerning [redacted]. I myself happen to be a supporter and admirer of his. However, I can understand that honorable men can have a point of view different from my own, much as I might disagree with them.What I am concerned about is the degradation of this controversy into the ugliest kind of polemics that our community — often bedevilled by disruptive disputes — has suffered in a long, long time.While Orthodox organizations, who frequently express themselves on issues remote from immediate Torah concerns, have remained thunderously silent, three distinguished Orthodox Jews have suffered scandalous humiliation and insult because of their support of Shaare Zedek and \_\_. I think you will agree that Max Stern, Ludwig Jesselson, and Charles Bendheim are three of the most philanthropic Jews in Orthodox Jewry throughout the world. There is not a single worthy Jewish cause that has not benefited from their munificence. Without them, Shaare Zedek Hospital would probably not survive, let alone expand.Because of the \_\_, groups of unscrupulous hotheads, from various circles, have been picketing their offices at odd times and distributing scurrilous literature with their pictures printed on these sheets. The Chillul Hashem has been enormous, as you can well understand. Non-Orthodox Jews who have witnessed these spectacles…

Zionism

Letter to R. Maurice Lamm about His Rejoinder to Criticism of Shaare Zedek Hospital (1970)

Zionism