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Correspondence

Nov. 19, 1964

Letter to Herman Shumlin about "The Deputy, a Christian Tragedy" (1964)

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My Dear Dr. Rabinowitz: I just received this morning from Mrs. Max Stern your letter and the enclosed article you submitted for TRADITION. I do regret that we have not had the opportunity to communicate with each other as much as I would have liked to. Hence, as long as I am writing, let me be a bit elaborate, at least sufficiently to clear up certain misconceptions. You mention that you are in touch with my activities through the press, and hence are aware of my visit to the Cardinal with Rabbi Jakobovits. It seems, unfortunately, that in our mortal and imperfect society the impressions a man makes bear but little resemblance to the actual nature of his activities. The visit you speak of was quite innocuous. I was promised that not a word of it would be breathed to the public. Regretfully, and to my great disappointment it was "leaked" by a source whom I never would have suspected. Both Jakobovits and I were deeply distressed. The visit was magnified beyond all proportions. The report you refer to is, no doubt, the one contained in the Jewish Chronicle in the article by [redacted.] Her report is, to put it mildly false in all its main of truth la the fact of the visit. Everything else that she mentions is a complete and hair raising distortion. what complicates the injustice that she has done is the fact that I personally called her some weeks in advance of the articled appearance to inform her of the actual facts as they occurred. But the lady was so passionately interested in condemning Rabbi Jakobovits for a variety of reasons, all quite emotional, that I do not believe she paid attention to what I told her. fey I assure you, therefore, that the report was pernicious, and a conscious distortion and fabrication. I had considered writing to the Chronicle (I had even originally thought of action in the courts against Leo Pfeffer, the first source of these mendacities), but I thought the better of it. Experience has taught that the more you deny, the more the origi…
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Dear Is: I was truly delighted to hear from you, and not at all displeased to receive your gracious and enthusiastic endorsement of ray views on Dialogue. Your neighbor, Msgr. [redacted], is a real ״tachshit.״ In two previous articles I had done for Jewish Life, I made a number of references to him and his overt missionary efforts. We are in complete agreement on this point. Once again, my devoted thanks and my warmest personal regards – as well as from Mindy and my folks – to you and yours.I look forward to not only hearing from you again, but to meeting you personally. Of course, if you decide to attend the Talmud lectures next year, plG., it will be a great source of pleasure to me.Warmest regards,Cordially yours,Rabbi Norman LammRNL/fz
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Dear Rabbi Lamm: I read your "The Case Against Dialogues." I found your article very interesting and very well written. Your choice of words is excellent. I understand how you feel as I too think there are many weaknesses in the Schema. However, I disagree with you that dialogue is impossible. The trouble is it should have come much sooner. No one ever wants to discuss religion. No matter where I go, I hear the same statement "I don’t discuss religion or politics." That is and has been the trouble in this world – lack of communication. I always felt that if the Jewish leaders years ago had spoken up plainly and loudly, orally and in print, something may have come of it. I worked in a Naval Hospital for nine years and was shocked how little the Christian knows about the Jewish people.I remember about twenty-nine years ago, a friend of mine bad an audience with the head of Catholic education. I believe his name was Scully. She complained that children coming out of the Parochial school attacked our Jewish youngsters and said that the text books should be changed. However, he assured her that nothing could be dene.Then when Hitler was in power, I was a very young woman with two small children, and I was horrified by the stories that I heard. I began then to wonder about God. It took me twenty-five years to lose my belief that there ever was a God, and it wasn't easy, especially when one was brought up in an Orthodox home. However, today my husband and I are Ethical Culturists, and we are very happy in just being Humanists and practicing it. I know that prayers are useless and one must be responsible to bring some meaning to life, and not look to a superior being.Your last paragraph brought tears to my eyes "To the Christian I would say, etc, etc....". I shall copy that paragraph as I want to read it to my Christian friends, and to my Jewish friends, I shall show the entire article.Very sincerely,[redacted]
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