Home Home / Letter to R. Karasick about Addressing …

Correspondence

March 11, 1968

Letter to R. Karasick about Addressing the Vietnam War from the Pulpit (1968)

Orthodoxy & Other Denominations Six-Day War
View The Text

This content is currently available in its original PDF format. As we expand the library, we plan to add a text version as well.

RELATED CONTENT

Correspondence

Exchange with Monroe Levie about Request for Copies of Six-Day War Sermons (1968)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I am presently writing a Master’s Thesis for the Department of Speech of the University of Minnesota. The subject of my thesis concerns a rhetorical analysis of rabbinic sermons which dealt with the Middle East crisis of 1967. These sermons may have been delivered before, during or after the crisis. I am writing to you upon the recommendation of Rabbi Jerome Herzog of Knesseth Israel Synagogue, Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the sincere hope that you may be able to provide transcripts of any sermons you may have delivered before your congregation concerning the Israeli crisis. If you have transcripts which you could send to me, I would appreciate if you could indicate the date of delivery, the approximate number of people who heard the sermon, and the occasion during which the sermon was delivered (Friday evening service, Saturday morning service, etc.).My department feels this is a unique study which has not been previously attempted, and any assistance you may be able to provide regarding transcripts of your sermons will be greatly appreciated.Sincerely,Monroe Levie 21116 Rhode Island Minneapolis, Minnesota ^^26
Six-Day War

Correspondence

Letter to R. Karasick about Proposal from L. Carmell (1967)

Dear Joe: You recently received a rather long letter from a Mr. L. Carmell in London about trying to exploit the current hitorerut in a positive manner. I have never met him, but he certainly seems to be an active, efficient, and scholarly individual. I just received, this week, a complaint that his communications to you, to Dr. Weiss, and to Rabbi Kotler, have gone unanswered. It might be a good idea to reread his proposal and at least keep in contact with him. Best wishes for a happy year for all. Cordially yours, Rabbi Norman Lamm.
Six-Day War

Correspondence

Letter to Marvin Herskowitz about the Synagogue Council of America (1969)

It seems to be the fate of Orthodoxy, at least in this country, that battles are fought over matters of little or no consequence. We have allowed truly important matters to be bypassed, and have chosen what are, relatively speaking, trivialities on which to stage our strongest stands. The Orthodox Union, as a more or less centrist group, seems peculiarly afflicted by a penchant for the petty. Once again we are evoking great principles and wasting precious time and risking wounded pride and injured feelings on an issue which is trivial.From everything I have heard about the Synagogue Council of America (SCA), it has a limited scope of activity (how much can an address accomplish!). It is not the kind of organization which will seriously affect the destiny of Torah and American Jewry one way or another. I do not by any means wish to deprecate the value of SCA, but it certainly does not seem worthy of the dissension it has produced in our ranks. We will live with it, and without it. It is almost farcical how we have succeeded in making a “yesh me’ayin.”Nevertheless, even insignificant issues must be met if they are thrust upon us against our will. The SCA question has been blown up to unrecognizable dimensions by those who have insisted upon the Union's withdrawal. I have no reason to regret the comment I made some years ago, which seems to have irritated a number of my colleagues, namely, that the demand for secession is a dull, obsessive litany. Indeed, it becomes duller with repetition. It is with considerable reluctance, therefore, that I undertake to set down even these few comments for your consideration.The Study Panel which deliberated on these matters — and SCA was only the most controversial of the so-called “umbrella” groups discussed — performed its task conscientiously and efficiently, at great expense in time and convenience. We heard testimony from a number of distinguished leaders of the community. I personally came to the hearings determined that I wo…
Orthodoxy & Other Denominations