Letter to R. Siegman about His Article Regarding Criticism of Israel (1970)

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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. Riskin about Prayers for American and Israeli Governments (1974)

Dear Steve: Some time ago you asked me to send you a copy of the “Prayer for the Government” that I recite. The enclosed is my translation of a prayer composed by R. Nobel in Frankfurt. It is much more expressive of a contemporary stance than the old נוסח which is monarchical in flavor. What I do is to recite prayer for America only in English, and the prayer for Israel only in Hebrew. I also enclose an article in my bulletin which describes what I have been doing. Cordially, Rabbi Norman Lamm

Zionism