Letter to Rabbinic Colleagues Requesting Support for Exodus March (1970)

Rabbi Lamm spearheaded the Exodus March for Soviet Jewry, held on April 27, 1970. The event was one of the first major public demonstrations in the U.S. advocating for the rights of Soviet Jews.

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Letter to Rabbinic Colleagues Soliciting Support for Exodus March (1970)

Dear Colleague: In the recent issue of Shedemot, published by the Kibbutz movement, there appears a paraphrase of the Yom Kippur confessional, dedicated to the Six Million. One of the verses reads: על חטא שחטאנו לפניך ולפניהם בחבוק ידים – for the sin of folded arms. This is something which, as Rabbis, we cannot let our people forget. As much as we American Jews did, we didn’t do nearly enough. While the Holocaust raged, too many of us sat by be’chibbuk yadayim, with folded arms. The reason for my writing to you now is to solicit your help in avoiding a repetition of this immoral inaction with regard to Soviet Jewry. Now that so many of them risk life and limb talking out, we must do no less.On behalf of the New York Conference on Soviet Jewry, I therefore respectfully ask your cooperation on the following two matters:(1) Alert your congregation (including your high school and college groups) to the EXODUS MARCH planned for April 26th at noon. Details on this demonstration will be forthcoming shortly. We want Greater New York Jewry to come out in the tens of thousands. We hope you will personally be pre-sent at the head of a group from your synagogue.(2) We urgently need funds to finance this EXODUS MARCH to ensure maximum publicity and thus the greatest possible effect. I therefore ask of you to obtain for this demonstration the sum of $100 either from your Pulpit Fund or congregation or interested individuals.I cannot emphasize strongly enough how important both these requests are.I plead with you to "lend a hand" -- not chibbuk yadgylm.Very cordially yours.RABBI NORMAN LAMMP.S. Your check should be made out to

Soviet Jewry

Letter to Colleagues about Meeting to Organize Exodus March (1970)

On Thursday, March 26th at 5:00 P.M., at the office of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council, 55 West 42nd Street, room 1530, we will meet for what will probably be the most crucial meeting of our Exodus March demonstration. In addition to brief reports of our Program, Publicity, Finance and Special Arrangements Committees, we will discuss transportation procedures, and will be briefed on the responsibilities of our volunteer marshalls. We hope too, that you will be able to report on what you and/or your organization have done to publicize this important event.Please be prompt......Coffee will be served.RSVP – David Geller PL 1-4000

Soviet Jewry

Letter to Rabbinic Colleagues Inviting Them to Meeting on Soviet Jewry (1970)

Dear Rabbi Lamm: You might be interested to know that we have gotten together as representatives of various campuses in the New York area to establish a committee which will work on behalf of Soviet Jewry. Our purpose is not to compete with existing organizations, but to supplement them. The enclosed minutes of our first meeting should explain what we stand for and what kinds of activities we plan to encourage. We plan to be in touch with you and to seek your advice. We hope that you will volunteer whatever help you can give us. It will be greatly appreciated.Sincerely yours,The University Community for Soviet Jewry---MINUTES OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY FOR SOVIET JEWRYOn June 1, 1970, representatives from a number of New York campuses got together to organize a committee whose purpose shall be to stimulate and coordinate activities on behalf of Soviet Jewry. Present at the meeting were representatives of the following campuses: JTS, CCNY, Queens College, YU, Teacher’s College. We hope that in the future every New York campus will be represented.This committee, tentatively named the University Community for Soviet Jewry, shall concern itself primarily with activities on the various campuses in the New York area.It is NOT our purpose to compete with existing organizations or to duplicate their work. Rather, we wish to supplement their endeavors and be active in areas they are not. We will coordinate our activities with theirs and promote their projects when possible. To this end, we have appointed a liaison — Benjy Lunzer (CCNY) — whose duty it shall be to maintain constant contact with these organizations.The following is a list of projects and proposals we will attempt to initiate and carry out:Composing of flyers and their distribution on campuses, directed at making the Jewish students aware of, and concerned with, their Jewishness in general and the problem of Soviet Jewry in particular. Each campus leader shall attempt to formulate the text of said flyer so as…

Soviet Jewry