Letter to Senior League of West Side Jewish Center about Stepping Down from West Side Jewish Center Pulpit (1953)

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Letter from Herman Wouk Congratulating R. Lamm on His Selection for West Side Jewish Center Pulpit (1952)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I remember the conversation well. Unfortunately it turns out that on the day you mention there is a dedication of the Great Neck Synagogue, which I helped to found, and I am going to have to go out and spend the day there. Congratulations on your Installation. Mrs. Wouk and I wish you the best success in your pulpit. Warmest regards. Cordially yours, H Wouk

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Letter from Murray Kay to West Side Jewish Center Members about Engaging New Rabbi (1953)

Worthy Member – A Special meeting is hereby called of the Congregation Beth Israel, West Side Jewish Center, to be held Thursday Oct 22nd, 1943, at our Center 347 West 34th St, at 8 P. M. Kindly be advised that our contract with our Rabbi, expires November 7th, 1953, and this Special meeting is called for the purpose of determining as to what should be done with reference to engaging a new Rabbi. Please attend this meeting. Sincerely yours. Murray Kay, President.

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Letter about Retirement from YU Presidency (2001)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I have composed this letter in my mind numerous times, though inevitably my most eloquent phrasing comes either late Friday night or in the middle of class. When I heard of your impending retirement my first thought was to write to you. In the following satisfaction over my brilliant idea I conveniently avoided a few details. As reality sunk in, the difficulty of the task I had set for myself only moments earlier began to dawn upon me. What would I write? How could I say everything that I meant to? The doubts continued to accumulate and a trip to the local Hallmark looked increasingly appealing. But somehow, my thoughts continuously returned to the letter that I had firmly decided not to write. I felt compelled to try, even if the only product I would be able to offer was the silent tribute of discarded papers attesting to my effort. I will strive, as my English teacher often says, “to Strunk it.” Pithy and precise will be my goals, though I may, in my quest to include everything, bore you with mundane details. If this occurs feel free to skip ahead to the more exciting aspects of the letter. It is strange because I am literally the queen of brevity. Circumlocution annoys me and I cannot stand the use of a paragraph when a sentence or a word would suffice. Yet suddenly I find I cannot say enough, so I apologize in advance for any extraneous information I may include. My journey began at the start of my junior year. Inquisitive by nature, I found something lacking in the religious viewpoints that were supported by my school. I was unable to accept their position without first understanding it, though my teachers often refused to tolerate what they viewed as criticism of their belief system. An avid reader, I looked through my father’s library in search of relevant literature. I studied the Rav, Heschel, Wiesel, Buber, and more. I enjoyed some more than others, but there were none that I could wholly accept. Torah U’Madda was different. I can’t real…

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