Letter to Wurzburger Family Declining Bar Mitzvah Invitation (1964)

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Letter to R. Sandrow Declining Invitation to Join Board of HaDoar Associates Due to Thesis (1963)

Dear Rabbi Sandrow: Thank you very much for inviting me to join you on the Board of Hadoar Associates. I would be pleased to accept, except for the fact that I am beginning to write a thesis and therefore have decided to accept no new obligations until I am done. I hope you understand. Please accept my best wishes for a great deal of success. Sincerely, Rabbi Norman Lamm

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Letter to Moses Feuerstein about Declining OU Committee on Law and Legislation Appointment (1964)

Dear Moe: Thank you so much for your call on Monday night referring me to Nat Gross. I was about to call him immediately but something came up of a rather important nature and it was much too late at night to make a respectable call. I therefore hope to contact him later today, or later this week. I appreciate your appointing me to the Committee on Law and Legislation. I remember us having discussed it, but without specific reference to my joining the committee. I hope you will take with good grace my declining your invitation. If I accept any more obligations which require any committee meetings at all, I will have extended myself beyond the point of usefulness for anything that I am presently working on. In addition to all else, I have certain other obligations which I can explain to you personally and all of which force me, however regretfully, to say "no" despite my awareness of the importance of this committee.I hope you will explain this to Reuben Gross so that he will understand it too.My very best to Shirley and the children.Sincerely,RABBI NORMAN LAMM

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Letter to Mehler Family about Inability to Attend Bar Mitzvah (1968)

Dear Irving and Bernice: Mindella and I were delighted to receive the Invitation to the Bar Mitzvah of your son Elias. Regretfully, as you can well understand, we shall not be able to attend the Bar Mitzvah personally. But at the same time we will be there in spirit with you. I have always felt saddened by the fact that we are half a continent apart and that I would have liked the opportunity to get to know you better. I feel even worse that we cannot join you with our physical presence at the time of your "simcha." However, we do rejoice in your happiness, and we want to wish the both of you many, many years of undiminished "nachas" and pride as your son grows up into Jewish manhood and becomes a source of pride to his parents and family and people, and achieves gadlut in Torah and wisdom. Our congratulations and our warmest wishes. Sincerely yours,RABBI NORMAN LAMM

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