Dear Rabbi Lamm: I was delighted to learn of your acceptance to participate in the Religious Emphasis program here at the Beth Jacob Synagogue. Vicki Geller of CSD informed me this morning of your availability, and I am truly looking forward to having you with us. Briefly, let me tell you what the program is about and the particular role which you will play. In carrying over a successful Chaplaincy experience of R.E.W., I thought of sponsoring a week of HISTORUS, “RELIGIOUS REVIVAL,” during Aseres Yemei T’Shuvah. The program calls for a concentrated week of lectures, seminars, workshops, films, and discussion groups, under the theme of T’Shuvah, T’fillah, Tzidakah. I would like for you to handle the opening lecture Monday, October 5 at 8:30 P.M. on the theme of “The Sanctity of Married Life in the Jewish Home and in the Synagogue.” This topic should reacquaint and reaffirm the attitude of the people towards Taharas HaMishpocha and separate seating in the Synagogue. By the way, I must compliment you on the very excellent piece on the mixed seating issue which appeared in “Tradition.” It was refreshing and stimulating. As Mrs. Geller has informed you, we would like to take care of your round trip transportation on a flight to Columbus and present you with an honorarium of $50. I have checked the schedule of flights for Monday, October 5, and I believe that the best schedule would be to follow TWA flight #309 arriving in Columbus 11:47 P.M., then departing the next morning on flight 206.Beth Jacob Congregation 959 Bulen Avenue Columbus 6, OhioB’sever Panim Yafot, David Stavsky, RabbiYou will be my house guest during your stay in Columbus. Please let me know if this schedule sounds convenient to you. I would appreciate it if you would send me by return mail a photo of yourself and a biographical sketch for publicity purposes. Warmest personal regards, A Kisivah V’chasimah Tov, Dave

Dear Vic: May I take this opportunity to again thank you for your wonderful cooperation in helping me with my religious emphasis week program. Rabbi Lamm, as I had anticipated, made a tremendous impression. I am truly sorry that we were not in the position to give him the proper monetary compensation which he surely deserved. Close to 100 people attended his session. He left an indelible impact upon everyone. His talk evoked only favorable comment on the delicate subject of mechitza, and even during Yom Kippur, people were still talking "about the Rabbi who was here Monday night." May I add that his modest and dignified approach won for him and the Yeshiva the reputation of being the outstanding speaker of the series.All in all, over 550 people attended the sessions. I am taking the liberty of enclosing two press releases on the subject.Again my inadequate thanks to you personally aid to CSD.With best wishes for continued success.Sincerely,Rabbi David Stavsky

Dear Norman: Enclosed you will find a copy of a letter received from Dave Stavsky. You can post it on your bulletin board. If you have a chance, I would be grateful for a letter from you telling me about what you found in Columbus. Kindest regards. Very cordially yours, Victor B. Geller Field Director P.S. I will report to you on my West Coast visit as soon as I return.

Dear Rabbi Stavsky: In planning for my forthcoming visit to Columbus it has occurred to me that the title of the talk you suggested is not quite clear. It seems to combine the two themes of “sanctity of the family” with its implied discussion of the Jewish attitude towards sex and family purity, with the “sanctity of the synagogue” and the problem of mixed pews and the mechitzah. I believe that treating both these things in the same talk would prove detrimental to both goals you may have in mind. It is preferable to speak about either one or the other. If you wish, I will speak about the synagogue, confirming your people in their present practice of separate seating and then attempt to persuade them of the significance of accepting the discipline of the Halakhah (in this case the mechitzah) even when we do not completely understand the import of its commandments. Please let me have your reaction as soon as possible. Also, I would appreciate your discussing with Professor Fox the arrangements for my stay in Columbus. I would like to spend time with you and your family, with Dr. Fox and his family and if at all possible, to sleep over in a hotel. Sincerely yours, Norman Lamm

Dear Norman: Thank you so much for your note of two weeks ago, it was genuinely appreciated. Regarding the question you raise – (what has been done regarding mechizta?) may I inform you of the following: We had two excellent "follow up" sessions on your presentation during R.E.W. We had an executive meeting during the last week of December in my home, and the following was the sentiment of the officers:"Today we sincerely regret there is no Kosher mechitza" – an important recognition."Our Synagogue has experienced very much unnecessary, miserable anxiety and strain, because of this mechitza problem" – more than one person actually said "if we would have had the proper people like Rabbi Lamm, and yourself, explain and present the issue to us properly, then all of our trouble would have been avoided."There was serious discussion of what type of mechitza would be suitable. Across the Synagogue or vertically placed.Recently, however, a new and very realistic issue was raised. Permit me to explain. In recent months I have conducted a silent campaign to awaken the people to the fact that the Beth Jacob Synagogue is dislocated (away from the Jewish Community – Bexley), and that if we are to have any future as an active Orthodox Congregation, we must think in terms of selling our present building and erecting a new one. This entire issue is an exceptionally delicate one – (as you remember our present building is only six years old).Nevertheless, as a result of our discussions, a month ago, the very first bold step was taken – "A Development and Expansion Committee" was organized. I have very serious and unequivocal committments from the majority of the leadership that if and when we build "there will be a Kosher michitza – without question."I was furthermore asked not to press the issue now, as it may become a financial burden to put up a mechitza for what may be a short period of time.Therefore, I feel that I must keep the issue alive, talk about it, and discuss it openly…

Dear Rabbi Lamm, Shalom u’vracha to you. As you may have heard, I recently became an oval R”L, having lost my dear and beloved mother, ע״ה, a true and devoted eishet chayil. For some time now I have been working on a little booklet for mourners, and now in my sheloshim, I have decided to complete it, and make it available for publication. Knowing of your excellent qualifications as a talmid chacham and prolific writer (your latest piece in the Jewish Life evoked much discussion at a recent Adult Education Session in my synagogue), I felt you would be the best person to review the material and make whatever corrections you feel are important. May I, therefore, impose upon your valuable time, and ask you to edit the manuscript for corrections in English usage as well as general format. Dr. Hoenig was kind enough to read an earlier manuscript. The enclosed manuscript contains corrections that I made this week, and is the only one I have. I shall be eternally grateful for your suggestions and advice. May we merit to see the restoration of Zion, and the coming of the Goel Tzedek. Cordially, Dave Enc.

Dear Rabbi Lamm: I have just returned from a brief vacation in Denver and was thrilled to learn of your being elected President of Yeshiva University. I hasten to add my mazel tov to you and wish you much hatzlacha in the tasks that are before you. I know that Hashem will guide you, as He has done in the past, to be an articulate and brilliant spokesman on behalf of Torah Jewry. With best wishes from house to house for a ketivah v’chatimah tovah. As ever, David Stavsky

Dear David: I was enormously impressed by the list of young people whom you succeeded in sending to various Yeshivot, especially Yeshiva University. That you sent your own children is, in itself, not remarkable but certainly admirable. That you were able to send so many other young people, the majority of whom come from non-observant homes, is a great and wonderful tribute to your rabbinic leadership. May you continue to exercise that kind of leadership for many years to come. I take this occasion to wish you and your wife and all of your family a year of health and happiness, creativity and contentment. Cordially yours, Norman Lamm President

Dear Rav Lamm Shlita, I really do not know where to begin this letter or even how to begin. Should I begin with the days when we were both at Yeshiva, some 48 years ago – you, a young musmach, known as an outstanding, highly respected and admired favorite student of the Rov, Z.T.L., and of Rov Lifschitz, Z.T.L., and I recall you walking in the halls near the bais medrash with a gemorah tucked under your arm and us, the younger pre-pre semicha students admiring your achievements and scholarship – or should I start when you were kind enough to visit Beth Jacob in 1959 for the first REW lecture series “Bain Kesser L’esser,” when you gave an erudite and inspiring lecture on the need for a kosher mechitzah in a shul (at the time we had only separate seating and were planning to build a new shul), and with our limited budget, in an act of chesed on your part, you accepted our honorarium of fifty dollars plus expenses – or should I begin by telling you forthright what a true help and inspiration you have been to me these past 44 years, counseling, advising, listening to my “krechtzing,” venting my frustrations or stam lending me your ear to share a “gut vort,” or a moment of nachas and always enjoying your sharp witticisms. I remember when you first met Jerome Schottenstein, A.H., in Herb Schiff’s office on N. 4th Street when you were looking for a modest gift for Yeshiva. Therefore, my dear friend, I must tell you the news of your imminent departure as Rosh Yeshiva and President of Yeshiva University has created for me a terrible sense of loss and consternation. I feel the compass of Torah Umada and Torah Im Derech Eretz philosophy, if not all of American Orthodoxy, is like a compass that has lost its magnetism, its strong point of direction. You were blessed by Hashem with so many strengths and traits to be the true spokesperson and courageous leader for American Orthodoxy in the 20th and 21st centuries and to have the ability to keep the balance for American Orthodoxy …