Dear Haham Gaon, I sincerely regret that because of our different schedules it was impossible for me to meet you personally in England to carry on the conversation we had begun in New York on the problems of Indian Jewry. I do hope, however, that as soon as my reports are written up after my return to New York please G-d, copies will be made available to you. Meanwhile I am turning to you on a problem of immediate importance. I have just returned to Bombay from Calcutta where the community is now paralysed because of controversies precipitated by Beth Din policies and by personality problems with Rabbi [redacted].As of this past week the Jewish Association has terminal the contract of [redacted]. Two factions, pro and anti-Rabbi, are stubbornly opposed to each other. The straw that broke the camel's back was the problem of how strict to be in accepting converts. The Beth Din had adopted a policy which was almost absolutely exclusivist. [redacted] favoured a more liberal attitude. The latter thereupon proceeded to perform his own conversion withoutBeth Din’s authorisation and the entire Beth Din resigned. Since then the local Hazanim have undertaken to perform conversions upon their own authority, but this has largely been stopped due to the exertions of [redacted] and others. The Jewish Association has publicly called for elections to the Beth Din in about two weeks.At a conversation with all factions – and I shall give you many more details at some later date – I have got their agreement to postpone elections to Beth Din, to organise synagogues under the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of India and to have the Union be the sponsoring agency of the Beth Din. All factions agreed to submit to the discipline of the Beth Din provided that all members of the Beth Din will subscribe to the general principles I have proposed pending your approval.I have told them that I will not give them the exact talks of my proposals, but that it will officially have to come fro…

My dear Rabbi Lamm, I was very glad to receive your communication as well as your enclosure of the letter from Mr. Benjamin. Our Beth Din our now considering this letter and will be in direct contact with Mr. Benjamin and will keep you advised of what we are doing. I shall be writing to you shortly in connection with the proposal for the reorganisation of the Beth Din in Calcutta and Bombay. We are also considering the Gittin that you have sent us and we shall be sending the copy of our own Gittin to the Communities of Calcutta and Bombay and we shall also send him the whole of the procedure and the way in which the Gittin should be given. I am hopeful that I shall see you soon and please convey to Rabbi Leo Jung my best respects.With all best wishes to you and your family,Sincerely yours,Gaon.Haham.

My dear Rabbi Lamm, Herewith I am sending you the Tekanot as suggested for the communities of India. As you will see I only introduced a few changes and both Rabbi Sassoon and Rabbi Adess agreed with these changes. I am now awaiting for your report on India as well as for the results of your intervention with the Lubavitcher Hassidim in connection with the appointment of a Rabbi for India. I have no doubt that until and unless a Rabbi is appointed in that continent there will be no assurance that a religious life will develop. Please will you also tell Rabbi Weiss that I was very glad to receive a copy of the letter to the Rabbi in Tel Aviv urging him to make a decision Bene-Israel. The decision is of great importance because I feel that Bene Israel will be leaving the Orthodox camp and joining that of Reform and Conservative Jewry and one indeed will not be able to blame them if they do so. I am sending also a copy of these Tekanot to Rabbi Weiss.With all best wishes,Sincerely yours.Solomon GaonHaham.

Dear Rabbi Lamm, I was glad to receive the copy of your letter to Mr. Abraham Jhirad of Bombay. I agree with everything you write. Immediately on the publication of the news that some of our Bnei Israel were not being recognised as Jews in Israel, I cabled to the Chief Rabbinate who assured me that this was not so. They stood by their earlier decision and that was that they leave it to the individual Batei Din to decide on these matters. In the meantime, I have been in touch with Bnei Israel families in London who were very disturbed by the rumours, and I assured them that, as far as our Beth Din, is concerned, they have nothing to worry for themselves or for their children.I think, however, the time has come when perhaps a joint effort should be made by us all in order to urge Israeli Rabbinate to come to a definite solution. The Bnei Israel problem has now become a burning one and almost all the touchstone of good faith, as far as this part of the House of Israel is concerned.I do hope to have the opportunity of seeing you soon and hoping to hear from you on this matter.Yours sincerely,GaonHaham

Dear Haham Gaon: Although I have not yet received any response to my previous confidential note, I do want to communicate with you now concerning the Indian problem. When I returned from India in February, I sent you a copy of the Gittin currently in use by the Bene Israel. It would be most beneficial to the Jewish community in India to receive from you or your office advice concerning the proper procedure to be followed, and most especially correct copies of Gittin. Mr. Abraham Jhirad of the UOJCI has informed me that several requests for this information have not yet received any response. Would you be kind enough, Dr. Gaon, to respond to them and satisfy their legitimate requests. With all best wishes, Sincerely yours, Rabbi Norman Lamm. NL:ff. cc: Dr. Weiss.

Dear Dr. Gaon: I had hoped that by now we would have the opportunity of meeting again, a prospect which delighted me and which I looked forward to most eagerly. I truly regret that, so far, this has not come to pass. Allow me to encroach upon your precious time and make a request of you in complete confidence. I know the matter shall be kept in utter privacy. Chief Rabbi Brodie has, through Rabbi O. Feuchtwanger, asked me whether I am prepared to consider occupying the position of Principal of Jews' College if I were invited to do so.I believe that you know more about The Jewish Center than I do about Jews' College. I am quite happy here, whereas the situation in England is something of which I am quite ignorant. The problems, prospects, challenges, difficulties these are all unknowns for me. Add to this the fact that I have no personal knowledge of the people with whom I would have to work, and you will appreciate my dilemma. Had I known that this invitation would be forthcoming, I would have lengthened my stay in London considerably in order to acquire some first hand knowledge of the situation.As you may gather, I have deep respect for your own judgment. I will be most grateful to you for your comments, advise, and suggestions.With all good wishes,Sincerely yours,Rabbi Norman LammNL:ff

Dear Haham Gaon: I was very pleased to hear from you and to learn, or so I infer, that you plan to visit the States in the very near future. When you do, I shall be most happy to discuss the problem concerning which you and the Chief Rabbi are so concerned. The situation with regard to the Bene Israel and the “heter” of Rabbi Nissim is quite complicated. In this regard, may I impose upon you with a request for your diplomatic intercession with Rabbi Sassoon. As a result of my discussions with informed sources in Israel, I learned that one of the crucial problems is an event that occurred some time ago in Bombay when the archives of the Beth Din were destroyed by fire. I was told that if clarification could be forthcoming on this matter, one of the major stumbling blocks in the way of the reintegration of the Bene Israel in the community would be removed.I wrote to Rabbi Sassoon over two weeks ago, because he, more than anyone else, would probably be informed on this matter. I asked him for an immediate answer. Unfortunately, I have not yet heard from him.I would be most appreciative if you could make some discreet inquiries. A response would be most important to us if it were forthcoming soon.My very best regards to Mrs. Gaon and to the Chief Rabbi.Sincerely yours,Rabbi Norman Lamm

Dear Dr. Gaon: The enclosed copies of letters speak for themselves. I assume there was an overlapping of correspondence, and that your instructions to Bombay were received while Dr. Kahana wrote to me. I am anxious to hear from you concerning the Sassoon matters. My latest information, reaching me this morning, is that Rabbi Unterman of Tel-Aviv, has joined the opposition to Rabbi Nissim, and that the "Heter" is just about dead.I have the feeling that any significant information from Rabbi Sassoon can possibly bring Rabbi Unterman back to aPro-Heter stand.Please be kind enough to look Into these matters as soon as possible.Sincerely,Rabbi Norman LammNL:ffEnclsCC: Dr .Weiss/w/encls

Dear Haham Gaon: It is some time since we have corresponded, and the truth is that I had hoped that, by this time, we could have met personally in New York. I know that the request I am now going to make is a difficult one to fulfill. Nevertheless, on the remote chance that it can be done, I want to ask you if it is at all possible to find a qualified Orthodox Rabbi in England, either Sephardi or Ashkenazi, who would be willing to undertake a one or two year trip to Bombay. This would be primarily for the purpose of putting some order into the present confused situation with regard to marriage and divorce.I am enclosing an excerpt of a letter I recently received from The Jewish Agency Representative in Bombay with whom I am keeping up a regular correspondence. I understand that the expenses for such a visit would be shared by a number of the responsible agencies involved, including our own used SCA.Please accept my very best wishes to you and Mrs. Gaon for a year of health, happiness, and continued achievements for Torah and Israel.Cordially yours,RABBI NORMAN LAMMNL\:ffEncl.cc: Dr. Weiss w/enclMr. Feuerstein w/encl

My dear Rabbi, I am sorry that I did not answer your letter of October 2nd before, but I have been trying to see whether a qualified Orthodox Rabbi, preferably Sephardi, could be found here who would be ready to go to Bombay. Unfortunately, my search has not been successful at all. I agree with you that unless something is done with the Indian Community in Bombay, we shall entirely lose this community. The problem of Bene-Israel is no better, and I have spoken to some members of that community who have come to see me. They still feel very embittered about the treatment that the Bene-Israel are receiving in Israel.As you probably know, I hope to be in New York some time at the beginning of November, and then I shall be able to discuss with you this whole problem in a personal way.With all best wishes and taking this opportunity of wishing you all a very Happy New Year,Yours as ever, Haham