Dear Rabbi Lamm: Thank you for writing me with your letter of May 16th. While, on the one hand, you appreciate the problem existing, on the other hand, through your perhaps quite justified criticism, you negate this positive attitude. I can assure you that on every one of my frequent visits to Israel, I have been struck by the fact that it is easier to live as a traditional Jew in the Galut than in Israel. This is a ridiculous situation, to say the least, and if more people, both rabbis and laymen, would speak up and voice their bewilderment, I think that one of these days the Gedolim of our time will not be able to resist and will have to get together to try and remedy this situation. You who belong to the younger generation of outstanding rabbis have the gravest responsibility in this respect, and I only hope that you will be fully aware of it. With warmest regards, I remain Sincerely yours

Dear Ludwig: The enclosed letter is being sent to you as one of a number of prominent people whom I am soliciting for the cause which the letter describes. I am adding this cover letter because I just learned that, to my pleasant surprise, you have a direct relationship with the issue. As you will notice, it concerns a plan I put forward to solve the Shabbat problem in Israel. In a nutshell, it involves transforming Rosh Hodesh from a personal to a public festival. This week Prof. Karl Darmstadler from Washington informed me that your laterfather, ע״ה , had made a similar proposal in the small kehillah in which he lived some fifty years ago! In addition to the delightful coincidence, I am curious as to the details of his pרoposal, the reasons for it, and what came of it, if anything. I would appreciate being enlightened about it either by letter or personally. Meanwhile, I am very anxious to get off the telegram to Golda Meir as soon as possible. Could you be kind enough not only to answer the return postal card at once but to call me or my secretary and let us know that we may use your name? If you have any other ideas as to prominent American Jews, whose names Golda and the others in Israel would recognize, whom I can mobilize for this cause, I would appreciate hearing about them from you. Warmest regards to Ericka. Cordially yours, Rabbi Norman Lamm

Dear Rabbi & Mrs, Lamm: November 21 is a day of very special celebration for us and for the Jewish community. I want to invite you to share and grace this occasion. On November 21, 1971 at 10:30 A.M. the ground-breaking for our new S/A/R Academy building will take place at the Toscanini estate, 655 West 254th Street, in the presence of leading notables in communal, public and religious life. Our new building is pioneering - the first Jewish day school with an open plan structure - and an architectural landmark as well. It is another major step, we hope, toward the building of Jewish life in America on the firm foundation of intensive Jewish religious education. I feel that as a friend, a leading figure in American Jewish life and one who treasures Jewish education, your presence would add importance and joy to the occasion. I therefore am happy to extend this invitation to you to join us as our guests at this occasion. I look forward to greeting you personally. Sincerely, Ludwig Jesselson

Dear Mr. Jesselson: I thank you very much for the warm response to my telephone call concerning assistance for the Russian Jewish immigrants in Israel. Since the people in Israel who are doing the work are still in the process of organizing, and are meanwhile doing it on a personal basis, I suggest that your check of IL5,000 be made out to Rabbi Itzchak Kalman, Rechov Mishmar Haam 10, Jerusalem, Israel. I am also grateful and mindful of the fact that you encouraged me to come back to you in several months for additional assistance if it should be necessary. My warmest regards to Erika. Cordially, Rabbi Norman Lamm

Dear Mr. Jesselson: I hope you will not take it amiss if I take the liberty of replying to your letter to Prof. Fisch. This year we are together responsible for the financing of the Summer Institute. We have, of course, been counting on the confirmation of your support and the withdrawal of such a significant donation at this stage will make it hard for us to meet our obligations for which we carry the responsibility. But your letter has been, most of all, a moral blow. The experience of the last few years shows that we are on the right road. Let me cite just one fact to back this up: this year Prof. Ephraim Katchalsky and Rabbi Adin Steinsalz have joined our group of founding members, and Elie Wiesel will address the opening session of our Summer Institute. One could hardly find three personalities more different in background and outlook. Still, they have found with us a meeting-ground in their common concern for Jewish values and in their conviction that through serious confrontation with modern thought Judaism can be made a living instrument, not only for its own sake but also for the good of mankind as a whole.I cannot believe that you of all people will wish to disassociate yourself from our work, and I do hope you will kindly reconsider the matter. This would mean a great deal to all of us.I take this opportunity of sending to you and Mrs. Jesselson, as well as to your family, my warmest wishes for the coming Pessah Holidays.With best regards,Yours very sincerely,Prof. Y. Schachter.YS/vescc: Prof. H. Fisch.

Dear Prof. Lamm: This letter will confirm to you financial arrangements during your term as President of the University, pursuant to your election to that post by the Board of Trustees of the University, effective for a period of five years. You shall receive a salary of IL 4000 per month, payable in monthly installments in accordance with normal University practice, which amount shall be subject to the incremental adjustments on a pro rata basis as granted to the highest ranking full-time academic or administrative employees of the University.You shall receive coverage for yourself and your family under such fringe benefits, health plan coverage or other benefits normally given by the University to full-time academic or administrative employees at the highest grade.The University shall make available to you at a nominal rent not to exceed IL 500 per month, a suitable residence for your personal use and for such entertainment or other functions as President as may be required, fully equipped with appropriate furnishings and appliances. The University shall provide for the maintenance and repair of the residence and its equipment at no cost to you. Such expenditures as you may incur in connection with official entertainment functions at your residence shall be reimbursed upon appropriate vouchers in accordance with the regular practice at the University.The residence to be made available would, if purchased by the University, be subject to your right to acquire the residence at any time, whether before or after termination of your employment, upon payment in full of the amounts paid by the University for the acquisition of the residence and all its furnishings, but without interest or dollar linkage (which right shall, if possible, be reflected in a recorded option instrument) , or, if rented by the University, the rental or lease rights would be assigned to you at any time, whether before or after termination of your employment, at your request.The University will …

Dear Prof. Lamm: The purpose of this letter is to confirm with you certain salary supplementation arrangements in connection with your election to the post of President of Bar-Ilan University, effective [redacted]. These arrangements are intended to serve as reimbursement and payment for certain costs which will be incurred by you and would not be normally covered by your regular remuneration paid in Israel or other reimbursement arrangements. The following have been authorized by the Executive Committee of the Board of Overseers of the University at its meeting held [redacted] 1973.You shall be paid in United States dollar funds a salary supplementation at the rate of $[redacted] to be paid in monthly installments in the United States and deposited or applied in such manner as you shall direct in writing.In addition, provision for payment in United States dollar funds shall be made in New York to continue on a non-contributory basis the pension plans, under the Rabbinical Council of America plan or similar, in existence at the time of the commencement of your term of office, not to exceed $3,400 per annum, for continuation of your existing life insurance and disability income insurance policies, not to exceed $1,600 per annum, and for continuation of your existing hospitalization, major medical insurance and disability plans, not to exceed $700 per annum in the aggregate.To the extent that funds were not made available for that purpose in Israel, and so long as your status is not changed to that of "oleh," there will be purchased round-trip tickets to the United States from Israel for each of your four children, once during each calendar year.Upon termination of your employment for any reason whatsoever, whether expiration of your term of original appointment, its earlier termination, or the absence of an agreement to renew your appointment, or otherwise, then you shall be paid in United States funds, disbursed in monthly installments or applied as you may direct,…

Dear Ernie: It was really a pleasure to talk with you and I am glad you see that the way NYANA is handling the offices has been outmoded. It is important that we will do a better job and certainly save money by looking for someone able to be in charge of NYANA as soon as possible. I mentioned to you that the person should be religious so that he may understand all types of Jews. Believe me, it was very nice to receive a report from Mr. Schwarzschild in detail, and I know that unfortunately this situation has been the same for a long, long time. For your information, more than 60 Russian children are attending Day Schools. A change must take place as quickly as possible. Please see to it. Sincerely, Max Stern

Dear Mr. Jesselsohn: This letter is long overdue. In early April of this year I gave considerable thought as to how I might properly thank your president, Rabbi Norman Lamm, for a simple act of chesed afforded to me on the occasion of my daughter’s wedding. It then occurred to me that a letter addressed to you as chairman of Yeshiva’s Board of Trustees would at least share with others the knowledge of a good deed that I am sure Rabbi Lamm would modestly keep to himself. My rabbinic and teaching schedule often leaves little time for correspondence, and so I hope the lateness of this note in no way diminishes my gratitude or your reception of its sentiments. I am a graduate of Yeshiva’s high school in Manhattan (1960), an alumnus of the college (1964), and ordained from RIETS in 1967. Like so many, Yeshiva has been an extended family for me since my bar mitzvah. Otherwise, I am in no way exceptional and have never considered myself deserving of special consideration. Yeshiva has been good to me and to my children, and I do my best to translate more than a decade of formal education into service and leadership for the communities I serve. In planning my eldest daughter’s wedding in late March, I sent an invitation to Rabbi and Mrs. Lamm, knowing full well that the probability of his attendance was unlikely. The invitation, however, was more than courtesy. Over the years I have studied nearly all of Dr. Lamm’s writings. He was my Jewish Philosophy professor and has been a seminal influence on my evolving Jewish worldview ever since. At conventions his lectures were eagerly anticipated, and his sermons a nourishing delicacy for any rabbi. From afar, Rabbi Lamm became a critical orienting post in my intellectual and spiritual growth, and the wedding invitation was thus an expression of gratitude and admiration for one who had become an intellectual and spiritual mentor. Some twelve years ago, as Rabbi Lamm assumed the presidency of Yeshiva, I was undergoing a difficult t…