Dear Rabbi Lamm: Our mutual friend, Rabbi Katz, has suggested that you might be willing to assist me in a project. Because of a renewed interest in Sex Education, the American Medical Women's Association is attempting to gather together (in one issue of our Journal) a group of articles which would be helpful to physicians who are called on to assist in formulating Sex Education Programs in their communities. We would like very much to have a brief summary of the religious attitudes towards sex education. I suppose we have in mind a paragraph or two from each of the major religions supporting our attitude of the need for continuing and possibly improving sex education. I would be most grateful if you could arrange for the contribution of a brief statement of the Jewish viewpoint.Sincerely yours,Laura E. Morrow, M.D.Second Vice-President

Dear Dr. Morrow: Enclosed please find the statement on Judaism's view of sex education which you solicited from me. Would you be kind enough to let me know when it is to appear in print, and to let me have two or three copies of the journal when it is published. Sincerely, Rabbi Norman Lamm: Judaism has no "official" view on sex education; only recently have efforts been made to introduce such study into the curriculum of Jewish schools. Nevertheless, the following guidelines may be said to be in consonance with the classic sources of Judaism:**Sex education should concern itself with the attainment of mental health** as part of the striving for holiness, which is the self-transcendence achieved by conscious conformity with the divine Law.**Optimally, such instruction should take place in and form part of the religious education** of the youngster. The parents’ responsibility is primarily that of holding up to the child a model of trust and love; the elementary biological information should preferably be given by the teacher.**Sex should be viewed as part of the total personality** and not restricted to the act and apparatus of reproduction. Therefore, in addition to biology plus a short course on marriage and family, it should also be related to all the other relevant religious and ethical studies in the curriculum.**While the facts should be transmitted openly and without embarrassment,** care should be taken not only not to weaken but to reinforce the youngster's natural sense of modesty.Rabbi Norman Lamm, Ph.D.