Dear Chaver: Last week I attended the Convention of the UOJCA in Washington. I want to share one of my impressions of that Convention with you and the implications that must be drawn from it. There was a notable absence of any substantial members of our Alumni at the Convention. I am not speaking of the support which is due this important Agency. What bothers me is whether the Union reflects in any appreciable measure our thinking on current issues. We of the Yeshiva University Rabbinic Alumni have only ourselves to blame if it does not. I feel that it is urgent that we involve ourselves in the work of the Union and make our presence and attitudes felt there.To this end it is my intention to suggest to the next meeting of our Executive Committee the creation of a special Commission to study this problem and to suggest an approach.With all good wishes and warmest personal regards, I amEver sincerely yours.Rabbi Bernard L. BerzonPresidentBLB/c

Dear Bernard: I am very flattered by your invitation to me to accept the chairmanship of the committee which you described over the phone. However, most regretfully, I must decline the invitation I already indicated to you, during the same conversation my initial reaction. After thinking about it a bit more my feelings are intensified rather than diminished.While I approve wholeheartedly of the intentions that inform this particular move, I do take exception to the tactics and the tone, and I believe they will prove self defeating.Please, therefore, try to sympathize with my point of view, even if you don't agree with it.Thanks once again and very best regards,Cordially yours,Rabbi Norman LammRNL/fzbc – L. Hobrin, M. Lamm, R. Morris Feiner, R. Emanuel Rachman

Dear Bernard: Since I have just returned from three months in Israel, let this letter serve as my שלום עליכם to you and to Rabbi Klavan as well. Please read it carefully, for I shall be very brief, though you may call on me for further details. During my stay, the unhappy Ashkelon affair arose, which led me to think about how to protect the integrity of Shabbat while also being considerate of the non-observant Jew who, working six days a week, feels hemmed in by its restrictions. I devised an idea, shared it with Zevulun Hammer, leader of the younger group of the N.R.P., and he introduced it as an amendment to one of the labor laws in the Knesset. Although Almogi, the Minister of Labor, strongly opposed it and tried to remove it from the agenda, Hammer and Menachem Porush gathered enough support to pass it by a vote of 24–22. At present, my Rosh Chodesh plan is in committee, which is expected to invite testimony and discussion. I will not elaborate further here, but I enclose an article from the Jerusalem Post that outlines it, and it will also appear in Hadoar and possibly already in Haaretz. The religious newspapers in Israel have prominently covered it. I believe that endorsements by the R.C.A. to the Prime Minister and to the Israeli Ambassador in Washington, expressing support for this plan that could help address Israel’s religious challenges, would greatly strengthen its prospects. We have the chance to advance something creative that can contribute to the state’s inner peace and harmony, and I would be deeply grateful for your vigorous support. I look forward to seeing you and discussing it at your convenience. Cordially, Rabbi Norman Lamm