Dear Rabbi Lamm, Mazel Tov to you in your new Pulpit. I have been following with interest the notices in the Friday New York Times describing your series of sermons entitled "The Meaning of etc." I would like to know whether you have duplicate copies of this series, and if you could advise me about which source books to use in organizing a similar series of lectures for my congregation. You realize, to be sure, that living several hundred miles from N.Y. makes it extremely difficult for me to get into the big city often enough to keep up to date on the subject of making sermons. As a former classmate of mine I hope that you will help me in this matter by sending me duplicate copies of your sermons and the names of the source books that I could use in sermon preparation. I thank you in advance for your cooperation.An early reply will be greatly appreciated.Your Chaver,

Dear Rabbi: I read with great interest the account of your sermon on “Exploitation” in Sunday’s Times. My reaction to your blast follows: First of all, I doubt very much if you are engendering any good will, so much needed, between Christians and Jews. Kaufman displayed bad taste again. Do you know his reputation? It’s not much admired for his personal conduct. On TV, his “comic” was of the first magnitude and, in my judgment, can be hoping to make it bigger still. Do you think I’m joking? Test yourself. You will get many letters pro and con. Separate the Christians out from the Jews! And then judge. Be honest! You will see that this is a Jewish viewpoint.

My dear Rabbi Lamm, I just read in the New York Times about your sermon, and I fully agree with you. To wish still for such a blasphemy – to make a Sefer Torah into a cake, as I see it time and again in the Elmhurst bakeshops, for a Bar Mitzvah, filled with sugar candy? Barbarous! The first time I did not trust my eyes, when I saw it. I think it is one of the most disgraceful things to do. Have you ever seen a New Testament baked into a cake – or a Crucifix?

Congratulations on your New York Times item as your religious statement is highly commendable. Herman W Gordon.

Dear Sir: I was shocked, as was no doubt the whole American race, at your article in the N.Y. Times, about Hymns and Religion on T.V. and Radio under commercial sponsorship. There would be no Radios or T.V. without commercial sponsorship – and as for Religion on the air or anywhere else, we can’t get too much of it as Christians. Of course Russia has your ideas too – no Religion and...

Dear Rabbi Lamm – The report of your sermon in the New York Times of today was the most interesting article in the whole newspaper, for me, anyway. I thoroughly agree with all your statements, and it is long past time for all decent people to protest in grim indignation against any invasion of the holy precincts of religion. May God bless you in your noble efforts to achieve your worthy aims. Most sincerely yours, Lorna F. Griffin, 136 Hicks St., Brooklyn, N.Y

Dear Rabbi Lamm – Congratulations on your sermon reported in the N.Y. Times of Jan. 11 re the abuse of hymns and carols by radio, television, and merchants. I am a Christian and we and many of our friends can hardly bear to listen between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanks for speaking out in public. Respectfully, Theodore Schwartz

You’re so gifted when you preach your great sermons on the radio – I’m a shut-in and very grateful I can have my radio on Sundays to be in church but can listen to all the great sermons and take the good out of each religion. I’m again sorry that a lot of Rabbis do not know God – you need Christ to teach you how to preach to people. You make people prejudiced to preachers when your education’s so rabbi-minded. Keep up your fine sermons. God bless you.

Dear Sir – Have just been reading what you had to say about the stupidity of using religious hymns and programs on radio and television. No doubt you know or ought to know that seventy million people here in the U.S. belong to no church. I suppose you will think that they are not worth bothering about. However, God thinks they are, and so He reaches them through radio and television. You see, the commercials do not oppose Him as much as they do you. He is working in terms of immortal souls.

My dear Rabbi Lamm: May I presume to thank you for the remarks in your sermon which are quoted in the enclosed article from the N.Y. Times? You must have expressed the point of view of many resentful and inarticulate people, of whom I am one. It may interest you to know that I am a Protestant. Yours sincerely, Constance B. Marshall (Mrs. H. H.)