Dear Friends: Most regretfully, your invitation reached us the day of the Bar Mitzvah, because we had just returned from our summer vacation. That is why I was unable to telegram my congratulations in time or, certainly, to attend personally. To keep things in their proper chronological order, let me first welcome you back from your stay in Israel. A number of people had told me that they met you – including the Aaron Greens – and all of them brought back enthusiastic reports of your stay there. And now please accept our most heartfelt and sincere congratulations upon the Bar Mitzvah of Ilan Daniel. May the Almighty grant that your Ilan bear your kind of perot which will distinguish him as a loyal son to his parents, a devoted member of his family, and, above all, as a fruitful and creative child of Israel. May you be blessel with years and years of undiminished "nachas." Cordially yours,RABBI NORMAN LAMM

Dear Charlotte and Yaakov: Mindy and I would have been delighted to attend Daniel's Bar Mitzvah on Thanksgiving morning, p. G. Having enjoyed the last one as much as we did, we looked forward to a repeat performance this year. Regretfully (but, of course, not unfortunately), we shall not be able to attend because of other commitments to "simchas" at this very time. It seems that everybody, including close friends and members, is either getting married or having a Bar Mitzvah this Thanksgiving Day. Please forgive us then, and please ask Daniel to forgive us too. We look forward to joining you at other "simchas" in the future, and meanwhile express to you our deepest feelings of joy and our most genuine good wishes for "mazel tov," and years without end of undiminished "nachas" as he grows up into the kind of Jew and human being who will justify his parents' fondest hopes, and realize their greatest dreams for him.Sincerely yours,RABBI NORMAN LAMMRNL/fz