By the Grace of G-d 25th of Cheshvan, 5741 Brooklyn, N. Y.

Greeting and Blessing:

Your letter of Oct. 20th reached me with some delay, and I regret that my acknowledgement has been further delayed on account of pressing Tishrei-related duties.

In your letter you refer to the matter of my consenting to a press release in which I endorsed the U. J. A. /Federation Campaign some years ago, and suggest that a similar endorsement at this time would be most helpful.

I believe I pointed out to you also at that time that the problem was the long-standing policy already established by my predecessor, my father-in-law of saintly memory, of making no public endorsements of any cause, however worthy, except, of course, those directly connected with Lubavitch. The reasons for this are understandable, particularly in keeping with the principle of our Sages שלא לבייש את מי שאין לו. it was, therefore, strictly as an exception that I consented to the said endorsement, in recognition of the special role of the U. J. A. /Federation. And so is also the present endorsement.

I must admit that there was also a further motive which, I regret, has not been fully realized, though this is at variance with the evaluation in your letter, in which you describe the accomplishments of the Federation after the merger in the area of Jewish education.

I need hardly explain to you that the funds which the Federation has allocated for Jewish education are quite disproportionate to its total budget - even if the needs in this area had remained static.

Actually, the needs of Jewish education have substantially increased - both in the narrower sense of Yeshivot and schools, as well as in the wider sense, to stem the tide of alienation, intermarriage and assimilation, which, to our profound regret, has not only not abated in recent years, but has even made more serious inroads.^* In view of this, it is most regrettable that the funding which the Federation has made available in both these areas - to put it mildly - has not been satisfactory at all.

it is therefore my earnest hope that the endorsement will arouse the Pintele Yid which is awake in every Jew, particularly in public leaders, to make a drastic change in the allocation of funds for Jewish education, by a drastic increase in allocation of funds for Yeshivot and schools as well as in support of organizations that are engaged in activities and programs to combat assimilation, intermarriage, etc.

You have not offered any suggestions as regards the form or text of the present endorsement. I trust, however, that the enclosed text will be satisfactory.

I can only repeat that I sincerely hope that the guiding principle that moves you and the leaders of the U. J. A. /Federation Joint Campaigns to increase the intake to be commensurate with the output, will be coupled with a similar guiding principle in regard to Jewish education, by giving it the high priority it deserves among the other vital services.

With esteem and blessing

M. Schneerson

P.S. the enclosed text is suggested as the core of the endorsement which you may quote in my name. As for the caption, etc., I believe the best way would be to follow the previous press release, which I do not have at hand, but is no doubt in your files.

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By the Grace of G-d

. . . Pursuant to discussions with the distinguished representatives of the U. J. A. /Federation Joint Campaigns, and

In view of the growing needs of our Jewish brethren, both here and overseas, particularly in the area of Jewish education, I earnestly trust that everyone who is approached for a contribution to this campaign will respond warmly and generously.

I urge all contributors to make a special effort to enable the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies to help meet the vital needs of the Jewish community in all aspects of Jewish education, to provide the financial means to counteract the growing forces of assimilation, cults, intermarriage, etc., that are seriously eroding the very foundations of American and world Jewry.