By the Grace of G-d 22nd of Adar Sheni, 5730 Brooklyn, N. Y.

Greeting and Blessings

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter of March 24th, as well as your previous letter, with the enclosures.

Let me again reiterate my prayerful wishes to you and to the Bar-Mitzva boy, that together with your wife you should have much true Yiddish Nachas from him and all your children, that is Nachas based on our eternal Torah, Toras Chaim, meaning that it is both the true guide in life, as well as the source of a happy and worthwhile life, in addition to being also the source of eternal life.

I read with interest your remarks about the vacancy for a spiritual leader in your Young Israel Synagogue, as well as the letter from the Selection Committee.

Needless to say, I was quite surprised to note that the candidate should be a university graduate. I had hoped that in this year of 1970, or rather in the year 5730, the said condition would be best left out altogether. To be sure, a Rabbi’s qualifications must include knowledge of the spoken language, in order to be able to communicate also with such young people who do not know the language of our ancestors. However, seeing what the universities have been able to produce recently, and especially seeing that they have been the breeding places for open rebellion against established institutions, etc., I do not think that it should be a primary requirement of a spiritual leader who is to lead and guide the perplexed of our generation.

It is true that a number of Lubavitch and Chabad Rabbis are university graduates, and many of them have accomplished wonders in their congregations and communities, but I must add at once that their accomplishments were due not because of their being university graduates, but in spite of their having been subjected to the college and university atmosphere for a number of years.

I do not wish to enlarge on what is a painful subject. Nor do I wish to imply that we will not search for the candidate you specify. However, I trust that you will use your influence not only in your own community, but also wherever it can be effective, in the direction indicated.

Although what follows should be self evident, I nevertheless want to mention it specifically, and that is that what was said above is not intended, G-d forbid, as a reflection upon the children who, together with their Jewish education, are attending college. I hope and pray that it will not affect them in any way, and will serve only a good purpose. The main point that I wish to make is that a Jewish congregation, which like all Jewish congregations are traditionally called Kehila Kadish should not make it a primary prerequisite of a candidate for the position of spiritual leadership that he should be a university graduate.

Our mutual friend Rabbi . . . has informed me that you plan a visit to the Holy Land in the near future. So I want to wish you Hatzlocho, and I trust that you will also visit Kfar Chabad, in which you have a substantial investment. I have in mind not only your financial investment there, but more so your personal interest and share in the good work they are doing there.

Wishing you Hatzlocho also in all your affairs, and hoping to hear good news from you always,

With blessing,

P.S. The letter of the Selection Committee has been forwarded to the office of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva from whom you will no doubt hear direct.