Draft of a lengthy letter (two pages), by Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn – Rebbe Rayatz of Lubavitch. [Brooklyn NY], Erev Sukkot 1941.
Typewritten on the official stationery of Rebbe Rayatz, with several lines and emendations handwritten by the Rebbe.
The letter was written following an appeal by the Jewish Education Committee to Jewish parents in New York to enroll their children in Jewish religious schools. In his letter, addressed to Supreme Justice Rosenman, who served as president of the Committee, the Rebbe expresses his concerns about the educational institutes whose curricula do not conform with the traditional Jewish education and whose staff do not believe in G-d and the Torah: "As their teachers… are often nothing other than plain heretics who have no faith in G-d and do not observe His precepts and even mock the Jewish traditional customs". Further in the letter, the Rebbe describes the tremendous influence of an educator on his students, and calls the attention of the Jewish Education Committee to the two following objectives: "a) To improve the curricula… so that the Jewish boys and girls obtain a thorough knowledge of the true Jewish way of life, of our precepts and laws; and b) To maintain control of the teaching staffs with a view to ensuring that the teachers are observant Jews and Jewesses, and are approved as such".
The rebbe concludes the letter with blessings for Justice Rosenman: "The Almighty will surely reward you and bless you generously in material and spiritual matters".
At the foot of the first leaf, the rebbe crossed out several lines, and reformulated them in his handwriting: " Any teacher and educator – both men and women – in whose hands Jewish children were entrusted, to teach religion, ethics and Jewish way of life, their general attitude towards the observance of the practical precepts affects the lives of the students, since their influence leaves it's mark on the entire future of the student" (the emphasized words were added in his handwriting).
The English translation of this letter was printed in Igrot Kodesh of Rebbe Rayatz (Vol. VI, 1942, letter 1556), with the following footnote: "Copied from the secretary's copy, which is marked at the top 'translation', meaning the Hebrew original (which is not in our possession) was sent to him together with the English translation". This is therefore the draft of the original Hebrew letter, before it was translated to English, and it was not available to the compilers of Igrot Kodesh.
Samuel Irving Rosenman (1896-1973), lawyer and judge. Democratic Party activist and senior advisor of Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman. First White House Counsel in 1943-1946.
[2] leaves, official stationery. Leaf 1: 28 cm; leaf 2: 18 cm (lacking bottom part). Good condition. Creases and foxing (paperclip marks). Pinholes.