Authentic Jewish education remains critically underfunded despite its urgency; conferences offer rhetoric instead of resources; immediate, substantial investment is essential to prevent irreversible loss.
By the Grace of G-d
15th of Teves, 5736
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Mr. Yitzchok Stone
200-11 N. Park Blvd.
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44118
Greeting and Blessing:
After the interval, I was pleased to receive your letter of December 15th, with enclosure, though in the interim I have, of course, inquired and received regards through mutual friends, as to yourself and family and those members of the family who live in New York and who, I am pleased to be informed, have made a good adjustment.
I read with interest your remarks about the Federations, etc. I trust that your achievements in the past will stimulate even greater efforts, especially in view of the slight change for the better which has become evident in their policy, as you indicate. This encourages the hope that sooner or later - and may G-d grant that it should be sooner - there will be a substantial change, and in a growing measure, commensurate with the crying need for real Jewish education. Yet so far the financial help given by the Federations has been minimal and even that has shrunk by the persistent inflation. No need to enlarge on this to you.
I should not be at peace with my conscience if I were not to share with you some of my feelings on this matter, which I am confident you will not take amiss. I must observe that even your strong say in this matter has not been strong enough in view of the urgency of the problem, which is to provide immediate funding for Torah Chinuch.
As an example of the disregard shown to this vital cause, can well serve the recent conference in Jerusalem, which took place with much fanfare and publicity and with representatives from all parts of the world, especially the U.S.A. If you ask anyone who participated in it, how many minutes were devoted by this conference to the problem of real Jewish education, especially in practical terms, the answer would be unbelievable.
Anyone can see what has happened to the Jewish youths that had been deprived of real Jewish education - and I do not mean only in regard to the totality of Eretz Yisroel. Yet, it has not moved the leadership to recognize the absolute necessity of channeling larger subsidies for those educational institutions which are engaged in raising a young generation that is firmly rooted in the Jewish people, a generation that will not slavishly follow the cultures that have produced anti-Semitism in its most rabid form (and not by accident, but as a natural outgrowth). In such a situation, paying lip-service to Jewish education, or even initiating another research project and the like, does not minimize the disregard and insensitivity towards something that is vitally important to the survival of our people. It is like having an emergency case requiring immediate medical attention, instead of which the patient is treated to a lecture, or is told that a research project is about to be initiated. Can one estimate how many emergency cases have been lost not only for orthodox Jewry, but for Jewish survival, plain and simple?!
As a businessman you know that it is the practical result that counts. Hundreds of Jewish educational institutions that are truly dedicated to real Jewish education are struggling to maintain existence, when they should be expanding their facilities and reaching out to those that do not even know what they are missing. There can be no doubt that substantial funds could be found and appropriated for this purpose. If there is money for physical defense and survival, surely there should be enough money for spiritual defense and survival, especially as the one is very much dependent on the other. Obviously the efficacy of an army is largely determined by its morale as much as by its equipment, to mention but one simple example.
