Norman Lamm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Norman Lamm |
|
|---|---|
Rabbi Lamm, 2007
|
|
| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Orthodox |
| Alma mater | Yeshiva University (BS, PhD) |
| Personal | |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | December 19, 1927 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 31, 2020 (aged 92) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Spouse | Mindella Mehler |
| Children | Shalom, Chaye, Joshua, and Sara |
| Position | President and Rosh yeshiva (retired) |
| Yeshiva | RIETS |
| Position | Chancellor (retired) |
| Organization | Yeshiva University |
| Ended | July 1, 2013 |
| Semicha | RIETS |
Norman Lamm (born December 19, 1927 – died May 31, 2020) was an important American Modern Orthodox rabbi. He was also a scholar, author, and a leader in the Jewish community. He served as the Chancellor of Yeshiva University until he retired in 2013.
Rabbi Lamm was the third President of Yeshiva University. He was the first president of the university to be born in the United States. He was a student of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, a very influential modern Jewish scholar. Rabbi Soloveitchik ordained him as a rabbi in 1951. This happened at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, which is Yeshiva University's rabbinical school.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Norman Lamm grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with three siblings. His father, Samuel, worked in different jobs, including as a kosher inspector. His mother, Pearl, came from a respected family of rabbis.
As a young person, Lamm went to Mesivta Torah Vodaath in Brooklyn. He then attended Yeshiva College, part of Yeshiva University. He earned a degree in chemistry in 1949. After college, he worked in a secret lab in New York. There, he helped develop weapons for the new State of Israel. He was the top student in his graduating class for his non-religious studies.
In 1951, he became a rabbi at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He also took advanced classes at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He thought about becoming a doctor. However, Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin, the second President of Yeshiva University, convinced him to teach there instead. Later, Lamm earned a Ph.D. in Jewish philosophy from Yeshiva University.
Lamm's grandfather, Rabbi Yehoshua Baumol, was also a scholar. He encouraged Lamm to attend Yeshiva College. There, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik became his important teacher.
Career and Leadership
Rabbi Lamm served as a community rabbi for almost 25 years. He was an assistant rabbi in Manhattan, New York. His first main rabbinical job was in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1952, he became the rabbi of the West Side Jewish Center. He then became an assistant rabbi at the Jewish Center in 1958. From 1959 to 1976, he was the senior rabbi there. In 1959, he also started teaching Jewish philosophy at Yeshiva University.
In 1958, Lamm helped start Tradition. This was an academic journal focused on Modern Orthodox ideas. He also began the Torah U-Madda Journal.
He earned his Ph.D. in 1966. In August 1976, he became the President of Yeshiva University. When he took over, the university was facing serious financial problems. He helped save it from bankruptcy and raised its funds. Under his leadership, the school became a top-100 university in national rankings.
Lamm also played a key role in Jewish scholarship. He introduced the publisher ArtScroll, which was struggling financially, to a generous donor named Jerome Schottenstein. This connection led to the funding for the famous Schottenstein English translation of the Babylonian Talmud.
Personal Life
Norman Lamm was married to Mindella. She died in April 2020. At the time of his death in May 2020, Rabbi Lamm had two sons, Shalom and Joshua, and a daughter, Chaye Warburg. Another daughter, Sara Lamm Dratch, passed away in 2013. He also had 17 grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.
Understanding His Beliefs
As a Modern Orthodox Jew, Rabbi Lamm's beliefs were based on traditional Jewish teachings. He taught that God exists and can reveal His will to people. He believed that the Torah (the first five books of Moses) is God's exact message to Moses on Mount Sinai.
He also believed that Judaism's oral law, found in the Mishnah and Talmud, accurately explains God's will. According to Orthodox Jewish belief, halakha, or "Jewish law," is important and must be followed by all Jews.
Torah and Modern Knowledge
One of Rabbi Lamm's most important ideas was "Torah Umadda." This means combining Torah learning with modern culture and knowledge. He believed that Jewish learning and worldly knowledge could exist together. He said this idea was inspired by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch from the 1800s. Both Lamm and Hirsch valued gaining modern knowledge while still following halakha.
Centrist Orthodoxy
Rabbi Lamm was a well-known supporter of "Modern Orthodoxy." This is also called Centrist Orthodoxy. It sees itself as a middle path between different groups within Orthodox Judaism. Some people tried to make a difference between "Modern" and "Centrist" Judaism, but Lamm thought this was not important.
Working with Other Jewish Groups
Rabbi Lamm strongly disagreed with Reform Judaism's attempts to change what it means to be Jewish. For example, Reform Judaism said a person could be Jewish if only their father was Jewish. This was different from the traditional Jewish law that says you are Jewish if your mother is Jewish. Lamm called this "the single most irresponsible act in contemporary Jewish history."
However, he still worked to keep communication open between Orthodox and Reform Jews. He hoped to maintain Jewish unity. Lamm supported working with Reform and Conservative Judaism in groups like the Synagogue Council of America.
He believed that non-Orthodox rabbis were "valid" spiritual leaders. This means they were strong and influential leaders who should be respected. But he said only Orthodox rabbis were "legitimate" religious leaders. This is because only those fully committed to halakha can be considered Jewishly legitimate as rabbis.
In the late 1980s, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir asked Lamm for help. There was a problem about "Who is a Jew?" when a Reform convert wanted to move to Israel. Lamm suggested a solution. It involved a joint group that would interview people converting to Judaism. They would then send them to an Orthodox beit din (rabbinic court) for conversion according to traditional Jewish law.
This plan was agreed upon by all sides. However, some very strict Orthodox rabbis spoke out against it. Rabbi Lamm believed this interference was very damaging to Jewish unity. He hoped this plan would lead to more solutions for Jewish disunity, like with Jewish divorces.
In 1997, the "Who is a Jew?" issue came up again in Israel. Lamm publicly supported the Neeman Commission. This group of Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform rabbis worked to create joint programs for conversion. He encouraged Orthodox Jews to support this effort.
Rabbi Lamm told people that they should value the efforts of non-Orthodox leaders. He said they should encourage these leaders to include more traditional Jewish practices in their communities. He believed that "something is better than nothing" when it comes to Jewish practice.
In his speech Seventy Faces, Lamm warned that Jewish communities could break apart if they didn't listen to each other. He believed that Orthodox Jews must accept that non-Orthodox rabbis are valid Jewish leaders. He also said that marriages performed by non-Orthodox Jews could be valid if they followed Jewish law. He stressed that Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews must find ways to work together.
Science and Faith
Rabbi Lamm was trained as a scientist and was interested in how science and Judaism connect. In a 1971 essay, he wrote about scientific ideas like abiogenesis (how life began) and evolution. He also discussed the possibility of extraterrestrial life (life on other planets).
He believed that religious people should not ignore new scientific theories. He said that the Torah is "a Torah of truth." Hiding from facts would distort that truth. He compared this to how Maimonides, a great Jewish thinker, dealt with ancient Greek ideas about the universe. Maimonides was open to new ideas if they were proven true.
Lamm believed that if scientific theories were proven correct, Judaism should accept them. He felt that new truths could help us better understand the Torah. His writings on this topic were even featured in a special edition of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Writings
Rabbi Lamm wrote 10 books and helped edit over 20 others.
In 1971, he wrote Faith and Doubt: Studies in Traditional Jewish Thought. This book explored his personal religious beliefs.
In the 1980s, some people criticized Modern Orthodoxy. To defend it, Lamm wrote Torah Umadda: The Encounter of Religious Learning and Worldly Knowledge in the Jewish Tradition. This book explained his idea of combining Torah with "Western Civilization."
In 1989, his doctoral study was published as Torah Lishmah: Torah for Torah's Sake. This book looked at the differences between two Jewish movements, Hasidism and Mitnagdism.
In 1999, Lamm published The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary. This book explored the mystical teachings of the Hasidic movement. It won the National Jewish Book Award in Jewish Thought.
In 2000, Lamm wrote The Shema: Spirituality and Law in Judaism. This book was for a general audience. It showed how understanding Judaism could lead to a deeper spiritual life. He wrote it to counter the idea that observant Judaism was only about dry laws, not meaning.
He also wrote many essays on current Jewish issues. These were published in journals like Tradition, which he founded, and the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society.
Retirement and Legacy
Rabbi Lamm stepped down as president of Yeshiva University in 2003. He was followed by Richard Joel, the first non-rabbi to hold the position.
After retiring as president, Lamm became the Chancellor of Yeshiva University. He also kept his title as Rosh HaYeshiva ("head of the yeshiva") of the rabbinical school for another ten years.
In July 2013, Rabbi Lamm fully retired from Yeshiva University after more than 60 years. After retirement, he lived a more private life. He passed away on May 31, 2020, in Englewood, New Jersey.
Awards
- 1999: National Jewish Books Award in Jewish Thought for The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary
