By the Grace of God
7 Adar, 5712
Brooklyn, NY.
The 11th Annual Convention of
Committee for the Promotion of Jewish Education,
under the auspices of Merkos L'Inyonei Jinuj, Inc.
Shalom and Blessing:
On the occasion of your 11th Annual Convention, which takes place on Sunday, the eve of Purim, 5712, I send to all of you - members, instructors and friends - my sincere greetings and best wishes.
I have followed the work of your Committee with great interest since its founding by my late father-in-law. I am pleased to know that it has grown year after year, both in scope and quality, for growth is the hallmark of life. I trust that it will continue to grow, and at an accelerated pace, in accordance with the wishes of its great founder and in proportion to the needs of the present time.
The fact that their convention is taking place so close to Purim is very significant, and it should set the tone for this.
Our Sages say that the Miracle of Purim, which transformed the Divine decree for the Jews from death to life, both physically and spiritually, occurred because Mordechai gathered 22,000 Jewish children, to whom he taught the Torah and with whom he prayed to God for mercy. He imbued them with the spirit of self-sacrifice, so that they would unanimously declare, "We will not part from Mordechai, neither in life nor in death!""
Let us remember that Mordechai was one of the leaders of the Sanhedrin, the most learned and pious Jew of his time, possessing all the attributes of greatness. However, he set all of this aside to strengthen the foundations of education, personally teaching the sacred Torah to young children with piety and Mesirut Nefesh (a spirit of sacrifice).
The profound message for us is this: Regardless of one's station in life or how important one's activities may seem, one must, first and foremost, dedicate at least a portion of one's time and effort to the most important cause of all—saving our new generation by instilling in them devotion to all that has been sacred to us since our ancestors received the Torah at Mount Sinai, a devotion that must extend to personal sacrifice. Only in this way can we be certain that the new generation will remain with us, thus ensuring the continued existence of our people. Moreover, in this lies our strength against all the Hamans, and our security under God's protection.
I wish you success in increasing the number of your collaborators and instructors, and, above all, the number of children under your influence.
(Signature)