The Denver Jewish news., 1920-01-07
Special Weekly Letter
from New York
JEWS AND PROHIBITION.-RA
BIS AND THE FOUR PASSOVER
CuPS.-A JEWISH MENIORAN-
DUM.-A REVOLUTION IN THE
THEATRE.-THE COMMISSION.
Copyright by l. ]. 2. b.

| Copyright by l. J. p. B.
The great number of fatalities which
have occurred in various cities. due to
ally been traced to New York, from
where alcohol has been sent to Hart
ford and to other cities.
1t is to the credit of the Jews of New
York that in spite of the large number
of Jewish wine and liquor dealers be-
fore the Prohibition Law went into
effect, the makers of this poison al
cohol. however. We're found not among
Jewish liquor dealers, bur among Irish
and Italian former dealers and saloon
keepers, who had not stopped selling
the stuff even after the legal ban was
| put upon it.
And talking of Prohibition, there is
another interesting phase worth men
tioning.
As is known, the government made
an exception under the Prohibition
Law, in respect to wine and brandy
necessary in religious ceremonies. and
who needs little wine so much as
the Jew for '.Kidush' and "Havdul-
lah" and especially for the -Four Pass
ever Cups?'
But the difficulty. for the govern
ment. was how to insure that Jews
would buy the wine for religious pur
poses only. and not for other uses. y
committee of the Union of Orthodox
Rabbis of New York went to Washing
ton and there arranged with the Treas
ury Department in whose hands the
matter lay. that Rabbi S. Margolies
should issue permits to Kehillahs
nnd to private persons whenever they
need wine for religious purposes. But
when everything was ;already arrang-
ed, other rabois were offended that
such an important matter as the wine
"Brucha" should have been entrusted
TO single rabbi, and memorandum
was sent TO Washington in which i;
was. stated that according to the Sa
cred Law, Jews do not actually require
wine, as they can perform the Xxi
dush" with rnisin wine which contains
no alcohol. or even with two loaves
of white bread and that it is there
fore not at all necessary to place in
the hands of one rabbi so much au-
thority over all the Kehillahs which
are not even under his jurisdiction.
What will be the attitude of the gov
ernment toward this memorandum
cannot yet be foretold, but rs sign
CT the unity which prevails among our
rabbis it is most significant.
There appears to be something of II
revolution in the Jewish Art Theatre.
not on the part of the actors, but i'll
the plays. At the beginning of the
season. there was n change from dra-
ma to operetta, and Mt least one oper-
eta. "rle Rabbits Melody is now i'll
its fifteenth week. 1t does not seem
to be superseded by any of the dra-
mas.
Now the literary theatres have be-
gun competition with comedies. The
Jewish Art Theatre under the direc-
'ioi VI thC 1ONish "iitSi' of'ip ~
now, and with Jacob ben Ami as
regisseur, will present during the cur
rent week the comedy Bronx Ex-
press" Not to be outdone. Morris
Schwartz, the director or the Irving
Place Theatre has secured Leon Ko
lrin's after the Wedding also u
comedy OF typical New York life. as
is Bronx Express" Schwartz will
produce his comedy two weeks later
but even with that handicap, he hopes
that Kobrin's After til. Wedding"
will out-run Dymow's Bronx EN-
press"
As these lines are being written, we
are informed that the Joint Distribu
ton Committee and the American jew
ish Congress have finally concurred
as to the personnel of the commission
which is to be sent to the Ukraine.
The commission will consist of five
persons Colonel Harry Cutler. Israel
Friedlander. Captain Lehman, Max
Pine, and Morris Katz. If any of
these cannot go, his place is TO be
taken by another candidate.
JEWISH SHIPPING COMPANY Or