Evening star., 1925-03-22
Even Black and Red Com
municants" Help Swell
Total, Says Dr.. Simon.
HEBREW PAPER LEADS
ATTACK UPON ABUSES
Some Clergy Want 10 Gallons An
nually-0thers Hold One Sip
Fills Obligations.

which each member of the Jewish
faith is allowed two gallons of wine
each year, showed signs yesterday of
being dragged into the limelight of
notoriety by Jewish leaders them
selves.
One of the first instances was a sensa-
tional expose yesterday by the Ameri-
can Hebrew, a national magazine for
American Jews, published in New
York City. which declared lit behooves
US to clean our own house
when occasion demands"
Prohibition officials admitted yes
terday that abuse in the sale of wine
intended for sacramental purposes had
grown to be one of the big problems
of prohibition" along with smuggling
and redistiilation of alcohol, and ex-
pressed qualification that Jewish
leaders had set themselves to clean
their own house"
Row In Own Circles.
Sharp difference of opinion has bob
bed up over the matter of Jewish circles.
principally between those who feel
that the use of fermented wine Is
necessary in religious rites. and those
who feel that grape juice will do just
as well.
Rabbi Abram Simon of this city
yesterday said: The highest Jewish
authorities permit the use of unfer-
mented wine, and so does Almi ghty
God"
Rabbi j. T. Loeb and Rabbi Moses
4. Horowitz, however. of the ortho-
dox faith contended that Biblical law
demanded the use of real wine. Both
explained that the strictest regula-
tions were maintained in the issuance
of sacramental wine for religious
purposes and that the alcoholic con-
tent need not be high.
Conference 4. Urged.
49, movement sponsored by the
Union of American Hebrew Congre-
cations to call a conference of ma
tional Jewish congregational orgsni-
cations TO : cooperate on religious
questions was approved by the Amer
lean Hebrew in an editorial which
proposed that such an organization
should find within its purview the
urgency of petitionine the Govern
ment either to abolish the tsacra-
mental wine) privilege. so far as. 1t
pertains to Jewish ritualistic obser-
vations. or to find means to enforce
the privilege so rigidly that its abuses
will cease"
Assistant Prohibition Commissioner
Jones, in discussing the 'matter yes
terday, explained that the Govern
ment was glad Jewish leaders were
looking into the question and he
hoped their efforts would have an
even more saiutary effect on the
abuses than any efforts the Govern
ment might make.
Dubious of Unity.
There seemed to be 4 great diff
ference, however, among Jewish
leaders. Mr.. Jones explained. as to
the amount of wine and the quality
Of fermentation necessary in the OBJ
servance of their religious rites
Should such a proposed conference
of all Jewish organizations in the
country be successful in bringing
about united request to the Govern
ment in regard to the Jewish sacra :
mental wine question, Mr. Jones
thought it would be an excellent
thing, but in view of the wide variety
of opinion expressed by different dele
cations calling at the prohibition
unit, he thought such unity would be
exceedingly difficult to bring about.
For instance" said Mr.. Jones. I'VE
We're visited some time ago by a dele
CATION of four elderly members of
the orthodox faith, with long boards
Every one of them said he had been a
rabbi for more than so years. They rep
resented the orthodox branch of the
church, they said, and explained that
at least 10 gallons of real wine was
necessary for each person in connec-
tion with his religious ceremonies for
the year.
/ Wants Only "Sip.-
"On the other hand" continued Mr
20 ptrl l1l
land, Calf, who was here for q con :
ference recently. told us that only a
sip of wine would be necessary. If
indeed. fermented wine was necessary
at all. Others held out for the ne
cessity of goblet of wine, instead of
the sip. There seems to be a wide
difference of real religious conviction
over the question of a sip or a goblet.
and the question of fermented wine
and only grape juice.
The question of sacranlental wine
is now one of our big problems. We
had not been able to give 1T the at
tention 1T deserved until lately on ac-
count of more pressing problems
Also 1T did not develop into such an
acute problem until after we had eff
fectively checked some other forms of
Illegal distribution of liquor.
"One of our first problems with the
ooN ShN VI pl was now TO
check the withdrawal of bonded
liquor from warehouses on forged
and counterfeit withdrawal papers.
This was effectively met by a new
system and a new kind of permit
The bootleggers next took to diluting
and coloring grain alcohol which had
been prepared for industrial pur-
poses. We met this leak by provid-
ing that this alcohol should be de-
natured. Then they took to intensive
smuggling and redfstilling and to
the selling of what sacramental wine
they could obtain. We are now Crap
ping principally with these three
most pressing phases of prohibition
enforcement"
Growth Causes Inquiry.
The increase in the amount of sac
ramentaI wines delivered under con-
troll of the prohibition unit grew so
remarka bly, Mr.. Jones said. that in
quiry into it was. made.
Figures from the records of the
unit show that the number of gallons
withdrawn for sacramental purposes
increased from 2,13S,90s in the fiscal
year ended June go, 1922, to 2,503, ,4S9
in the fiscal year 1923. and to the
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