1915-04-21ww

“Isaac Levy must stay away from the Congregation Bas Jacob ”

Hamilton Spectator.    April 21, 1915.

Hamilton’s Police Magistrate usually had a monotonous array of cases to deal with at the daily sittings of the Police Court. Drunk and disorderly, domestic abuse and petty theft were the most frequent issues.

However, on April 21, 1915, the magistrate had to deal with something that he had never faced before, and probably would never face again.

The small courtroom was packed with members of a prominent Hamilton Jewish synagogue wanting to testify in regard to a charge formally laid against Isaac Levy by Benjamin Goldberg:

“A host of members from the synagogue told the magistrate today that the future welfare of the congregation depended entirely on Isaac. If he attended service, then service would have to be called off, they said.

“Some of the objections were that he bobbed up and down, galloped from one pew to another, drank deeply of the wine and made a nuisance of himself in general.”¹

¹ “Levy in Quandary Where to Worship”

Hamilton Spectator.    April 21, 1915.

 Benjamin Goldberg’s testimony was as follows:

“ ‘It’s usual at our meetings to have a little wine or whiskey. The defendant grabs the bottle away from one of the members, tilts it up and takes a stiff drink.’ Said Mr. Goldberg.”

The magistrate gave the defendant a to ask Goldberg any questions:

“ ‘Questions? A lot of them. I’ll ask him a dozen,’ announced Levy. Turning towards Mr. Goldberg, he thundered: ‘Don’t ninety fathers in the synagogue call me names and tell me I’m crazy? Don’t those ninety fathers tell their children to call me crazy? Your worship, I’m no worse than anybody else at the synagogue. They’re all like me and I’m like them, but they don’t want me.’ ”¹

The magistrate then asked Levy a few questions:

“ ‘You’ve known that for a long while. I can’t understand why you stayed so long. I certainly wouldn’t attend a church where I wasn’t wanted,’ said the magistrate.

“ ‘ But I can’t go to any other synagogue . These men tell the members of the other synagogues  not to let me in.’ said Levy.

“Then go out in the fields and worship. Your chances of getting into heaven, if that’s what you are after, are just as good if you worship in the fields and the woods instead of a church. But don’t go back to Congregation Bas Jacob. If I hear of your ever go there again, I’ll bind you over to keep the peace,’ announced the magistrate.”¹

Isaac Levy tried to soften the magistrate’s ruling to no avail:

“ ‘I’ll just go once a year – just once,’ replied Levy.

“ ‘If you do and I hear of it, I’ll make it warm for you. You must understand that you’re not wanted there and you’ve got to stay away,’ retorted his worship.

“Isaac resigned himself to his churchless future and departed.”¹