Passover raisin wine, the american temperance movement, and Mordecai Noah: the origins, meaning, and wider significance of a nineteenth-century american jewish religious practice
The use of raisin wine on Passover, described by Mordecai Noah (1785-1851) and considered by some in his day to have been a requirement of Jewish law, reflected (1) an old world custom that over time was transformed into a "popular halacha," (2) a possible vestige of a Marrano practice, an...
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| Format: | Print Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
College
1988
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| In: |
Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Year: 1988, Volume: 59, Pages: 269-288 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Noah, Mordecai M. 1785-1851
/ Passover
/ Judaism
/ The Americas
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| RelBib Classification: | BH Judaism TJ Modern history |
| Parallel Edition: | Electronic
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| Summary: | The use of raisin wine on Passover, described by Mordecai Noah (1785-1851) and considered by some in his day to have been a requirement of Jewish law, reflected (1) an old world custom that over time was transformed into a "popular halacha," (2) a possible vestige of a Marrano practice, and (3) a rabbinically-sanctioned means of observing the commandments when regular kosher wine was unobtainable. Use of the wine demonstrates a desire on the part of nineteenth century American Jews to maintain selected traditions and customs even under difficult "frontier" traditions. The practice enriched Jewish life, served to distinguish Jews from their Christian neighbors, and helped to transform Passover into a time of religious revitalization. Jewish use of raisin wine also became an issue in the American temperance debate. The episode illustrates how American Christians sometimes used Jews as informants, viewed them as repositories of ancient wisdom, and looked to them as potential legitimators of Christian practices. Finally, the raisin wine issue sheds light on American Jewish attitudes to the temperance question as a whole. Mordecai Noah endorsed temperance as an important social cause, even as he warned adherents against extremism. Later Jews, who saw the movement at a more advanced stage, worried about the coercive evangelical fervor and nativism associated with it, and kept their distance. Far from trumpeting the Jewish use of raisin wine, as Noah had done, they questioned, from a ritual point of view, whether such non-fermented wine was permitted at all. |
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| ISSN: | 0360-9049 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
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