Montreal, Canada – There was a guilty plea this morning from a Hassidic Jewish congregation in Outremont in connection with importing illegal alcohol destined for religious purposes.
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Montreal police seized 900 litres of alcohol including kosher wine and peach schnapps from the synagogue of the Congregation Todos Yakov Yosef de Skver almost a year ago.
The alcohol didn’t have the proper Quebec liquor board (SAQ) seals and permits.
Police acted on a complaint though the congregation had been doing it for years.
The congregation decided to enter a guilty plea and pay a $20,000 fine, averting a long and costly trial. But their lawyer Jeffrey Boro says they had a solid defence.
“The law allows for wines that come from other places for ritual purposes,” Boro tells CJAD News.
And Boro says the congregation still needs the wine for religious ceremonies so it doesn’t solve the problem.
“The SAQ does not carry nor do they seem to want to carry a sufficient variety of kosher wines for the Jewish community.”
Boro adds Ontario not only offers a wider selection but a cheaper selection.
The guilty plea paved the way for charges to be dropped against ten members of the congregation.
The judge ordered the alcohol confiscated and destroyed.
Lucky they are not in the USA or they someone would be getting 14 years or more.
The sentences being handed out lately are crazy!
Sick thing that only the government is allowed to sell wine.
What a nutty country, our neighbors to the north (or south if you’re in downtown Detroit).
After Rabbi Boteach’s article about PETA trying to get shechita banned, it’s hard to get worked up over the inability to get kosher peach schnapps in provincial liquor stores. But I guess it is kind of a drag.
G-D bless Ontario!
Its not the country its the prvince that makes the laws.
Guys, it is nutty at all, they have a process just like anywhere in the world. you apply for a license you pay the tax. that is how most people make a living. i know some of you can’t wrap you heads around this… why can’t wine for religious ceremonies be bought in a liquor store
God forbid that frum jews actually follow the law, instead of deciding it does not apply to them
Oh, the joys of socal justice and government regulation…
Pennsylvania and Ohio also have alcoholic beverage monopolies, similarly making it difficult to obtain a suitable variety of kosher products.
Calling Canada a nutty country is Chutzbah
We are blessed to have such a country where the Government is fair and honest, from the PM down
how about dina dmalchusa dina,, or if you wear a long coat you can do a yu wish
G-D bless this country and it’s leaders
” … though the congregation had been doing it for years.”
And does that make it legal then?