Isaac Leifer, who identifies himself as “the Grand Rabbi of Brooklyn, N.Y.,” today denied under questioning that he had any knowledge the white powder he was shipping to New York by mail was heroin.
Leifer, a Polish-born Jew naturalized in the United States, was arrested by Surete Nationale officers last week with 40 Hebrew prayer-books in his possession, the bindings of which had been hollowed out to make room for packages of heroin. According to police he had already placed in the mail several of these books containing heroin, addressed to persons in New York and Jerusalem.
Taken before an examining magistrate today, he insisted he was entitled to be called “Grand Rabbi” because “I am the son and grandson of a rabbi.” He said that a man named Jacob had given him instructions on shipping the books to New York. He denied, however, that he knew the books contained heroin. After questioning Leifer, the judge issued warrants for appointment of rogatory commissions to find Jacob.
The judge also questioned Hermann Gottdiener, a Hungarian Jew who was arrested with Leifer and who was said to be the “Grand Rabbi’s” chief accomplice, and Abraham Kantorovicz, who hollowed out the book bindings.
(Investigation in New York revealed that Leifer once had a small short-lived congregation, but there is no evidence that he was ever ordained as a rabbi. The title of “grand Rabbi” is used by Chassidic spiritual leaders in the United States to indicate their descent from “Wunder Rebbes,” but implies no official status as ordained rabbi or head of a community.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
