Jews in Moscow were resentful and frustrated today because their one matzoh bakery, opened only last week, had been shut down by order of the authorities last Friday, it was reported in dispatches from the Soviet capital received here.
According to the dispatches, the bakery, which functioned for two days, had produced only 440 pounds of matzoth–of a total of about 660, 000 pounds needed to supply an estimated 30,000 believing Jews in Moscow–when the Moscow fire department closed the bakery as a “fire hazard. ” Last week, when the bakery started producing matzoth, Nahum Paler, chairman of the Moscow Jewish community, had been quoted as saying “we plan to bake about 10 kilograms (2 2 pounds) of matzoth for every believing Jewish family in Moscow. “
Under the rules as previously announced by Rabbi Yehuda Leib Levine, spiritual leader of Moscow’s Central Synagogue, Jews who delivered the necessary Hour to the house of worship could come back later and get the equivalent in matzoth. Yesterday, however, when Jews came to ask for their matzoth, they were informed of the bakery’. closure. Angry Jews stormed Rabbi Levine’s study, only to be told that the shut-down was “temporary. “
The bakery opened last Wednesday, continued to work on Thursday, and was shut on Friday, the Moscow dispatches stated. On the first day of matzoh production, Novosti, an official Soviet Government news agency, distributed to foreign correspondents in Moscow photographs showing Rabbi Levine and Mr. Paler, in white gowns, presumably checking the first matzoth turned out at the bakery.
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