The secret Jewish history of Alcatraz

The Jewish history of Alcatraz prison is rich and complex. Rabbi Rudolph Coffee, an early prison chaplain in California, made efforts to support Jewish inmates by organizing Passover and High Holiday observances, including providing matzo and special meals. However, some, like atomic spy Morton Sobell, criticized Coffee for being self-focused and disengaged.

Jewish prisoners at Alcatraz included notorious figures such as Mickey Cohen, a gangster and Irgun supporter, and Waxey Gordon, a mobster linked to bootlegging and narcotics. These men were part of a broader Jewish criminal underworld, as documented by historians like Robert Rockaway.

Despite the tough crowd, Jewish prisoners maintained some sense of identity and community. One such inmate, George Brooks, even helped organize a labor protest at a previous prison. In a powerful symbol of solidarity, Jewish activists in 1969—including Joel Brooks and Rabbi Roger Herst—brought supplies and a plastic hanukkiyah to support Native American occupiers of Alcatraz, highlighting shared struggles between the two communities.

Source: The Forward

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