CUP RUNNETH ON EMPTY AT VETERANS HOSPITAL.

Byline: Dennis McCarthy 

``I work for the government and God. And God makes a heck of a lot more sense than most of these guys working in government.''

- Rabbi Benjamin Joseph Elsant

Jewish chaplain at Sepulveda VA hospital for 35 years

PROBABLY so, rabbi, but God isn't calling the shots over at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital at Sepulveda. One of those guys in government is.

So, the Cup of Elijah went empty last week.

An ounce of grape wine, with which Rabbi Benjamin Joseph Elsant has filled the Prophet Elijah's cup at each model Seder in the past 34 years, was banned this year by the VA hospital's acting director, Howard Cooperman.

``The director has said, `No wine for the Jews,' '' Elsant wrote in a terse note titled, ``The Empty Cup,'' that was distributed at the Seder attended by more than 100 people April 2.

``For 34 years, directors of this hospital, the chiefs of staff, and many doctors have graced us with their participation and in the drinking of the sacramental wine with us.

``Today, it is verboten. The cup is here. It is empty. We are not allowed to put wine in it,'' Elsant wrote.

Cooperman, who is Jewish, said he banned the use of wine at the Seder because ``I question the appropriateness of any alcohol on a government facility. I guess that makes me the devil of Sepulveda.''

Not quite, but he's certainly not on the rabbi's good side.

Since the decision was made to ban wine at the Seder, neither man has backed down from his position. If anything, both have hardened them.

From his home Wednesday, Elsant said he wasn't so much angry as he was disappointed at Cooperman's decision.

``I've served an ounce of wine to over 15,000 people at Seders the past 34 years and never had one problem,'' he said. ``The amount is so small. It's symbolic. All of a sudden, it's evil.''

Elsant says he has used grape juice in place of grape wine for people who get sick sipping even a little wine, but to use only grape juice at a Seder would be ``so wrong,'' he said.

``It's not the real thing,'' Elsant said. ``I'd rather do without. As far as the people who are in alcohol treatment programs, and have taken a vow not to drink any alcohol, I tell them the cup of wine is symbolic. It's OK just to look at it and not drink it. They understand.''

But it's not OK with Cooperman, who said Wednesday he wasn't aware that wine had been served at hospital Seders, even though he's been at the facility 15 years as chief of acquisitions and material management.

He said he's never attended one of Rabbi Elsant's Seders and learned about the wine use only last month when the rabbi sent in a requisition for the VA to buy two cases of grape wine for religious ceremonies held at the facility throughout the year.

``This was the first time it came to my attention,'' Cooperman said. ``I don't know how he purchased his wine before.''

Elsant remembers how vividly. ``I sat in his office last year,'' the rabbi said. ``He's the supply man. He ordered me a case of grape wine and the government paid for it, so who's kidding who?

``For the Catholics, the hospital pays for cases and cases of wine for their services, which I think is a proper and decent thing,'' Elsant said. ``But, at the same time, it's now no wine for the Jews.''

Calls to the Sepulveda VA's Catholic chaplain, Patrick O'Hagan, went unanswered Wednesday, but even if the priest is using real wine at his Masses - which Elsant says he is - Cooperman sees a difference.

``I'm not aware of what he (Chaplain O'Hagan) has in his cup, but whatever it is, he's the only one drinking it,'' Cooperman said. ``If Rabbi Elsant was the only one drinking his wine, I'd have no problem with that either. But he isn't.

``I learned the rabbi invites everybody to his Seders - inpatients, outpatients and neighborhood people,'' Cooperman said. ``I'm concerned whether these people are cleared medically to drink wine because we have a lot of alcohol abuse and homeless people coming here.

``God forbid they had some wine and weren't supposed to. I checked with my own rabbi about having grape juice used instead, and he said it would be fine, so I instituted the ban.

``If Rabbi Elsant is so upset, why didn't he complain to me?'' Cooperman asked. ``The decision was made a week before the Seder.''

Elsant said he got the ``no more wine'' memo March 30 and was very busy.

``This thing cuts both ways,'' Elsant said. ``Why didn't he call me on a decision like this?

``You know, I work for government and God. And God makes a heck of a lot more sense than most of these guys working in government.''

Amen, rabbi.