Council Member Stephen Levin is introducing legislation today that would suspend alternate side of the street parking regulations on the Seventeenth day of the month of Tammuz of the Hebrew calendar. The Seventeenth of Tammuz is a Jewish fast day occurring during the summer that commemorates the breach of the walls of Jerusalem before the destruction of the Second Temple. The bill is being introduced today at the stated meeting of the New York City Council.
“The Seventeenth of Tammuz is a day of fasting and also occurs during the summer when it is very hot outside,” said Council Member Stephen Levin. “We should accommodate the Jewish community’s religious observance of this day and not force them to get behind the wheel of a car when they have been fasting and exposed to extreme heat. By suspending alternate side parking on the Seventeenth of Tammuz we will help protect the safety of all New Yorkers.”
Rabbi David Niederman, Executive Director of United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, said, “Alternate side parking regulations should be lifted on the Seventeenth of Tammuz, a day of religious observance for the Jewish community. It is important that we prevent unnecessary driving on a day when it is very hot outside and people have been fasting. Safety has to be the number one concern for our community and I am thankful that Council Member Levin has introduced this legislation to address this issue.”
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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6 Responses
I must say this an absurd proposition. People go out to work and shop and do all sorts of things on Shiva;ah Asar b’tammuz and to represent it as a difficulty as described is disingenuous. You can move the car before or after the fast, and really to make such a big deal out of it is embarrassing. Let them save their efforts for more important things
I cannot even believe I am reading such non-sense, pathetic.
Or maybe someone is just looking for some publicity,
Is this a purim joke?
How about firstly having a bill to suspend alternate parking on Tish b’Ov?
We already have Purim, but surely Tish b’Ov is more significant than Shiva Ossor b’Tamuz.
Silly people taking advantage of the system I propose Tu Bav, Rosh chodosh, Aseres yimai Teshuva and of course all days tachnun is omitted. And one more if a Choson lives on the block the entire block should be suspended.
There was an article in the New York Times today about the “ultra orthodox” and their political pull with NYC govt what with all the voting unity (all divided last I checked) and their pull with High ranking officials…
I don’t read that garbage myself, the guy next to me on the train read the whole article with candid interest.
If anything Tisha B’Av makes more sense. People go about their regular day on Shiva Asar B’Tammuz.