New York City – Representative Anthony Weiner (D – Brooklyn and Queens) today called on ESPN and the Commissioner of Major League Baseball to honor the holiest day on the Jewish calendar by returning the New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game to the afternoon from the afternoon of September 27th, which is the beginning of the most holy Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur.
The September 27th game between the Yankees and the Red Sox was originally scheduled to take place at 1 p.m., but was moved to 8 p.m. at the request of ESPN, who planned on broadcasting the game during Sunday Night Baseball.
The following letter was sent to ESPN President, George Bodenheimer who under contract with MLB, has control of scheduling the times of baseball games and Commissioner Allan Selig.
September 1, 2009
Dear Commissioner Selig & Mr. Bodenheimer:
I write to express my disappointment with the rescheduling of the New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox game from the afternoon to the evening of September 27th, which is the beginning of the most holy Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. I urge you to switch the game back to its originally scheduled time of 1 p.m.
As I am sure you are aware, Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Sunday September 27 in New York and continues until one hour after sundown on Monday, September 28. Jews will refrain from work, will fast and will attend synagogue services beginning on Sunday evening. Because the game was moved, it now runs into direct conflict with the religious requirement for players, such as Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox, team personnel and fans to be home by sundown. In New York in particular, home of the largest Jewish community in America, the current scheduling of this game ensures that any observant Jew who purchased tickets will lose their money because they will be unable to attend due to religious reasons.
There’s no reason why the largest Jewish community in the country should be punished for a last-minute scheduling swap. I’m hopeful that ESPN will do the right thing and return the game to its 1 p.m. start and that ESPN will show greater sensitivity when making scheduling decisions in the future.
I look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
ANTHONY D. WEINER
Member of Congress
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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12 Responses
I think it would be better to have it at night, when ehriche Yiden are in shul, and won’t pay attention, rather than Erev Yom Kippur afternoon, when some will succumb to the nisayon not to follow the game while making hachanos for the Yom Hakadosh.
This guy is about to intermarry with a MOSLEM and he is talking about baseball games on Yom Kippur? This website should NEVER carry ANY thing from this man. He masquerades as “a nice Jewish boy” yet commits the worse sin possible! Don’t EVER give him a headline again!
Eis tzarah hei le’yaakov umimenu eivashaia
#2 Well said!
Congressman Weiner: It’s just a baseball game. It’s not like it’s an election being held on Yom Kippur. I’m much more troubled by a Jewish Congressman marrying a non Jewish woman.
HELLO?!?!
Am I reading correctly?
THIS is what congress is busy with?
The economy is in the trash bin, unemployment is through the room, Iran and Israel will explode Gd-knows when, North Korea is shooting off missiles (EVEN NUCLEAR TEST) at anything that walks, Social Security is collapsing, Obama Health Care is being debated………….
………….and this quasi-mongoloid (for lack of better description) is busy WITH A STUPID BASEBALL GAME???????!!!!!!!
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!!!!
I agree with the comments about wasting Congress’s time and marrying a non Jew BUT
MONGOLOID is a derogatory term. When it does apply the word today is down’s syndrome.
May the writer never have this nor other defects in his family.
#8 well said, this is definitely to gain votes but if he knows his constituents they are mainly the frum and they won’t vote for him or his party. Since when does he have a sensitivity to Judiasm when he is about to marry an Arab woman?! Its actually comical. Although it would seem a little more sincere from Schumer not much but a little.
See, here’s the thing. Yes mr weiner is engaged to be married to a gentile and yes this renders him a bad jew. However let us analyze the letter for a moment: entertainment wasn’t the sole focus of this letter rather the fact that jews in particular would be loosing money in the event that the game be postponed. So yes, is this a miscarriage of representation, I believe it is, however he deems saving his constitutes money, and by thus doing so gaining backers, a worthy cause. As for blogger “petch times” comments, the answer is no, an individual such as weiner does not have a more severe responsibility then this. His position is abysmal, as all of albany is. MAB\
In his defense, I’ve heard rumors that his mother isn’t even jewish. If that’s the case there is nothing wrong with him marrying a Muslim woman, his father was the avaryon resulting in his being born an ayno yehudi. That being said, I wonder if the end of ramadan which is a muslim holy day & coincides with R”H this year would actually coincide with Y”K would he be abliged to mention that as well being engaged to a muslim??? Just wondering aloud
Let the game play on Yom Kippur. Who cares? If you value your spiritual life you’ll go to shul and if not,then you might as well watch the game. Is a baseball game more important than the health of our neshomos? Let’s also close down all TV programs because Jews will miss watching their favorite shows! Our elected officials are trying to make us forget that there are real life-threatening issues around that will cause history to change for the worse if not corrected. Since they have no solutions,they merrily play the entertainment and forget about repairing what is broken.
Everything happens for a reason and whether some of you like it or not, this is a good thing. Fact is, any of us may have thoughts that stray while we are davening. Some people WOULD be talking in shul about the outcome of the game, I am sorry to say.
We are in an area where the Jewish population is dense. The same area happens to have a great baseball team that people follow, especially since they are doing very well.
Whatever else Mr. Weiner does with his life is not for me to judge. But I believe for each person who will now NOT mention, in shul, even if they try to hold back, particularly younger bochurim who have a slight interest in baseball stats, that they are wondering about who is winning the Yanks BoSox game, it is to Mr. Weiner’s merit; even great merit.