Statement of Agudath Israel of America on House Passage of Permanent Daylight Saving Time

 Today the U. S. House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act by a wide majority. Agudath Israel of America and its constituents understand the popular desire to “lock the clock.” We are concerned, however, that by choosing permanent daylight saving time (DST) for the entire country it will put children at risk and affect our religious practices.

Permanent DST would mean sunrises after 9 am in some parts of the country for weeks in the winter thereby causing many of America’s schoolchildren to head for school – by foot, by bicycle, or by bus – in the pre-sunrise darkness and putting them at increased risk.

For the Orthodox Jewish community, an unintended, yet compelling, consequence of such legislation is the effect it will have on our fundamental religious practices. In Jewish law, morning prayers, and the rituals associated with them, must be recited no earlier than at specified times. The later sunrise occurs; the later synagogue services must begin. The extension of DST will create an extreme hardship on observant Jews. It would be extraordinarily difficult – if not impossible – to arrive on time for a job and will effect the start time of our schools.

The last time this happened in the 1970’s the popularity of the measure dropped dramatically once Americans experienced one dark winter and Congress had to reverse itself within a year.

We are hopeful that the Senate will consider all of the effects of DST and compare them to the effects of permanent standard time or maintaining the status quo before rushing into this major change.