300-man Delegation of Jewish Groups Asks for ‘fair Sabbath’ Law

Confidence that the New York State Legislature would enact a "Fair Sabbath" bill this year was expressed here today after 300 representatives of six Jewish organizations met here with key state officials and legislative leaders. The objective of the delegation was to urge an amendment to New York’s "blue" laws, to exempt Sabbath observers from provisions requiring Sunday closing of business enterprises.

The organizations were the American Jewish Congress, the Jewish War Veterans, the metropolitan region of the United Synagogue of America, New York Board of Rabbis, the New York Federation of Reform Synagogues and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations.

Howard Squadron, chairman of the metropolitan council of the American Jewish Congress, who led the delegation, disclosed that Jewish groups met a month ago on this issue with Governor Rockefeller and Assembly Speaker Joseph Carlino, Confidence in the view that legislative enactment would come at the current session of New York State House and Senate was expressed by Mr. Squadron "relying on the encouragement received from legislative leaders and from Gov. Rockefeller himself to believe that a ‘Fair Sabbath’ bill will become law this year."

"The interest and encouragement of the Governor and many legislative leaders, " he said, "has strengthened our belief that the law will be changed, to correct the grave injustice and serious discrimination which those who observe a day other than Sunday now suffer under the laws of New York State. " He said the law works a special hardship on Sabbatarians–Orthodox Jews, Seventh Day Adventists and others–who keep another day as their religious day of rest. Thousands of small merchants who close their stores on Saturday for religious reasons must suffer the economic loss of closing on Sunday as well.

"It is these small merchants who have been the major targets of police enforcement of Sunday laws. More than 20,000 summonses for Sunday law violations were given out in New York City in 1961–almost all of them to small merchants, " Mr. Squadron said. He noted that there were at least a dozen states that exempt Sabbath observers from Sunday law restrictions against the sale of goods.