The facilities of the Greater Atlantic City Jewish Community Center have been opened for limited use on Saturday afternoons, beginning at 1:30, according to a decision by the organization’s board of governors.
David M. Perskie, president of the Center, said, in announcing the new plan, that the Saturday afternoon programs will be “consonant with the spirit of the Sabbath.” Each Saturday afternoon, he said, there will be “a brief, interesting and meaningful program devoted to the Sabbath, its meaning and its importance in Jewish life today.”
Following this program, he said, the lounge, swimming pool and health club will be available, although no league or other organized competitions will be allowed. Smoking will not be permitted, and vending machines will not be operated. For those who desire to use them, he said, there will be strip tickets on sale in advance, so that they need not handle cash.
Meanwhile, the Synagogue Council of Atlantic City, comprised of rabbinical and congregational organizations of the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform denominations, has protested against the Center’s Sabbath plans. A letter to the Center from the local Synagogue Council reaffirmed the position of the national organization, the Synagogue Council of America, calling for “a moratorium on Sabbath openings” in Jewish Centers.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
